When we here at Penthouse think of gorgeous nude women being used for artistic purposes, we think of the photographic wonders we share with our readers in every issue: beautiful women doing their thing in their birthday suits, or near enough. Body painting combines the inherent eroticism of seeing a naked woman with artistic elements typically saved for the canvas, creating beautiful and bewildering works of flesh and fantasy.
One of the best body painters on the scene is Patrick Leis, an illustrator and writer from Copenhagen who found his way into the world of body painting by accident. “I was at a carnival with friends and did some face-painting for them,” he tells us. “Some event planner came by and saw my work and wanted to know if I also did body paint, so I said sure. I’d never tried it before, but next thing I know I’m on a stage painting a model, and a magazine is taking pictures. I started to get calls for professional body-paint work after that.”
While Leis paints a lot of T-shirts, lingerie, and other clothing on models at the behest of his clients, he insists the possibilities are endless; he’s best known for his sci-fi-themed creations. “My favorite style is to blend the erotic—which draws the eye—with the scary stuff, which makes you want to look away.”
That combination of aesthetics helped Leis win the European and World Bodypaint Championships, as well as both body paint challenges in the 2010 World Art Connect competition, where he was up against 14 of the best artists in his field, all of whom had won other championship titles. That respect among his peers and those wins make it easy to find models—“Some times I come across a woman I simply must work with, but most models call me. Usually they find me online”—even though the job of modeling is no easy task. One of his pieces can take anywhere from three to eight hours to complete, during which the model has to be naked and fairly still—and then she needs to be photographed. But when Leis finds a model, he makes sure to keep her happy. “It’s all about chemistry,” he explains. “If you can make them laugh, that helps. I take my work seriously, but not myself, and that helps them relax.
“I want the models to trust me,” Leis continues, “and I always ask if they want to bring someone along when we work. Anything that will make them more comfortable. The models I work with tend to be real professionals, and I make sure they know what they’re getting themselves into and what they can expect from me. You have to make the models happy to get the best work out of them. One bad review can ruin you in this industry.”
Despite those hours Leis spends with his attractive naked canvases, he says that that’s all they are. “When looking at the pictures after a project is complete and the brushes have been washed, of course I can appreciate the greatlooking girls,” he assures us. “But I don’t think I’d be able to do body paint if I couldn’t separate my profession from my personal life.”
That doesn’t mean you can’t get up close and personal with a model of your own. While Leis works primarily with an airbrush to paint his living masterpieces, he suggests the at-home painter start out with edible chocolate body paint and try some abstract art. “A simple T-shirt or swimsuit is easy, and seeing the finished work can be quite satisfying,” he says. “I use all kinds of tools, props, and techniques. Anything I can think of. I’ll use an old grill plate as a stencil, make patterns with latex or tape—pretty much anything you can imagine can be used.”
You heard the man: It’s time to give free rein to your imagination. Of course, Halloween provides the perfect opportunity. Just tell your girl you’ve discovered the perfect way to create a homemade costume that you can both enjoy.
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