TAYLOR - WINTER MELT - body paint

This is an example of what my backgrounds look like before I paint the models. I work on butcher paper that I've crumpled up to get a textured look. Actually, if you don't texture the paper in some way, the paint will usually create unattractive wrinkles, so it's a good way to make sure the final result looks 'artistic'.

This setup was inspired by the melting snows of winter, running down a rocky stream. As you can tell in the closeups, I use brushes, rather than airbrushes as many body painters do. In my normal artistic pursuits, I work very tight and detailed, so I've been trying a loose brushy style for these setups. It certainly helps to speed things up.

Generally it takes me a day to paint a backdrop, then between one and two hours to paint the model.

TAYLOR - AUTUMN LEAVES - Body Paint

Taylor's beautiful orange hair was a perfect fit for this Autumn look. She came to the shoot with a lip ring. She said it was pretty involved to remove it, but my philosophy is that the models should look however they look. I don't worry much about hairstyling or makeup other than the body paint. Generally I dislike makeup anyway, and Taylor had a natural beauty I didn't want to try improving on.

DIVINORA DARLING - BRIDE BODY PAINT

On October 31 2004 I made an appointment with my third model. Unlike the other models, Divinora was not able to come to my studio, so I drove out to meet her in another city. She took me out to an abandoned building that had no electricity. Because of this, I was unable to take one of my 'nature' bodypaint shots, because I need lights to do that. So instead, I painted her in bridal lingerie. So in these photos, although her lingerie looks realistic, its actually all painted on. The only clothing is the veil she's wearing. Divinora has amazing eyes. Because of the dim lighting inside the house, I used my flash, which worked out quite well due to her smooth alabaster skin.

Divinora is a 'fetish' model, specializing in a 1940's look. Her own personal wardrobe has an old fashioned look. Divinora truly has that femme fatale feeling, but she's a sweet person, and an extremely imaginative model. She stood around in a cold abandoned house for hours, and didn't complain at all.

KORINA - PROJECTED FLOWERS

I projected several photographs taken by my friend Elaina McBroom on Korina, to see what might happen. I think they turned out beautifully!

KORINA - BODY PAINT

My first model was Korina. I'd come up with an idea for a series of body painting photographs, in which models are posed against natural backgrounds with painted patterns on their bodies that go with the background. I began with this idea of a lightning strike.