Artists find the body of women as an intriguing and unique subject matter, well, this genereally gets the approval of a lot of men, artist or not. Because of this, body painting with women subjects has become popular especially in today's times. There is even a festival for body painting and painters from all over the world are looking forward to join these events.
Body painting is considered a delicate art form. In fact, this kind of painting was developed many years ago. Tribes of our yesteryears performed body painting during special ceremonies. Some tribes do body painting merely for aesthetic purposes. However, our ancestors did not use paints like the ones sold in markets today. They used natural pigments and clay to do body painting.
Today, body painting is still being practiced, particularly with Mehndi. This body painting form makes use of henna dyes and this is very popular in the western countries. An example is a semi-permanent henna tattoo.
During the 1960's, body painting was very popular as an art form. Back then, the social acceptability of this art form was always in question and in fact, experts conduct endless discussions about it. More often, body painting involves nudity and because of this, the art form is questioned by the norms of the society.
In body painting, you don’t just use any kind of paint. The use of body paints is restricted to some guidelines – the paint should be non-allergenic and non-toxic. Artists should only use paints that can be easily washed with water and ordinary soaps.
As mentioned earlier, there are semi-permanent body paints like those used in Mehndi. It uses natural and synthetic henna. The natural shade is available in brown color while the synthetic is black. For safe body painting, one should use the natural henna or the brown dye. If you use the black synthetic dye, allergic reactions can occur. However, if you want to use the black dye, a patch test should first be conducted to make sure that it is safe to be used by the subject.
So now you know a bit of body painting's background. If you want to practice body painting, you can enroll in certain classes. Presently, nudity in works of art is but natural. It is more acceptable now unlike many years ago. Women are no longer ashamed to be used as subjects in body painting. Besides, most women are paid with huge sums of money with a single session.
For starters, you should practice body painting with someone that you're comfortable with. A friend or even a loved one can do but it will be a lot easier if you practice in a class so that you don’t have to worry about the woman subject you need.
Body painting is a special kind of art that requires years of practice before you can become an expert in the field. While you're still in the learning process, you have to continue your research. The internet can provide you with all the resources you need. You simply have to spend enough time to research and study so that you will know all the valuable information you need.
You should be open to the possibility of nude body painting with women subjects. Your mind should be free from inhibitions so that you too can create a beautiful work of art. In time, you will be ready to join the festival for body painting where your skills can be recognized all over the world.