inspiration By Body Painting For You

Ready to get started body painting, but don't know what to use, how to get started or where to find the right supplies? Here's the 3 steps to finding and using good body painting supplies.
Step 1. Know what kind of body painting supplies you need:
There are many kinds of paint out there, and most are not for body painting. If you use the wrong kinds of paint, you may end up with you (or whoever you paint) having a mild to severe allergic reaction to the paint.
 

A mild reaction could be hives or a body rash. A severe reaction could be difficulty breathing. So don't take this lightly, and get the right paints to start with.
The right kind of body paint is tested for use on human skin and safe to use for overall body painting. They say they are for body painting specifically. Personally I would not go for the 'cheap' good deals on body paint, but would get the best to start with. It's not much more money, and you may as well be safe.
You will also want to get some good brushes and sponges for body painting. You don't need to invest in very expensive brushes, but I would suggest using natural fibers and not the very cheap kinds of craft brushes that will have the hairs falling out as you are using them. Also, cheap stiff brushes will be uncomfortable for the person you are body painting. So get some soft brushes, of 3 different sizes to start with:
- 1 very small with a pointed tip for fine detail
- 1 about a half inch wide
- 1 'fan' brush for blending
You will also want to get some sponges for body painting, in order to put light coats on and also for covering large areas quickly. You can find sponges in the same places you will find body paint. Which brings us to our next 'secret'...

Body Painting Tips

If you are planning to put some paintings on your body then butterfly face painting designs offer one of the excellent choices for you. Butterflies are one of the most attractive figures to choose because of the unlimited choices for its pattern; aside from the beauty it creates with its attractive mixtures of colors.
Moreover, butterfly face painting designs are also very simple to create that even beginners in body painting can do it with ease; using basic color combination to produce unique patterns. Aside from butterflies you can also choose other figures like various animals that include tigers and lions, birds and dragons, cats and dogs, bugs and insects, sharks and fishes, and so much more.

One of the most important things that you must bear in mind when doing body paintings is to blend the figures with the type of person wearing them. To give you some examples, when creating the art for children, it is best to choose designs that appeal to them like their favourite animated cartoon characters. For boys, they would love to wear various designs of cars, robots, pirates, and other stuffs for boys. On the other hand, girls would prefer to wear something that exude beauty like flowers and fairies, rainbows and butterfly face painting designs.

Additionally, the pattern should also be based on what the person intents to convey. If the individual is wearing body paintings to scare people then you can choose monsters and other Halloween figures; if they are wearing the paintings on their faces to add beauty then you may choose flower, birds and animal designs.
Regardless of what pattern to choose, it is essential to create designs that are well suited to the type of personality of the person wearing them; as well as choose designs that make them very comfortable in placing them on their face. Some people may feel uncomfortable in certain patterns that they will use it for only few minutes and eventually erase them; while people who are very proud and comfortable with the patterns on their faces wear them for much longer time.
Hence, before you start creating paints on faces, it is imperative to ask first the person on what design to use that will make them very comfortable. In most cases, men and women vary on their choices because men want something masculine; while women tends to choose something that radiates beauty like butterfly face painting designs.

Body Painting Style

Body Painting - The Intricacies
The origin of body painting is unknown, but its use has been widespread - sometimes as an art form, sometimes as a part of tradition, and the other times, as a necessity. The evidence of body painting is found in ancient practices across various cultures and remains a popular fashion statement in the present times. There is no set style or technique for body painting. It can be a localized design or a fuller one, covering the entire body in some cases. The color pigments used can be natural or synthetic. Similarly, it can be a work of an expert or an amateurish hand of a novice. However, unlike permanent tattoos, body paints are temporary or semi-permanent in nature.
The Geographical Spread
Painting the body was prevalent in ancient Egyptian civilization, where Pharaohs and high-class individuals painted their faces in red ochre & white pigments, and eyes in kohl. The Himba group of Namibia also generously uses red ochre. These people paint their entire bodies in the uniform pigment, as a traditional practice. In India, body painting is an elaborate work of expertise, which requires training and a lot of experience. One of the best examples of this art is the make-up of Kathakali dancers that involves the use of white, red, black, and yellow colors against a base of bottle green color, on face.

The use of 'henna,' a natural plant extract, is very popular among the Indian women across the country and is again, done by trained experts. Henna is used for decorating the hands and feet in beautiful, complex designs. Native Americans use streaks, concentric circles, and other patterns of colors, which include red, white, yellow, blue, and black. The indigenous Yolngu people of Australia use detailed and painstaking technique to embellish their bodies. It is an inspiration for many other art forms and a job that only the experts can do.

Painted faces have been a trademark of comedians and mimics, throughout the history of performing arts. Body painting has found as much use in military operations, as in local communities. Facial colors, particularly in nature tones are heavily employed as camouflage by almost all armies in the world. Now days, this art has become a fad, especially among the youth and is treated more as an avant-garde fashion accessory, rather than as a religious belief. Across the US and Europe, body painting is used in theatre, cinema, fashion, carnivals, and body painting festivals. Despite facing criticism and rejection from various corners, this art continued to grow and is still evolving!

Body Paint Art

Painting body with henna is an increasing trend in many countries. Mostly women living in Middle East and Far East paint their bodies with henna. Some do it as a ritual and other do it for fun. The exquisite and delicate designs are what make painting the body with henna so much interesting. The custom of painting the body with henna dates back 5000 years. The interesting thing about this kind of painting is that it is temporary and one can create new designs every four weeks. So people looking for temporary tattoo and painting can opt for henna body painting as it is safe, reliable, cheap and easy to use. Also it provides the exquisite and imaginative look which people really love.

Painting your body with henna can be time consuming if you opt for difficult and delicate designs. There are certain things that one must be aware off before painting their body with henna. One can buy henna online from many websites but the important thing to be considered is that the quality should be exemplary in order to get the best reddish-brown color. If henna paste is applied for a small period of time and then washed it will leave a pale color. Similarly if it is applied for a longer period of time like several hours then it will leave a dark reddish-brown color which will take about 4 to 6 weeks to wear off. Also the process of painting body with henna is painless. It is only applied on the surface of the skin and not injected into the skin like other body art.

An important thing to remember here is that one must be aware of their allergies. Sometimes the oils in henna paste cause rashes and other allergic reactions, to avoid such situations these people can use purified henna. Traditionally henna was applied to the hair, foot and hands and mostly during special events like weeding and other ritualistic events. These days the trend is increasing solely because of the quality and advantages of painting the body with henna over other forms of body art. Painting the body with henna portrays creativity and delicacy.

Real Body Painting

Since the beginning of time, humans have always had the desire to create art. Through this desire body painting was born, making the human body the first canvass. The history of this craft stretches so far back that historians consider it to be the earliest form of art. Compared to other types of body art like tattoos or piercing, this is impermanent. It lasts only for a few hours at most.
During the ancient times, tribes would often use this during celebrations and important ceremonies. Each color had its own corresponding meaning. Chieftains and warriors commonly had their own styles to indicate their status in the tribe. Around the 12th century, a new kind of body painting known as the Mehendi became popular. The Mehendi is an extremely old ritual that originated from Egypt. It is the art of using henna to paint the body. This type of dye usually lasts a little longer, about a 1-2 weeks before fading.  Natives of South America also had their own methods of ornamenting their bodies. They would use wet charcoal also known as huito. Like henna, huito is also semi-permanent lasting for a few weeks.

In today's modern era, this has become a way of self-expression. This has been spurred on by the liberality of modern society. If before nudity was deemed by society as inappropriate and improper, now it is something to be flaunted. In the guise of self-expression and the practice of human freedom, this has become a means of grabbing the public's attention. This is especially effective during protests and rallies. Instead of bringing placards and sign boards, the protesters would instead paint on themselves.

The art of body painting can morph a human being into a beautiful work of art. It can make a statement that words alone cannot express, create a more appealing presentation, and add meaning and significance to an important occasion. It is used not only for the living, but also to preserve the dead. Truly it has attained world wide significance that will last till the end of time.