How to do full Body Freehand glitter tatts - sort of

OK; as asked; this is just how I do it after trail and error!

Unlike 'normal' freehand glitter tatts, these are usually only going to need to last for a photoshoot or performance, not a week. So I add body paint to the glue, usually neon pink or yellow (gone off green as it is more likely to stain skin).

Less is more, try it on your arm (takes lots of shaking to mix the paint chunks in). Get to where a) you can see the glue/paint when it dries (as the glue dries invisible otherwise) and b) it won't rub off when you try after you glitter it but WILL sort of peel off if you hold an alcohol wipe against it for a second or 2. Sorry no actual measurements - I use lumps of DFX or Snax in the big 8ml Graftobian pro adhesive bottles. You may also want to keep some 'pure' for other purposes like sticking on breast covers & normal tatts.

I put it on using a re-fillable puffer type gutta bottle for fine lines and sacrificed a few of my fave face/ body brushes for the others fatter details.

I make sure in advance the model hasn't had a spray tan, isn't too hairy, etc, and usually do a design so that more sensitive areas like under arms & nipples (on men) are avoided. On women I glue OVER glued on breast prosthetics. Be aware any clothing you glue over is highly likely to have glue seep through and be glued TO the skin so I'd add nipple sticker shields or whatever if you are gluing over a bikini. I've avoided knicker gluing although I did have to do 3 leotards - had the models wear old clothes & underwear under them which helped with peeling off the finished leotard afterwards!

So: I like big swathes of colours and tend to do big stripes of glue 1st. Like this.


Let it dry and then I pour/ puff glitter on in vaguely the shading/ pattern I want and smush it around/ squash it on with a stiff-ish blusher brush, or a smoothie. Not quite got the hang of doing patterns in glitter in 1 go - some areas of my snake-skin pattern on a recent glitter tatt worked, others it hid the undercolours - glitter sort of grabs the next glitter onto it.
So you end up with


I tend to do all the areas (front, back, arms, legs) in those shades as I save the brush-off in the wee pink card glittering tray and can use it up that way.

Then I do other colours - the pale blue twirly vines here I did using the puffer guuta bottle of glue.

Again, puff/ pat on glitter when dry.



I have found this brush in beauty chemists in HK and it is FAB for getting off the extra glitter - loose stuff sticking to the skin is a problem here even on normal tatts which i have wiped down 1st, as its so humid. this is sort of like a soft mini dishwash brush and just flicks it off beautifully!


Pics of finished ones are here
http://www.facepaintforum.com/how-d-you-do-that-f7/full-body-and-leotard-glitter-tattoos-t1659.htm[img][/img]

my main model says its easy to remove and fun - like peeling off sun-burnt skin. YUK! Basically it means no scrubbing - pat with alcohol then peel off then get whats left in a hot shower/ bath with a skin scrubber.

Cat x

WOW! Thanks Cat!

I'm going to be getting some liquid body paint (not sure what brand yet) for another project. Would the liquid work as well as chunking in some of the cake for the lessen-the-adhesive-and-see-where-I-painted effect?

Wow that is cool, but the final post isn't working.

I'm sooo excited! My adhesive arrived today, siting on my porch in the snow, but wasn't frozen!!!!

So, I'm hoping my project goes near as well. I'll be practicing on myself until then!

Thanks for being so inspiring, Cat!

Thank you, Cat! I love the pictures of the process.

~Michelle

Wildcatfin wrote:my main model says its easy to remove and fun - like peeling off sun-burnt skin. YUK!

I have a theory on this one... This picking at one's self. I think it's a calming social behavior left over from our earlier ancestors. Only, we don't pick bugs anymore. It's a theory.

Cheers guys - wow, lucky your glue didn't freeze, expensive problem if it does.
re the liquid body paint, i really can't say, have only tried with solids. Which brand is it?
Not sure why that link didn't work - is to 'Freehang Glitter Tattoos' in the General -f-p' on here.
http://www.facepaintforum.com/general-face-painting-f1/free-hand-glitter-tattoos-t1706.htm
Cat x

Well, I'm not sure, honestly. I found a supplier that mostly deals with airbrush, but also sells Ben Nye, Kryolan, and Mehron liquid body paint. They also sell "Generic" liquid paint, FDA approved ingredients. They describe it as "we buy in bulk and repackage, can be any brand", but is way cheaper (4oz $7 to 1gal $75). The site has lots of really good info... mentioned not diluting the paint with tap and storing because it will cause mold. Lots of airbrush and special FX stuff. So I bought some of the cheap stuff to try it out on some consenting adults and see what happens.

I'll report back how it did.

Well, I did one on Saturday, and can report that it was soooo much fun!

The "generic" liquid paint wasn't fab by itself, but I mixed with my cake and it did well enough. The paint cracked and flaked after a few hours, but it served the photoshoot purpose.

So, I mixed a little more than 50% liquid paint to adhesive. (I used blue). Worked great. The model loved itm. The painted model wants to do a glitter shoot! (I'll share pix when my computer behaves, please pray for me that they are not lost forever). And she had no trouble getting it off.

Problem/question: the fine glitter stuck to her non-glued skin and wouldn't brush off! I don't know if she had lotion onn or this happens all the time and I should have been more carefull when I applied the glitter. (I pretty much just poured on the area and tried to brush off the excess)
Help!?

Great info as always from you Cat

Ah just replied on your other thread - as said could be the glitter, could be her lotion/ skin, I have not had it happen but I do pretty much poof directly onto the glue and have my cool stiff flicky face-but-looks-like-a-dishscrubbing-brush to get extra glitter off...

I mainly use Erika and jodi's glitters...that type anyway. Not the metallic flakes that possibly you have from the look of your photos. I could imagine that those have flatter / bigger surface areas to adhere to bare skin...

Hmm...
Other thing, as said, is as long as yu don't srcub at the glued areas, it IS all waterproof so a wet face cloth (wipes no use -you need a bit of texture) or a shower might help.
cat x

I did some experimenting on the glitter type. There's 3 kinds there. One is a larger grade, I used only on the body, and just a little sprinkling. I wondered if having a bigger surface to reflect off of would be good. I didn't really like how it went on or the coverage. I used another that Linda Adams sent me for Christmas... very fine. And a polyester, very fine gliter "polyflakes" I believed the label said.

It was a great experiement... I had loads of fun... and can't wait to try again with my newfound experience. Thanks again for being so gosh darn inspiring, Kat!

Aww go for it guys....

Did I put the video up?
This was most of a goth necklace glitter body tatt - the green is my pro adhesive glue tinted with green body paint!
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatsCreationsBodyArt?feature=mhw4#p/u/10/Jt4ZWXoW4fs

Cat x

The process is amazing!! I really like that!! I'm very inspired by this. I can't wait to try some new things out.