Body Painting History

Body painting originated from ancient tribal cultures who originally painted with clay and other natural pigments for ceremonious acts.  This original ancient art form still survives today amongst the indigenous people of Australia, the Pacific Island and parts of Africa. 

Extending past its original roots, other cultures have adapted their own variations of this art form. 

India and the Middle East, refers to their form as Mehndi, where the paintings are created using dyes made from henna.  This form continues to exist today, most noticeably at wedding ceremonies on brides, and since the late 1990’s, it has made its way to the Western world where it is still quite popular.   

You can also see traditional body painting on the indigenous people of South America.  They use annatto, wet charcoal or huito to decorate their face and body. Huito is semi-permanent and generally takes weeks for the black dye to fade.

For centuries, body painting has also been seen in entertainment on actors and clowns who have painted their faces and sometimes bodies for their roles.  Body painting also plays a role in everyday cosmetics that are “painted” on the face.  

From the ancient tribal forms and cultural variations, body painting has emerged into the present times and the Western society with a modern twist.  The 1960s prompted the revival of this ancient form and stemmed mostly from liberalization of social morals regarding nudity. Although the 60s revived the form, signs of it were present back to the 1930s.  Documentation of this shows that at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, Max Factor and his model were arrested for causing a public disturbance after he body painted her with his new make-up formulated for Hollywood films.  No matter the timing, body painting has been, and sometimes still is, a controversial subject.  Even today with more liberation and a wide array of art, there is still a constant debate about the legitimacy of body painting as an art form.

The understanding today is body painting is on a fully nude body but in actuality, it doesn’t have to be. Although I paint mostly nude, body painting can be painted on specific areas of the body using smaller designs and not exposing the “birthday suit.”

A side from the body being the finished painted product, there is an alternative art movement that uses body painting in an alternative light.  This alternative form started around the 1950s and 60s and uses the body as a paint brush.  The “painting” is completed by covering the body in paint and touching or rolling on canvas or another medium, transferring the paint. The effect produced by this technique creates an image-transfer from the model's body to the medium reflecting the curves of the model's body (typically female) in an outline form.  This technique is goes beyond monotone and utilizes multiple colors and when used on different body parts, it produces a vivid artistic effect.

The sky is the limit with body painting.  The more experimenting and practicing there is, the more the form grows.  Body painting is a fascinating art form to be apart of, whether you are the canvas or the painter.

Body Painting Sightings

With a growing passion for body painting, it has become very popular in both the amateur and professional arenas. Worldwide festivals happen annually, bringing together every level of painter. The World Body Painting Festival in Seeboden, Austria is the biggest art event in the industry and thousands of visitors come to admire the amazing work of the participants. US events include American Body Arts Festival, NY and the US Bodypainting Festival in Albuquerque, NM.

Apart from festivals, body paintings can be seen at football games, rave parties, fashion events, Mardi Gras, Fantast Fest and more.

Other Sightings

Although controversial,  body painting has become more widely accepted in the United States and has increased its chance for exposure.

Starting in late 2006, Sacramento art galleries started using fine art body painting as performance art to draw new patrons. The first gallery dedicated exclusively to fine art of body painting was opened in New Orleans by World Body Painting Festival champion and judge, Craig Tracy, in 2006. The Painted Alive Gallery resides on Royal Street in the French Quarter. 

Body Painting in Entertainment

Body painting can be a profession and is for many.  Many artists work within the entertainment and media industry, the medium that gives the most public exposure of the art form and opens minds to the beauty of it. Their work is often seen in television commercials is frequently showcased film.  Magazines probably give the most exposure whether it is through ads, editorials or photo montages. Body painting graces the glossy pages of magazines worldwide every year.

One of the largest body painting showcases can be seen in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, published annually.  There have been many features where models have been painted to look as if they are wearing swimsuits or sports jerseys, sometimes with embellishments such as bows or buttons.

Playboy has also featured models “wearing” painted attire.  This can be seen the 2005 Play at the Playboy Mansion calendar where all Playmates appeared in the calendar wearing bikinis, with the exception of Playmates Karen McDougal and Hiromi Oshima. Playboy has also had boy painted spreads within its magazine and girls have “worn” painting at some of  Hugh Hefner's parties at the Playboy Mansion - created for Playboy by artist Mark Frazier.

Face painting

 If you have been to any fair, carnival or fun days at a school, you have probably seen the most used form of body painting – face paint.  Face painting is exactly that, painting a person’s face but with cosmetic "paint."  The paints used are especially made for the face, which you should make sure someone is using before you have your face painted.  Non-cosmetic paints, or "craft" paints, pencils or markers, are not meant for your skin and can lead to staining and allergic reactions.

Face painting dates back centuries where it was used for either hunting, religious reasons or military reasons, such as camouflage and membership in a military unit.  Now, it is used most commonly as entertainment. It is typically geared toward children, who adore it, but not limited to them, teens and adults also enjoy this form of amusement.

The face is a canvas for anything that will fill its pages.  It can transform you into another person or creature, add drama or can display your favorite team or character – to say the least.