Body Painting as a Career, Camouflage, My Work Assignments |

November 9, 2016

Body Painting Around The World

Since starting out in my freelance body painting career in 2004 I’ve worked on some amazing assignments in some beautiful locations. Some of these jobs have had very tight schedules and it’s literally been fly in, paint, and fly out! But luckily, most of the long haul destination jobs have included some spare time to get out and about for some sightseeing, trying the local food and of course buying some local souvenirs! That definitely makes the jet lag worth it. Although my husband might disagree as he sees yet another coconut shell drinking cup, raffia hat and heavily embroidered stuffed animal emerge from my suitcase!

I’m very lucky to have worked with clients in Hong Kong, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Orlando, Cape Town, Thailand, South Korea, The Dominican Republic, Mumbai, Paris, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Berlin, Alicante, Rome, Gran Canaria, Latvia, Nuremberg, Monaco and Malta. A lot of my work comes in with reasonably short notice and some of these destinations have required visas. So it’s usually a race against time and an anxious wait to get all the paper work approved in time for me to fly out!

Below are some of my favourite assignments.

Demonstrating highlights & shadows to the students in my Las Vegas Convention Class

Las Vegas

I’ve been very lucky to visit Las Vegas 3 times and this is definitely one of my very favourite destinations. The first visit was incredibly memorable. I was invited to teach at the 2011 Face Painting and Body Art Convention by the organiser the lovely Karen Owens. At the end of a long flight seeing the outline of the skyscrapers of the Las Vegas strip peeping out from the desert as the plane approached the airport was a surreal experience. Once I had collected my suitcase from baggage I was met by a chauffeur and whisked off in a white stretch limousine, courtesy of Karen, to the beautiful Flamingo Hotel. So it was definitely a ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ moment! The convention was brilliant with so many friendly people and I returned to teach again the following year. My third visit was in 2015 when I painted at a make-up artist trade show representing the ‘Olivares Haus of Glam’.

My camouflaged model taking people by surprise in Cape Town

Cape Town

Another very beautiful location was South Africa where I’ve worked on 2 assignments in Cape Town. The first one was in 2009 when I was body painting for a series of fine art prints for Storm Thorgerson, including ‘The Beach Catalogue’ and ‘The Outback Catalogue’. In between the painting there was plenty of free time for getting out and about sightseeing and visiting the local markets. The second trip was in 2010 when I was commissioned by H2 Films to camouflage a model into various locations for an advertisement for ‘The Irish National Lottery’. Cape Town is amazing I loved the scenery and the culture and it’s definitely on my list of places to re-visit purely as a tourist without a paint brush in my hand!

The painted models in their beautiful costumes ready to perform to the audience in Mumbai

Mumbai

On New Year’s Day in 2012 I escaped the British winter weather and travelled to India with the great team from Acrobat Productions. I was commissioned to do the face and body art for the performers who would be working at a prestigious wedding in Mumbai. We stayed at the beautiful Trident Hotel and after the job we all had a few days to relax and see more of this fascinating city before we flew back to London. I loved India and it’s definitely a country that I would like to return to sometime in the future.

Carolyn Roper Dominican Republic bodypainting

My model camouflaged in the Dominican Republic for the Belgian travel company’s television advertisement

The Dominican Republic

Back in 2012 there was another memorable campaign that I had the pleasure of working on. It was a television advertisement for the Belgian travel agency ‘Neckermann’. The idyllic location for the filming was The Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. Our long-haul destination involved planes trains and automobiles before we reached our hotel, which was the base for the filming. My job was to camouflage several models into tropical looking backdrops so I took along my Getmadeup team mate Emily Dowdeswell to help with the painting. We had a fantastic week working with the models and managed to fit in some shopping in our free time…. yet more souvenirs in the suitcase!

My design for the Make-up Show in New York

New York.

I’ve visited ‘The Big Apple’ 3 times and it’s always a pleasure! I’ve demonstrated make-up and body painting at various industry trade shows in this great city! In 2008 I represented Mehron at ‘The Make-up Show’. In 2011 I painted for AOFM at ‘IMATS’ NYC and my last visit was in 2015 when I was commissioned to paint for ‘Olivares Haus of Glam’. There’s usually been enough spare time for me to get out and about in between the painting to shop until I drop!

Body Painting as a Career, My Work Assignments |

September 16, 2016

| Carolyn Roper

Body Painting Illusions and 3 Dimensional Designs

As I’ve previously mentioned in an earlier blog, for a successful career as a commercial body artist versatility is key! You have to be confident that you can paint in any style that your client requires, whether it be logos, tattoos or camouflage body painting. And although very well known for my camouflage work, one of my particular favourites is painting 3 dimensional and illusion designs. I love the way that you can create something so different from the norm and really trick the eye using only body paint.

3D body painting at Olympia, London

3 Dimensional Body Painting at Olympia Beauty London

In 2014 I represented Mistair at the Olympia Beauty show which is one of the UK’s best trade events in the beauty industry. Held annually at Olympia in London the show attracts salon and spa owners, make-up artists, nail technicians and students. There are numerous demonstrations taking place during the event including several student competitions. I painted model Laurence Caird with a 3-dimensional design inspired by the work of tattoo artist Jesse Rix. I also gave a talk during the show about ‘Commercial Body Painting as a Career’ and one of the prizes awarded by Mistair in the student body painting competition was an industry day with yours truly! The finished design on Laurence is one of my all-time favourites and was a huge hit on my Instagram page, where it’s racked up more than 1,000 ‘likes’.

Biffy Clyro ‘Machines’ 3 Dimensional Body Painting

Biffy Clyro 'Machines' body painting Carolyn Roper

Biffy Clyro ‘Machines’ illusional body painting. Photo: Rupert Truman

I’ve done quite a bit of body painting over the years for the late great Storm Thorgerson, the artistic genius behind numerous iconic album covers including Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. One of the designs that I really enjoyed working on was back in 2007 and was for the 4^th single from the album ‘Puzzle’ which was entitled ‘Machines’ by the Scottish rock band ‘Biffy Clyro’. There were a series of body painted images for the album and subsequent singles. For ‘Machines’ I painted the model with Storm’s design of a metallic torso showing beneath the model’s shirt. The photography is by Storm Studios photographer Rupert Truman.

‘Terminator’ style body painting

Terminator Style Hand Painting

Another real favourite of mine is the hand that I painted with an illusional terminator style. Last year I started my own Youtube channel and made several time lapse videos featuring 3 dimensional body paintings, superheroes and various other designs. For this time lapse I painted my own hand and I think it worked out particularly well. I really like the end of the video where my hand takes on a creepy life of its own! This image has also been a big hit on my Instagram page with more than 800 ‘likes’.

Watch the time-lapse video here

3D chains body painting illusion

3 Dimensional Chains Body Painting

Another body painting that I designed for my Youtube channel was a 3 dimensional chain link that I painted on my friend and model Liam Boyle. I made a time lapse video that demonstrated the use of highlighting and shadows that really makes the chains stand out and look as if they’re literally hanging down the front of Liam’s torso. This was another Instagram favourite with more than a 1000 ‘likes’. I’m really looking forward to putting together more time lapse videos, but I’ve been so busy with commercial work recently that my filming fun has had to take a bit of a back seat for now.

Watch the time lapse video here

Metallic body painting illusion

Metallic Neck Illusion Body Painting

Way back in 2007 I was asked to submit some images for an article on my body painting that ‘Illusion’ (the face and body art magazine) was putting together. They requested previously unpublished photos. Most of my work is commercial and has already been shown in either newspapers or magazines, or on bill boards around London. So I got together with my photographer friend Joseph Sinclair and designed some new images especially for the magazine. One of the new designs was the metallic neck effect that I painted on model Stephan D’Bart. This was my first illusional body painting and I think it worked out really well.

3D face illusion design

3 Dimensional Face Painting

Another design that I created back in 2007 for Illusion magazine was a 3 dimensional face painting. This was originally inspired by a piece of work that I found in one of my art books by the Swiss surrealist artist H.R. Giger. I made tiny shapes from liquid latex and attached them to the model Sam’s face with spirit gum. Then I painted him with black face paint before finally adding a touch of gold paint to bring out the detail on the latex pieces. The photography was by Hass Idriss.

Body painting illusion at IMATS London

3 Dimensional Body Painting at IMATS London

I also painted an illusional design at IMATS (International Make-up Artists Trade Show) held at Olympia Exhibition Centre in London in June. I was delighted to be commissioned to paint on the Screenface London stand. Screenface is an amazing supplier of all things make-up and body art related, and Screenface products have been used in numerous films over the last 30 years including Monty Python, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones. For the demonstration I painted my great model Kyle James, again using lots of highlights and shadows in my design to show metallic parts and torn flesh. Kyle had to step in at the last minute, but I think you’ll agree that he proved to be a marvellous living canvas for my design. You can read more about IMATS in general, in one of my earlier blogs.

Body Painting as a Career |

August 19, 2016

| Carolyn Roper

My most Frequently Asked Questions Part 2

This is a follow-up to my last blog post called ‘Body Painting and Makeup as a Career FAQ’S’ .If you haven’t ready that one. please click here

Do you prefer make-up or body painting?

Working with the brilliant Ben Haenow X Factor winner 2014

These two sides of my business are very different, but I really enjoy both of them. As well as being very well known for my body painting I’ve been part of the make-up team for the contestants on the X Factor for the last 4 years, working under Celebrity Make-up Artist and X Factor Chief Make-up Designer Julia Carta. It’s always great to pick up my make-up brushes which is a real contrast to the body art side of the business. Body painting can be very hard work – there’s often far more work behind the scenes and pre-planning before the actual day of the shoot. Plus stretching and bending for several hours at a time can be very tiring, but the transformations are usually worth it.

What makes a good model?

My amazing model Mark Ramprakash

It does depend on the design but body painting isn’t a quick process and can take several hours. A good model is one who understands the process and can stand still for long periods of time. A nice personality also makes the job more enjoyable for everyone. Friendly chatter and banter does make the time pass more quickly. I do ask that models don’t use their mobile phones whilst they’re being painted. It doesn’t look professional in front of the client and it can be difficult for me to paint them if they’re constantly moving their arms and hands around, particularly if its camouflage work where the models do need to stand perfectly still. I’ve also painted quite a few celebrities over the years and I have to say that they’ve all been marvellous to work with. When working with a celebrity confidentiality is paramount, but I’m always impressed by their patience and ability to cope with what is usually their first introduction to the bizarre world of body painting. Mark Ramprakash was one of the first celebrities that I painted for a healthy eating campaign and he was incredibly nice to work with.

Do you prefer painting on a male or female model?

If it’s a commercial job the client is usually the one who decides on the sex of the model. Some clients prefer a female model as they seem to attract more attention when they’re painted, but it does depend on the shoot and what the images will be used for. Personally I prefer painting men as you get a smoother canvas and a larger area to paint on without having to deal with the curves of the breast area on female models.

What has been your most unusual request so far?

Meeting the lovely Dr Christian Jessen

I have painted for some of the episodes of Channel 4’s ‘Embarrassing Bodies’ and was asked by the production team if I could make various small special effect pieces to replicate warts and infections that men can contract during unsafe sex. So I got my liquid latex out and made a variety of little lumps and bumps, wrapped them up and set off on the train for the production offices in Birmingham. I think it’s fair to say that they have to be the most unusual contents of my handbag ever! Once I arrived I had to attach them to some fake penises. But these were the wrong colour so I had to paint them first to make them look more natural. As I was painting on plastic they took ages to dry so we all sat in the production office waving them in the air to speed up the process. Then once the fake penises were painted and adorned with their assorted warts and pimples Dr Christian took them on holiday to Spain where he showed them to the holidaymakers on the beach to demonstrate safe sex practices whilst having fun in the sun. So this was definitely my most unusual request so far and I think it was a really unique way to illustrate a serious health issue. A couple of years later I was invited to appear as a guest on Channel 4’s ‘Sunday Brunch’ to talk about my camouflage body painting. Dr Christian was also a guest and we reminisced about my unusual homemade attachments after the show!

Are you sad to see the paint washed off?

Once a painting is finished I’m always happy to see the end results. But as long as we’ve managed to capture the design with some good photography I don’t feel too bad once it’s washed off. Although I must admit that a tiny part of me is a bit sad as the model heads off towards the showers. Or we have to get busy with the baby wipes removing everything that has just taken a few hours to create.

What has been your most memorable job so far?

Rob Riggle camouflaged for ‘Dumb and Dumber 2

I’m very lucky to have had lots of high points during my career so it’s difficult to choose just one. Painting Rob Riggle for the Hollywood movie ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ has got to be up there as a really brilliant experience. Spending 3 weeks on the set of a major movie was incredibly interesting and such good fun. The whole crew were just so friendly.

All the work that I did with the late great Storm Thorgerson are some of the assignments that I’ll never ever forget. Working on album covers and translating his ideas into body paint was amazing. Plus spending time with him in Cape Town whilst painting for a series of fine art prints was pretty special too. In between the painting there was plenty of time for relaxing by the pool and chatting in the sunshine.

What has been your most challenging job so far?

Backstage at the Alan Titchmarsh Show

This has to be the painting for ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ again! It was one of the most memorable, but also the most challenging. Camouflaging Rob Riggle into the background for the scene with the vending machine required absolute precision with the body painting as it was important that he was completely invisible to the audience before he moved and revealed his identity. Plus there was the pressure of painting for a major Hollywood movie and knowing that the producers were not going to use any CGI or tweak anything in post- production, so the camouflage body painting had to be spot on. Luckily I was given plenty of time to complete the intricate design so the finished results turned out really well.

Another tricky job was my appearance as a guest on ‘The Alan Titchmarsh Show’ to demonstrate camouflage body art. I took along one of my team, Alex, to help speed up the painting and it should have been quite a relaxing job. The male model had to lie on a table and I had to paint him to blend in with various vegetables. But with the combined weight of the model and the veg, the table started to collapse! So we had to wait until the table could be reinforced and this was seriously eating into the painting time. The show was due to go live at 3 pm and at one point around midday when we still hadn’t managed to pick up a paint brush I was thinking that we would appear on air with a half painted model missing a few carrots, a couple of cabbages and maybe a pumpkin or two. So we had to paint as fast as humanly possible to get him ‘hidden’ in time. Thankfully it all worked out really well in the end and our human arrangement of fresh produce managed to surprise the startled audience.

What has been the proudest moment of your career to date?

Becoming a World Champion for the 2nd time

I’ve had a few really proud moments during my career. There was the feedback from Peter and Bobby Farrelly the producers of ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ after I had finished the camouflage body painting for the film! Plus Jim Carrey telling me that my work was amazing! Also standing on the stage at The World Body Painting Festival in 2007 with my friend and fellow artist Carly Utting as new World Champions in the ‘Brush & Sponge’ category. And then again in 2009 when I won the ‘Special Effects’ category with my assistant Paula Southern. I was the youngest, and the first artist, in the then 12 year history of the festival to win the championship in separate categories.

Body Painting as a Career, Latest News |

June 28, 2016

| Carolyn Roper

Suffolk New College Awards Ceremony

As a former student of Suffolk College I was delighted and very honoured to receive an invitation on behalf of the Principal Viv Gillespie to be the Guest of Honour at the ‘End of Year Celebration Event‘ on the 22^nd of June.

Programme for the Awards Ceremony

So I made sure my diary was kept clear for that date and last Wednesday I set off on the train to Ipswich, back to where it all began for me as a Beauty Therapy student in 2000. It was whilst I was on the Beauty Therapy course that one of my tutors recognised my artistic talents and suggested a career as a make-up artist. Her encouragement spurred me on to research the industry and move to London to take up a place on the HND course for ‘Specialist Hair & Make-up’ at West Thames College in Isleworth. It was after graduating from West Thames in 2004 that I decided to start working as a freelance make-up and body painting artist and set up my business Getmadeup.com

It was really nice to be back at the college again; I can’t believe it was my first visit after leaving in 2002. The old building where I trained is no longer there. It’s since been replaced with a beautiful new light filled building.

I took along ‘the Mothership’ as she was the one who was gently coerced (forced) to volunteer her face and body on a regular basis so that my Beauty Therapy student friends could practice their skills on her! She had to endure false lashes being stuck on, sometimes upside down, sometimes back to front…..yes that is possible! And on more than one occasion when she stopped at the supermarket on the way home she looked a bit too much like ‘The Joker’ from Batman after some over enthusiastic application of lip liner and lipstick! We did have some giggles and she never complained. Everyone has to start somewhere and there’s really no substitute for practicing on a human face or body! I’m still friends with some of the girls from my student days and they’ve gone on to achieve very successful careers in the beauty industry.

Once we arrived at the college everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming! I was given a quick run through of how the afternoon would pan out and then we went up to ‘Shelleys’ the college restaurant for a reception with the special awards winners, invited guests and sponsors.

On stage handing out the awards

Then it was off downstairs to the stage for the awards ceremony with the Principal and the Chair of Corporation. The ceremony started with some music from the Performing Arts students and the introductions.

Then it was my turn to step up to the microphone and give a short speech outlining my career since leaving the college, and finishing with what I hope were some inspirational and motivational words for the students about to embark on the next step in their chosen careers.

The presentation of the awards began with students from the School of Business, Health and Childcare and School of Construction & Engineering Technologies coming up on stage to receive their awards. There was a lot of congratulatory hand clapping and a lot of hand shaking.

Finally we finished with more music from the talented performing arts students. I was then presented with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers which was really lovely.

My beautiful ‘thank you’ bouquet of flowers

Once the ceremony was over we went off to the marquee for some very nice refreshments all made by the catering students and had the chance to chat with more of the staff and students from the college. All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

Note to self. When standing on the stage for 2 hours, even if you are the shortest person there, wear comfortable flat shoes! J

Camouflage, Film & TV, My Work Assignments |

April 16, 2016

| Carolyn Roper

‘Naked and Invisible’ On Channel 4’s All4 Facebook Page goes viral!!

Personal Trainer Ashley Lewis camouflage body painted against shelves of vegetables

The ‘Naked and Invisible’ series of short films for Channel 4 featuring my camouflage body painting has gone viral over the last week. Since its release 10 days ago the brilliant video has received more than 5.7 million views and has been shared an unbelievable 66,000 times all around the world. It’s been seen everywhere from Hong Kong to Buenos Aires and Venezuela to Nepal.

You can watch the trailer clip at the All4 Facebook Page here or if you would like to watch all 4 short films in their entirety, go to the Channel 4 website here

I’ve worked on a lot of camouflage assignments during my career but this has to be up there as one of the most enjoyable jobs that I’ve ever done. So naturally I’m thrilled for everyone who was involved in the making of the series.

Matthew ‘Morgan Fabulous’ camouflage body painted against a clothes stall in a busy market

The background to the series.

As I said in a previous blog, I was approached by Showem Entertainment Ltd several months ago regarding an idea that they were working on for a series of short films for Channel 4. This would involve volunteer models being camouflaged, using body paint, into various backgrounds around London so that they were invisible to the public for a short while.

All the models had a particular reason for wanting to be invisible for a day. I really liked the concept and was very happy work on this project with the team. We started the series back in August last year with the lovely Leyah Shanks who is a body confidence blogger from Edinburgh. It was my job to blend her in to the back of a telephone kiosk in a London street. We then moved on to various locations around London and I painted Body Builder Kate Austin, Personal Trainer Ashley Lewis, Amputee Taylor Crisp, Alternative Model Alison Ward and Librarian and Drag Queen Matthew ‘Morgan Fabulous’ over the course of a week.

You can read the full story with all the images from the series on one of my earlier blogs here

Welsh Body Builder Kate Austin camouflage body painted against supermarket shelving

Definitely one of my favourite assignments to date

Working on the production of the series was a great experience and the whole crew from Showem Entertainment Ltd were just brilliant. The very brave volunteer models who were completely new to the sometimes surreal world of body painting were absolutely marvellous to work with, and we had so much fun with the various scenarios. The reaction of the members of the public when they were ‘surprised’ by the models wearing their camouflage body paint and not a lot else was at times hilarious and so much fun to watch.

And finally I had some lovely testimonials from Simon Goodman the producer of ‘Naked and Invisible’ and also Laura Scimone who is a member of my make-up and body painting team, and who worked incredibly hard alongside me for a week whilst we were filming the series. A big thanks also to Emily Dowdeswell from my team who also assisted on the pilot for the series.

“Carolyn is a true artist and a brilliant collaborator. Her technical ability in bringing her camouflage body art illusions to life so realistically is almost superhuman. It was a real pleasure to work with her on Naked and Invisible.”
Simon Goodman, Producer/Director.

“Working with Carolyn Roper is one of the most inspiring experiences I’ve ever had. She is professional, precise and with the most amazing calm funny personality. She is the most “Speedy Gonzales Body painter” that I’ve ever seen – incredibly fast. I’ve learned a lot from her and I always do, working next to her. Thank you Carolyn for sharing your amazing talent with me.”
Laura Sicmone, Make-up Artist/Body Artist.

Body Painting as a Career |

April 10, 2016

| Carolyn Roper

Body Painting – Information and Advice for Models

Am I short or are my two models just very tall?!! Diet Coke/Jean Paul Gaultier campaign

Body painting is used for various advertising campaigns, music videos, television adverts, PR stunts etc. As a professional body painter out in industry you can expect to get jobs working on PR and promotional events by clients wishing to get press coverage for a new product or event, or for television advertising.

During my career I’ve painted literally hundreds of models in various locations around the world. So here’s a few of my hints and tips that should lead to a successful and pleasant body painting experience for the model, the artist and the client.

Absolutely make sure that you are using skin safe products! I cannot stress this enough! Everything in my kit was designed specifically to go on the skin. Just because a product is non toxic doesn’t mean that you can use it on the body; your insurance won’t cover you if your model has a reaction.

Care for your model

It is VERY important as a body artist to know how to look after your model and make sure that they’re as comfortable as possible. When you’re on a job with your model try to ensure that he/she will be warm enough. If you’re in a room or location that doesn’t have heating ask if it’s possible to provide portable heaters. I usually have foil blankets in my kit for outside shoots.

If it’s a very warm day ask that fans can be provided, so they don’t get too hot. If you’re body painting for several hours then there is a good chance that your model will need to sit down. See if it’s possible to have chairs provided for your model to sit on.

Do they have another job to go to afterwards? If so, they will need to leave with absolutely no paint residue on them. If there are no showers on-set, pack plenty of baby wipes in your kit to help with the paint removal from the skin. If there are showers available, remind your model to take along a wash kit containing shower gel, flannel, towel etc.

A silk/satin dressing gown can also be useful for the model if she needs to cover-up for toilet trips etc. and not smudge the paint. Flip flops are also handy for a model to take along.

Another very tall model Amy Woodman painted for a Kryolan event at The Royal Opera House

Preparation for painting

There are things that your model needs to do to prepare themselves for being painted. Make sure they remove all their body hair. Women are usually fairly smooth, but men will need to at the least run beard trimmers over themselves as any body hair will catch on your brushes and it will be impossible to get clean lines.

Never ask your models to wax, more often than not they will come up in a rash or have broken skin on the area, making it impossible to paint on.

Make sure your models know not to put any products on their skin before getting painted. Unlike when you apply make-up, some products like moisturiser or fake tan make it extremely hard to get an even base coat as the paint does not stick evenly.

Also be aware of any contraindications that might prevent you from painting. Areas of broken skin, such as cuts or grazes. Any kind of infection or cold sores.

Sensitivity to the needs of your model

Some models can be a bit nervous before a body painting job, particularly if it’s their first experience of a body art shoot. I’m very sensitive to their concerns and I often find that a female model will feel much more comfortable once her breasts and nipples are painted, so this is always where I’ll apply the paint first.

I very rarely paint naked models, although I have had to paint detailed anatomical designs for Channel 4’s “Embarrassing Bodies” on sensitive areas. But, sometimes it is necessary to paint completely naked models. It’s then VERY important to decant your paint from its usual container into a disposable one so that you can throw away any left-over paint. I also prefer to use cheaper brushes that can be disposed of afterwards.

An even taller model painted at IMATS New York for AOFM

The Perfect Model

A good model is one that understands the process and can keep very still for long periods of time. It’s also good if they have a friendly personality and are easy to talk to. Body painting can last for several hours so some general banter and fun conversation can make the time pass much more quickly and pleasantly.

I can provide models for various shoots, but I would say that 90% of the models that I paint are usually provided by the client. Some of these models are incredibly tall and anyone’s who’s met me will know that I’m incredibly short! I can usually get them to bend down so that I can reach the tops of their shoulders and their faces. But if I’m doing camouflage work and they have to stand in one position, we have get really technical and I have to stand on a box so that I can reach them!!!

The Fainters

Body paint shoots often start very early and not all models will turn up having eaten properly or have had anything to drink. Some models deliberately avoid eating before a job as they think they might not look their best on camera. This can be a recipe for disaster.

I’ve been in situations where some girls have spent longer with their head down the toilet feeling faint and nauseous, than being painted. There have been times when I’ve actually had to dash off to buy breakfast for them. Once they’ve had something to eat and a mug of hot sweet tea, or an orange juice, they’re good to go and we can get on with the painting. But this seriously eats into the time and can affect the finished result, and is so easily avoidable. So I would highly recommend that all models eat a proper breakfast/lunch before a body paint shoot.

I like to take some snacks with me on jobs, things like bananas. I also have a supply of glucose sweets which I pop into their mouths frequently and can help stop models from feeling faint whilst I work.

My tallest model ever! Ryan Mackins painted at Olympia Beauty Trade Show for Mistair

Some models don’t want to drink a lot of water because they are worried about going to the loo and smudging the paint with their underwear. But it’s really important to stay hydrated. It is a lot easier to clean up some smudged paint around the groin than have to clean off an entire section because your model has fainted and ruined half your painting. I always tell my models to pull their underwear to the sides if possible when using the toilet and it very rarely results in any smudged work.

It’s also important to get your model to move around lots whilst you are mixing the paint or cleaning your brushes, quite often it will be not moving their feet that will cause your model to feel unwell, particularly if it’s a very warm location.

I ask my models to tell me as soon as possible if they start to feel unwell. If there’s a chair available sit them down. I’ve had situations where a very tall model has suddenly slithered off down the wall with me desperately trying to hold her up. And with a 6 foot plus model and a 4 foot 11 artist you just know it’s never going to end well.

Body painting artist becomes body painting model

I always wanted to have my own body painted and was very pleased and surprised to receive an invitation from the American artist Craig Tracy who I first met at the World Body Painting Festival in Austria on my second visit in 2004. So in March 2005 I travelled to New Orleans and spent a week with Craig sightseeing, eating and of course painting each other with the designs that Craig had worked out in advance.

The end result of the body painting collaboration between myself and Craig Tracy

The body painting collaboration was a unique experience for me and I think I definitely have more sympathy for my models now.

After this experience I can confirm that it’s quite difficult to stay absolutely still for long periods of time, particularly if you have to stand up. But no doubt like many of my own models, I found it absorbing to be able to watch and actually see the design taking shape.

Body Painting can transform people, they become part of the art work. You can see the shiest model come alive once they have been painted. It’s a really liberating experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

Body Painting as a Career |

April 1, 2016

| Carolyn Roper

A career in body painting or make-up : What you need to consider

My graduation from West Thames College in 2004

After graduating from West Thames College in 2004 with a HND in Specialist Hair and Make-up I had to make an important decision about my future career. Did I want to join a make-up company like MAC or try my hand at freelance work? I had to weigh up the options.

If I joined a make-up company I would have regular hours, regular pay, work colleagues, sick pay, holiday pay and no tax returns to deal with at the end of the year. Plus the opportunity to progress within the company over the years ahead.

Working as a freelance make-up and body artist means no regular hours, no regular pay, no sick or holiday pay, and the dreaded tax return and National Insurance to sort out. It can be lonely. You have no colleagues. No surprise birthday cakes, no office Christmas party. Secret Santa doesn’t really work if you have to buy the present for yourself. But the advantages are that you’re your own boss, and don’t have to do regular hours every week with a limited annual holiday allowance. But more importantly the work can be really varied and interesting, and you’re very much be in control of your own career. After giving it a lot of thought I decided to go down the freelance route.

Portfolio piece from my time at West Thames College

No Regular Income

Starting out in the industry as a freelance body painting or make-up artist isn’t easy. Unfortunately you won’t leave college one month and be doing make-up in the world of rock and pop the next. The reality is that you’re more likely to be sitting in your flat eating beans on toast and wondering if you have enough train fare to get to your next job. But don’t get dis-heartened as it’s the same for most freelancers at the beginning of their career.

Your kit is expensive and there’s a lot of competition for the work that’s out there. Plus with no regular income and no idea when, or where, your next job will come from, it can be very tough. Everyone’s circumstances are different. If you’re lucky enough to live at home with family support and few overheads, or have the security of a partner or husband’s salary, it’s very different to leaving home and renting often very expensive accommodation and completely supporting yourself. Then all the money that you earn has to be saved for living costs, as you could have a quiet month with absolutely no work and you still have to pay your rent etc.

Financially try not to go down the credit card route. I had a simple rule…in fact I still have. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it, book it or cook it! I’ve eaten my fair share of beans on toast and it was several years before I felt secure enough to book a holiday.

My mother used to send me vegetables through the post so that she knew I was eating properly. It wasn’t unusual for me to come home and find an envelope on the doormat containing green beans and baby sweetcorn!!!

In action at the World Bodypainting Festival in Seeboden, Austria, in 2005

Portfolio Building

I did a lot of low pay and no pay assisting jobs to build up my portfolio and gain experience in the industry. Plus my birthday present from my parents every July was a trip to The World Bodypainting Festival in Austria. As well as a great experience it was a good way of building up my portfolio and also hopefully winning some accolades that might enhance my career. In those early days I never imagined I would win once, let alone twice. But it’s definitely been invaluable in terms of taking my career to the next level. I’ll be covering The World Bodypainting Festival in more detail in another blog.

Unsocial Working Hours

If a model, or models, need to be ready for an early morning press call the painting has to be done before sunrise. I’ve had numerous jobs where I’ve found myself in a cab with the driver navigating a very empty city at 3 am. This is never ideal but it has to be done. You know the feeling when you’re off on holiday and set your alarm for an early flight?? Then you hardly sleep because you’re worried about missing your flight. Well it’s that same feeling only 10 times worse. You toss and turn and then end up getting up before you really have to, simply because you’re awake anyway! You then have to go and paint to a really high standard against the clock to get the models finished, usually after around 3 hours sleep. But I find that once I’m at the location the adrenalin kicks in and I’m off…… painting like a mini ninja!

A getmadeup team job for the NHS. Photo: Adrian Brooks/Imagewise

Building up your Business

There are no short cuts. You have to build up your experience, and your client list, and that only comes with time. If you do a good job the client will be more likely to remember you and use you again, or even recommend you to other clients. But when you’re starting out know your limitations. It’s better to not do the job at all than do it badly. You not only let the client down, but you risk your reputation as well. If you’re good at what you do, you’ll find that it’s almost self- perpetuating. The more work you do the more work comes in.

I’m pleased that I decided on the freelance route, it was the right decision for me. No two days are the same and I love being my own boss. I’ve worked hard to build up my business and now have many repeat clients. I have my Getmadeup team who work with me on larger assignments so my little business also supports several other artists and I actually now have some colleagues. But none of this has happened overnight. I started at the bottom of the ladder and it’s taken me 12 years to get to the point that I’m at today.

My ‘Alice in Wonderland’ themed body painting for Mistair

Career Advice

So my advice to anyone who has a passion for make-up/body painting and is seriously thinking of a career in the industry would be to get some training. Either a full time college course or one of the shorter courses from the various make-up academies out there. There are some excellent self- taught make-up artists, but just about everyone that I know in the industry has started their career with some professional training.

You must have Public Liability Insurance before starting work in the industry. If you poke your brush in someone’s eye you’ll be in big trouble with no insurance cover. I get mine through Professional Beauty. It’s automatically renewed every 12 months and is around £50 for the year. Anyone who works with me must have their own PLI as mine won’t cover them.

If you’re freelance don’t expect to run before you can walk. Gain as much work experience as you can. Do the low pay jobs to practice your skills and build up contacts.

Don’t get disheartened at the beginning of your career. Realistically it will probably take you a few years to get established.

Finally, I hope that anyone who’s interested in becoming a professional make-up or body painting artist will find this information interesting and useful. I’ve tried to be honest and give you the benefit of my experience. It’s not easy starting out, it’s hard work. Early starts, late finishes, not a lot of spare cash! But if you’re willing to persevere it can be a great career, incredibly good fun at times and very interesting. Good luck!!!!

Body Painting as a Career |

January 21, 2016

| Carolyn Roper

For a successful Body Painting career, versatility is vital

Getmadeup team job for Rugby Sevens promotion at Twickenham

Although being well known for my camouflage body painting, as a freelance body artist I have to be able to paint whatever design my clients’ require, whether it be crisp logo work, temporary tattoo’s or intricate details for fine art prints. I never know what, where, or when the next assignment will be and each body paint brings its own challenges. Quite often the design will be something that I’ve never painted before, so I have to have confidence in my ability to transfer my client’s design onto the body with a very professional finish, often in the shortest possible time.

I also have a very talented Getmadeup team of make-up and body artists, most of whom have been with me for years, who support me on larger assignments when multiple models need body painting and/or make-up.

Camouflage body painting for Belgian travel company TV advertisement

Camouflage Body Painting

Camouflage work is quite specialised and can be pretty complex depending on the background that the model needs to be blended into. Personally I prefer a ‘busy’ background with a lot of detail. It might take more work, but I find this makes it easier to make the model disappear. I’ve worked on numerous camouflage jobs during my career, some that needed the model to be virtually invisible like when I painted Rob Riggle for ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ where it was vital that he wasn’t seen by the audience before he moved and revealed his identity. But on other camouflage jobs the model needs to be painted into the background, but still be partly visible to the viewer. In this image we were painting in The Caribbean for a television advertisement which was for a Belgian travel agency. I was with my fellow artist Emily Dowdeswell, and due to the timings we only had 40 minutes to do the painting before the sun went down. We were quite literally up to our waists in the sea with our paints floating next to us in a bucket!

Body painting leathers and logos for World Super Bike champion Leon Haslam

Logos

Some jobs have the client’s logos incorporated into the design. I hand cut stencils for the logo work to give a really professional finish. There are usually only one or two logos required. But for the job at Silverstone where I had to paint World Super Bike rider Leon Haslam in his racing leathers, I had to cut numerous stencils for all the logos that were needed on his torso. It was a really enjoyable day. Leon was great to work with and everyone was really pleased with the finished result.

There have been quite a few people, including very experienced motor cyclists, who didn’t realise that Leon was ‘wearing’ body paint and not his actual leathers. There’s a time lapse video of the painting on my video page.

Carolyn Roper StormStudios body painting

The Beach Back Catalogue body painting in South Africa for StormStudios. Photo: Rupert Truman

Fine Art Prints

As well as body painting for CD album covers I had the pleasure of working on a series of limited edition fine art prints for the late great Storm Thorgerson and StormStudios. The designs were all of various album covers from Storm’s vast portfolio including Pink Floyd, Muse and Audioslave. Some of the shoots took place in the UK, mainly at The RAC Club in Pall Mall. But we also had an amazing two week trip to South Africa in 2009 where I worked on ‘The Beach Back Catalogue’ and ‘The Outback Catalogue’. Visit www.stormsight.co.uk for beautiful prints and posters and other assorted goodies from the very talented crowd at StormStudios.

Celebrity Ricky Whittle body painted with tattoos for Now Magazine

Body Painted Tattoos

Tattoos are always popular with clients and I’ve painted quite a few over the years. If the tattoo is only required for the photoshoot I use my usual water based body paints, and the design can be washed off easily with soap and water at the end of the day.

But sometimes the client might want the tattoo to last for a few days. I would then use one of the more durable alcohol based FDA approved cosmetic inks on the market. It depends on the brand that you use, but the design will last for at least 3 or 4 days, and sometimes up to a week. These products are usually removed with an oil based cleanser.

Mystique body painting and SFX for PR stunt to promote X-Men First Class DVD

Body Painting and Special Effects

There are times when I’m called on to produce some special effects to transform the model for a particular shoot. Some prosthetic pieces can be bought ‘off the shelf’ from specialist suppliers such as ‘Charles Fox-Kryolan UK’ in Covent Garden, London. But for some of my jobs I make the pieces myself with handmade individual moulds and liquid latex. It can be a bit of a messy process and I think my husband’s heart sinks every time I commandeer the bathroom with my sack of plaster and tubs of latex.

For one assignment I was asked if I could transform 2 models into Mystique and Azazel during a week of PR events for the release of ‘X Men First Class’ on DVD. I hand made all the numerous latex pieces myself, and then had to reproduce the look several times on various models throughout the week. They appeared at different London locations including seated on an underground train, and in a 1960’s style ‘pop up lounge’ at Victoria Station. I then had the pleasure of transforming model Sam Cooke into ‘Mystique’ for a photoshoot at the end of the week.

Carolyn Roper Kate Garraway body painting

Celebrity Kate Garraway make-up and body painting

Combined Body Painting and Make-up assignments

As well as being a body artist I’m also a make-up artist and some shoots require a combination of make-up and body art. If we’re working on a shoot with a celebrity their time is very valuable and will almost certainly be limited. So I usually take along another artist from the Getmadeup team to help to speed everything up.

In 2011 I was commissioned to reproduce a £5.00 note on TV presenter Kate Garraway to publicise the charity lendwithcare.org. It was a very enjoyable shoot where I did the body painting on Kate’s back whilst Emily Dowdeswell did her hair and make-up.

Body Painting as a Career |

January 4, 2016

| Carolyn Roper

Body painting – Which paints will work for you?

The 2007 World Festival winning design using Mehron body paints. Photo: Reinhard Bichler

I thought I would start the New Year by covering one of the questions that I get asked on a very regular basis. What body paints do I use? This has the potential to be a long blog so you might want to make yourself a cup of tea and find a comfortable chair!

When I first started out in the industry in 2003 there weren’t very many brands available. But the popularity of body painting has grown massively over the years and there are now numerous very good brands out there including Mehron, MistFX , Kryolan, Cameleon, Diamond FX, Global, Graftobian and TAG. This can make for a bewildering choice when someone is starting out in the industry.

I should say that I can’t recommend one brand over another. I’ve found that by chatting to other body artists during my career, what one person really likes, another artist will dismiss completely. I can tell you what I use, and why. But would advise anyone wanting to get started with face and body painting to do a bit of research. Buy a few different brands, play around with them, and see what’s going to work best for you. These will be the tools of your trade, so you want to make the right choice for you. Budget might also be an important consideration and the prices vary between £4 – £5 for Cameleon or Diamond FX. Up to £8 – £10 for Paradise and £12 for MistFX.

Basic bodypainting colours for your kit.

There are two main techniques with body painting. ‘Brush & Sponge’ and ‘Airbrushing’. When starting out it’s much cheaper/easier to put together a kit with a few basic brushes and sponges and a selection of primary and basic colours. I would include black, white, red, yellow, and blue. I would also recommend green, purple, pink, orange, grey, and brown as you don’t want to spend all your time mixing colours.

The 2009 World Festival winning design using Mehron body paints. Photo: Reinhard Bichler

Paradise Make-up AQ by Mehron

I’ve been using Paradise paints by Mehron since 2005 so most of the work in my portfolio has been done using Paradise. The paints have a glycerine base with avocado oil and cocoa butter so they smell as good as they look. They come in a really wide range of colours in a solid cake form. There is also a metallic range too. The Silver Argente is the best that I’ve used. The paints have a very creamy consistency when mixed with water and blend beautifully. I find them perfect whether I’m painting a smooth base coat or layering the colours. They’re also great for fine line work too. As well as using Paradise for numerous assignments with high profile clients, including the Hollywood movie ‘Dumb and Dumber To’, I’ve also won two World Championships with these paints. The first occasion was in 2007 with my painting partner Carly Utting and then again in 2009 with my assistant Paula Southern.

World Super Bike rider Leon Haslam, painted using MistFX body paints. Photo: Gary Prior

MistFX by Mistair

Most face and body paints on the market come in a solid cake form. MistFX is a very different product as it’s a liquid and comes in a bottle. Some people can be confused by this and think that it’s only suitable for airbrush work. But the paints can be decanted into a small dish or artist’s pallet and work perfectly when used with brushes or sponges too. They come in a range of 24 intermixable colours with a matt or lovely pearlescent finish and have a very high pigment concentration so the colours are very vivid and give a beautiful professional finish. They’re extremely durable and don’t smudge easily. I’ve painted for some high profile campaigns including The NHS and Coca Cola using Mistair. I’ve also had the pleasure of painting Super Bike racer Leon Haslam at Silverstone. The resultant body painting looked so realistic that people thought he was actually in his leathers!

The Face Paints Direct logo was designed and painted by myself using MistFX. Photo: Joseph Sinclair

Suppliers of face and body paint.

For Paradise paints, brushes and also the full Mehron range visit www.mehron.com or Mehron UK at Treasure House www.treasurehouseofmakeup.co.uk

For MistFX paints by Mistair and a wide range of other products including make-up, hair art and nail art go to www.skinbysterex.com

Also for Mehron and MistFX and just about every other brand of face and body paint as well as numerous other products and accessories for the professional face and body painter a visit to www.facepaintsdirect.co.uk is a must. Jane offers a speedy and very efficient service. A lot of my work comes in at very short notice and Jane has gone the extra mile on several occasions to make sure that I get the products that I need in time for my assignments.

My skull design for a Kryolan Masterclass at The Royal Opera House was painted using Kryolan

Another marvellous supplier for artists is Kryolan UK in Tavistock St., Covent Garden. I still remember my first visit when I was a student back in 2002. It was then known as Charles H Fox and was established in 1876. I was like a child in a sweet shop and blown away by the extensive choice of anything body art related, plus the make-up, the books and the videos. And also the range of quite often gory prosthetics and the beautiful wigs that were displayed in the shop.

The original Charles H Fox has since been refurbished and rebranded as Kryolan UK and it remains a wonderful shopping experience for any make-up or body painting artist. But enter at your peril. There are so many tempting products and friendly helpful staff…….you could end up with a serious dent in your bank balance!! www.uk.kryolan.com

Film & TV, My Work Assignments |

December 19, 2015

| Carolyn Roper

Festive make-up, twinkling body painting and the X Factor finale.

Kylie’s dancers made up for her Royal Albert Hall Christmas Concert

A Kylie Christmas at The Royal Albert Hall

On Friday the 11^th of December I was delighted to be working with my colleague and Getmadeup team member Emily Dowdeswell at The Royal Albert Hall for ‘A Kylie Christmas’. This was Kylie’s first ever headline appearance at the venue to celebrate the release of her new album. Emily and I were responsible for the red sparkling hair and make up for Kylie’s dancers, and also her backing singers. It was great fun with wonderful backstage catering and a real party atmosphere to the whole evening. Every seat had a Santa hat on it, so the whole audience could join in with the festive fun. It was very hectic, but very enjoyable. Everyone was a delight to work with. On Saturday morning, whilst I set off for Wembley for the X Factor final weekend, Emily dashed over to ‘The Strictly Come Dancing’ studios to repeat the hair and make-up on Kylie’s dancers for that show.

Shona McGarty made up for EastEnders Christmas photo-shoot in Inside Soap Magazine. Photo: Dan Goldsmith

Inside Soap Magazine

I had the pleasure of working on the Eastenders Christmas shoot for ‘Inside Soap’. I was responsible for the hair and make-up for the lovely Shona McGarty, whose character is Whitney Dean in the soap. There’s a very colourful and festive 4 page article in the magazine. I used Mehron Pro Celebre HD foundation to give Shona’s complexion a lovely radiant finish.

Gold body painted models for ZEEN oil promotion at Fortnum and Masons, London.

Glittering Gold Body Painting for ZEEN Oil

We recently had a booking for a team job for ZEEN Oil which is a Moroccan oil handmade by local Berber women in rural villages. The event was very early on a Monday morning where 5 models would be painted gold to promote the product at Fortnum and Mason’s. The taxis for models and artists were booked for 3 am. I wouldn’t get home from Sunday night’s X Factor until around 1 am, so there was no way I would be awake enough for the painting. Our very talented Getmadeup girls from my team, Emily and Alison, did an amazing job on our gorgeous models with some stunning make up and sparkling gold body painting using Mehron Gold Metallic powder. If this reminds anyone of the James Bond film Goldfinger and the urban myth surrounding gold paint….specialist metallic body paint that is cosmetic grade and FDA approved is actually completely safe to use on the whole body.

Backstage at the X Factor with Chief Make-up Designer Julia Carta and Paul Merchant, Head of Make-up at Charles Fox – Kryolan UK.

X Factor Final weekend

The 12^th and 13^th of December saw the final shows of this year’s X Factor. I’ve been a part of the make-up team for the contestants for the last 4 years, working under the X Factor Chief Make-up Designer, the celebrity make-up artist Julia Carta. It’s always exciting being involved in such a huge live show, there’s a lot of running around backstage with last minute touch up’s etc. We get to know the contestants really well in the make-up room and we’re sorry when they leave the show. This season was more condensed than previous years because of the Rugby World Cup and just flew by. It’s quite sad when it’s over and it’s time for our little team to disband once again. But it’s also a sign that Christmas and 2016 are just around the corner.

The Christmas Market at Colmar, Alsace.

Seasons Greetings from everyone at Getmadeup

It’s been a great year here at Getmadeup. I’ve worked on so many diverse projects with rugby players, actors, celebrities, live body art installations and also TV shows. And my marvellous team of make-up and body artists who support me on larger assignments have been brilliant as always and great fun to work with. There’s lots more in the pipeline for 2016 and I’ll be sharing plenty of interesting, and hopefully useful information, about the sometimes surreal world of freelance make-up and body painting.

Merry Christmas from Lois, my furry companion, pictured here in the Black Forest, Germany.

I’m spending the holidays in Europe and looking forward to visiting some of the beautiful Christmas markets in the Black Forest and The Alsace. So I would just like to wish all my Getmadeup girls and boys, clients, colleagues, family and friends a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.