Harry Potter – Body Painting by Cat

Paintopia 2012 Professor and Apprentice Bodypaint Com, Paintopia

February 10, 2014February 10, 2014 by BodypaintingbyCat, posted in Body Paint, Face & BOdy Art Competitons

This was a stunning idea Jennie had for Paintopia – lots of professional (and non!) face painters never tried a body paint as they were too shy/ nervous/ unsure of how to set one up. (Not me – I just went ahead and did it!). She designed a competition – more like a set-time workshop really – where she teamed up experienced body artists randomly with newbies. We had a few weeks to talk on email etc, some even meeting up to practice together.

Nic and her ‘apprentice’ Carla -Jayne starting to paint Pete.

The very sweet Italian Teresa Antinoro from Milan had been paired with me for this. TBH she is a great painter already and I don’t think she really needed help, but it was nice to chat as we worked. She went on to do well in some EU bodypaint comps that summer!

It was a genius idea of Jennie’s; put a novice painter with someone much more experienced to give them the confidence to have a go at body art. Sadly Italian is one of the languages I know nothing of (German, French, and Dutch I’m OK at and I even have a smattering of Cantonese and Spanish).

We’d chatted a bit on email and had a few ideas, so I’d made a giant paper-feather bird head mask with the smashed out bottoms of the plastic LED lit pint mugs I’d got from the HK Rugbys 7s as eyes. Elisabeth, who I’d painted for the My Bloody Valentine shoot, was our model.

I used sculpted foam-latex breats covers from BodyFX NZ again, love them! 1-stroke cakes were just getting popular so I’d bought a new one ( Iusually made my own), showed her vaguely how to do feathery patterns with the flamey colours, and we ‘feathered’ Liz then drew a flaming pheonix on her tummy.

A lot of pinning and fiddling fixed on the bird head, and a tutu/ bustle I love which I had got from Fairylove years ago (and no longer felt brae enough to wear).

A bit of glitter tattoo was added with the freehand glitter tattoo bottles and tips I sell, and off Liz went. We didn’t win but it was nice experience and I LOVE all the different shots the photographers took!

These 3 photos by the IsnapEvents Photographers who set up a green-screen shoot in the painting marquee on Sunday, which was Paintopia’s public open day.

I think Liz quite liked this paint as she stayed in it until the last possible moment!

Paintopia 2012 Patronus Pixie for Bodypaint Comp

February 10, 2014February 10, 2014 by BodypaintingbyCat, posted in Body Paint, evening Ball Entertainment, Face & BOdy Art Competitons, Face Painting, Glitter Tattoos

May 2012

My fab buddy Jennie had never been to any of the big face/ body paint conferences, as they are usually from Norfolk (she has 2 daughters and a day job), and cost lots. She arranged a ‘jam’, a day where local (ish) painters come and try stuff, play with paints etc, and that whet her appetite. So, she decided to create Paintopia, (partially helped by her friend Kerry), a body art festival in Norfolk!

The aim was to raise the profile of good face & body art and let us all have some fun too. Even though it was its first year, she attracted entrants from all over Europe and even further as well as UK!

This first year Jennie chose a magical theme, loosely based on Harry potter, partially because we were hosted at the historic Dunston Hall.

Unlike many events, painters were able to set up on their own tables in the wedding marquee, and leave their kit there the whole weekend.

Many retailers were set up in a room in the hotel, and official photographers were in another. The first day, Saturday, we were creating mystical creatures in the main body paint event. Hotel staff were really helpful and intrigued (highly unusual compared to many events I have been to) bt did warn us that a famous football team and a lavish wedding were sharing the hotel, and could we be cautious.

I had designed a Patronus Pixie on the amazing Stephanie, in my favourite teal and blue shades.

I added prosthetic horns, and tried to draw Harry Potter casting the spell beside the lake on her leg, so his stag Patronus rose up her front, surrounded by wispy Dementors.

Voldemort on the back I was not happy with, but I finished in time and managed to fix the giant fibre-optic-and-fused fibre headpiece I had made to her wig.

A few wedding guests noticed what was going on and asked to come in; by the afternoon we had most of the wedding in watching us work.

I loved this – Juliet Eve aged out lovely Laurence by decades, changing him into an ancient wizard.

Whilst queuing to be judged, and photographed, th footballers (Aston Villa!) spotted the models and started papping them!

Nic Shilson with her Pheonix on Pete

The wedding couple also sent their official photographer to ask if the models would pose, so the whole crew grinned behind the happy couple with me trying to remind them all NOT to hug the bride!

Helen won for her unusual brown and cream flowery creation, lovely. We came 2^nd ! Woohoo!!!!!

The party that night was beautifully set up to look all magical and potter-esque, with the Isnap guys offering green-screen shots of us in various famous locations from the films. I’m afraid that like many I was knackered and still needed to clean kit and set up hings for the next day, so I went back to bed fairly soon after eating. I had to abandon poor Laurence (whi was wearing my leafy home-made tiara) to the female hordes:)

%d bloggers like this: