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Liquid latex body painting

Applying liquid latex can vary, with making things easier to work with or possible to achieve different effects. Since liquid latex gives off a small amount of ammonia vapours and warmth, the area to be painted needs to have some amount of ventilation, so that the model doesn’t freeze due to the drying or evaporating liquid latex. Allow each coat to dry completely before applying the next one, and for best results, use three or more coats. Use a hair dryer for quick drying.

To get the smoothest finish, use foam brushes and rollers and for large body areas or full body painting, 2”-3” widths are good, with 1.5”-1” for edges and details. Keep some extra as dry latex will continue to stick to the latex dried on the model and make things very uncomfortable for him or her. Dip brushes in water while working on other body parts and squeeze them out before using again.

When applying liquid latex, use bristle brushes, sponges and your fingers for a variety of effects and textures. Liquid latex looks pastel when wet and grows much darker when dry while you can also get black-light sensitive and stripes and spots too. So, work out your designs before beginning to paint.

Liquid latex body painting: Before you get down to working with liquid latex, first do a patch test and see if the small area that you painted with liquid latex turns red and irritated. If yes, avoid any body painting with latex. If your model experiences an itch, that’s normal, but if an uncomfortable sensation continues, stop using liquid latex.

Secondly, liquid latex can be absorbed by any cloth or fabric surface material. Place a drop cloth in the area to be painted and wear protective clothing while painting. Ensure that your studio is warm as when latex dries and evaporation sets in, it can cause your model to feel chilly. As you know, liquid latex contains a little ammonia. Keep the container open for a few minutes until the smell goes.

Begin painting: Before painting, you have to deal with the hair on your body. Hair can be either shaved or kept trimmed. Or you could rub a generous amount of body lotion into your skin and let it absorb completely before you can begin painting. However, if you keep the latex on for long, you may not need the lotion as you will perspire at the level of the skin and this will loosen the latex in time.

While painting, take care to see that no two painted parts of the model’s body come into physical contact with each other, as they will adhere and tear the latex. After you have finished all the painting, the surface can be sealed with water or silicone based polish to stop any sticking or tearing.

Removal: To get out of a liquid latex painting, the outfit must be destroyed. This can be done by paramedics. The longer your model wears it, the easier to pull off from the body as there will be a great build-up of sweat. But to make some parts come unstuck, use vegetable oil and remove slowly.

Liquid latex is useful if you are talented and experienced. Take care to get the best out of it.

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