Before you read further, this guide contains descriptions of how to apply liquid latex body paint to a whole human body. While this is often done for purely artistic purposes, there are those who will consider this sort of thing to be inherently sexual, especially when an entire naked person is involved.

I welcome any comments or suggestions especially from others who are experienced with using liquid latex body paint.

How to Liquid Latex your Whole Body

1: Introduction

The main reason I created this guide was because I was unable to find answers to many questions I had when I decided to try liquid latexing my whole body for a costume party. There are several very vague and incomplete guides out there, that simply don't have answers for specific situations, especially for guys.

They not only didn't answer my questions, they didn't mention important things that can complicate using liquid latex or which can cause bad results.

The length of this guide may make it seem complicated to work with liquid latex, but I assure you, it isn't at all. It can be time-consuming, but it doesn't require a great deal of expertise.

It's a lot of fun, it's an easy medium to work with, and unlike other kinds of body paint, once it's on, it won't smear off of you and onto your furniture. You can get some really neat artistic effects, and it _feels_ really neat on your body. Once it's dried and sealed, you can put clothes on over it without a problem, if you need to.

2: Supplies

The Latex

Get a good supply of a decent quality liquid latex. I've heard good things about "Deviant", but I bought a cheaper brand, called Maximum Impact, and several friends tell me is higher quality and thicker than Deviant. I got mine from The Bodypaint Store:

Bodypaint Store Webpage
mailto:bodypaintstore@sbcglobal.net

(Shameless plug for these folks - they sent me a quality product, fast, at a great price.)

An important note: I originally bought a gallon of this product, and it was perfectly good. An acquaintance bought several smaller jars, and the quality was very different - presumably because the smaller jars don't store as well and the quality of the paint degrades more quickly. If you're going to do this, I advise you to bite the bullet and get a whole gallon. And no... I don't get a kickback for saying that.

Helpers

This is the most important part, next to the latex itself. Trust me, you _cannot_ cover your entire body with liquid latex by yourself. There's actually very little that you can easily do on your own. You will need help. The more helpers you can get (barring having so many they get in each other's way), the faster and easier it will go.

Latex Shine Spray / Sealer

This spray contains silicone, and serves two purposes: It makes the latex shiny, but it also helps to prevent it from sticking to itself. The latter is the most important part, in my book. Even after the latex is mostly dried, if it touches another piece of dried latex, it will almost instantly bond together, and you'll certainly tear it when you move or try to seperate it again.

Talcum Powder

You can use talcum powder in addition to, or instead of silicone shine spray.

Brushes/Applicators

For applying the latex, I used foam applicator brushes. These worked really well. Some people use paintbrushes, or sponges, or even their fingers. Remember, the latex can be _really_ hard to clean out of a brush, so you'll probably want one you don't mind disposing of afterwards. If you use the sponge brushes, get plenty of extras. They're cheap, and you will use up several.

Newspaper or Dropcloth

Latex will nearly instantly soak into anything porous, like your clothes, carpet, or upholstery. Make sure you've covered anything around you with newspaper, dropcloth, or something else to protect against drips or accidents. Once it's in your carpet, it's going to stay there.

Paint Cups or Dish

You'll probably want to pour out just enough latex to use, as you use it. If you have too little sitting there, it can dry out, and if you work just out of the jar, you might cause your latex to expire early. If you pour out too much, you may waste it, and this stuff is expensive. Use something that won't tip over, and that you can leave your brushes in while doing other things.

Hairdryer/Fan

Each coat of latex will dry much faster if you have a fan, and/or a blowdryer with a low-heat setting. Make sure, if you use a fan, that it's not blowing over your brushes or paint dish while you work.

A Good Work Area

You'll want a work area that either cannot be harmed by spills or paint, or one that you can protect with newspaper or dropcloths. The work area should be well-ventilated. Liquid latex uses ammonia as a solvent to keep it liquid, and the fumes can be unpleasant in a poorly-ventilated area. Don't worry... once it's dry the ammonia is gone.

The latex will not stick to smooth surfaces like porcelain (most bathtubs) or smooth tile or linoleum. Any porous surface (paper, cloth, carpet, clothing, concrete, plaster, etc.) is susceptible to the wet latex paint sticking to it permanently. When in doubt, cover it up. Once the latex is dry, there is no problem.

3: Preparation - Before You Begin

Decide how much of the body will be painted

This guide includes instructions for the entire body, but you may decide that you don't necessarily want to paint everything. Sometimes, I won't paint all of my legs, or won't paint my arms, for instance. Decide what you want to accomplish, artistically, beforehand.

Shave Your Body

Shave everything that's going to be painted. Really. I mean it. Your butt-crack too, if you are going for total coverage. If you are too shy to shave everywhere, you are too shy to be covering your body with liquid latex.

Any hair you miss, you'll find out about later, the hard way. Very short stubble isn't going to be a big deal, so you can shave the day before if you want to. For instructions and hints on shaving your body (if you're not already experienced with that), you'll probably want to consult one of the many more detailed guides on the subject.

Here is a link to a shaving guide:
http://velvetdragon.com/etc/shave.html

Bathe

Before you start painting, take a good shower, and dry off completely. After you've done this, it is recommended that you apply a decent moisturizer. I used an aloe-based one. Obviously, make sure you don't use one that stays greasy, and that it's completely dry before you start painting.

Protect Your Work Area

Either choose a work area that won't be harmed by spills or smears, or make sure you put down newspapers, drop-cloths, or something else to protect the area.

4: General tips for painting with liquid latex:

- Obviously, follow warnings on the packaging. Make sure you do not have a latex allergy. Try some out on a small area of skin a few days before you plan to actually use it, leave it on for a while, and make sure there is no irritation. Also, liquid latex is preserved with ammonia. It smells rather strong before the ammonia evaporates.

- Apply coats evenly, and thinly. If you make each coat too thick, it will take longer for the coats to dry, and there will be more chance of mishaps. You will need to do at least three coats. Applying several thin coats will take less time than a couple of thick ones, because thin coats dry faster, and multiple layers will be stronger. It's okay if the first coat shows some streaks... by the time you put on the second or third coats this will be taken care of. Better to put on more thin coats than to ruin the whole thing by trying to slather on thick coats.

- Be sure each coat is completely dry before applying the next coat. Properly applied, Liquid latex dries fairly quickly, especially if you use a hairdryer or fan. With a blowdryer, a coat can dry in 30-60 seconds. While it does not fully cure for 24 hours, it will cure enough to do your next coat in just a few minutes. Do not rush this. Rushing will not only get you poorer results, it will take you longer.

- Make sure the room is neither too hot nor too cold, but if you have to err, err on the side of cold. If you are sweating while trying to apply the latex, you'll have a lot more problems applying it. Also, for guys, being a little chilly may help your little soldier keep from standing to attention while you are trying to paint it.

- Don't let your brushes or applicators dry out. If you do, you may scratch the surface of the latex, or get partly dried latex stuck to the brush and also to your already-applied coats of paint, and that can cause bumps, tears, and other yucky stuff. If a brush starts to get dry or gummy, stop using it and use a fresh one. Don't skimp on this part. Those little disposable foam brushes are very cheap.

- If the person doing the painting gets liquid latex on their fingers or hands, it's best to remove it right away. Remember, latex sticks to itself, so if you leave it on your fingers to dry, then accidentally touch the person you are painting, it will stick and tear. It is easy to remove latex from the fingers - merely rubbing it, even when it is wet, will make it form into little dried globs and come right off.

- Do one area at a time. The larger an area you can safely do at once, the faster it will go, but don't bite off more than you can chew.

- At the edge of each area, don't try to make a solid line as a boundary, except against areas that won't be painted at all. Try to "feather" the latex over the area next to it. That way, when you do the next area, you'll get a smooth, seamless join, instead of a crease or line. Also, if you make a "hard" line between areas, it is more likely that the edge will come loose and "roll up" a little while you are still working, and then you'll really get a line.

- I recommend doing broad, easy, open areas (legs, torso, back, arms) first, and _then_ doing areas at joints (like armpits, and the crease between thigh and groin) last. Those latter places are the most likely to stick or give you trouble. If you stay away from joints until other areas are gone, the person being painted will not have to hold still in awkward positions for long periods of time either.

- As you finish each area (that means, after you've done all three or more coats and they have dried), go over it with the finishing spray or a light coating of talcum powder. The finishing spray product recommends spraying it onto a cloth and wiping it on, but I sprayed it directly on and smoothed it with my hands. Make sure you work it in really well. The finishing spray does not prevent new (still liquid) latex from sticking to sealed latex at all. It just keeps the dried latex from adhering to itself. Same with powder.

- If you are using talcum powder, put just a small amount on your hands at a time, and gently pat it onto the surface of the latex. You don't need very much. When you are finished painting, the person painted can shower with soap and water to remove excess powder, so don't worry about it changing the appearance. It is best to use powder in conjunction with the silicon shine spray - use the powder first, then the spray.

- If you use talcum powder, the easiest and least messy way to deal with it that I have found is to put a small amount into a plastic grocery bag, pat your hands gently onto the surface, and then apply it to the subject. This reduces the amount of powder that gets everywhere.

- Don't get latex in your eyes, inside your ear canal, or into your nose, or inside other places in your body. It's not that it's poisonous or anything, but that doesn't mean it can't cause you difficulties. You'll especially be sorry if you get liquid latex in your nose hair, I'm sure.

- At any place where there is a "join" in the body, first do one side of the join, and seal it, then do the other. Remember to "feather." Examples are armpits and where the thighs meet the groin.

- If you are planning to do your head and face, remember that you have eyebrows. I've heard of people rubbing vaseline into eyebrows so that the latex will come off and they won't have to shave their eyebrows off, but I haven't tried that. I just avoided doing my face altogether. YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

- Keep in mind how long you plan to be covered in latex. If you are planning to be wearing it for many hours, or all day or night, make sure you go to the bathroom first. I'm guessing that discovering you have to poop while covered in latex, would be very distressing.

- Remember, people fart. It's a fact of life. You'll want to make sure there's a way for a poot to "escape" if that happens, or you will have a fart bubble trapped under your latex. Ick. My advice is, if you pass gas while covered with latex, go somewhere private and make a tiny hole where the bubble is, so it can get out. Failing that, learn to hold it.

- Any area that is stretched out on your body when you apply latex will wrinkle up when it is no longer stretched. So, if you stick your belly out, for instance, and paint it, when you relax it, you'll have wrinkles there. Keep this in mind when doing your torso, genitals, and neck.

- Any area that is creased when you paint on the latex, offers risk of tearing the latex or having the crease stick together when you unbend the area if you are not careful. Keep this in mind for elbows, shoulders, and knees.

- when getting to edges of areas that will be painted, that are not going to be painted, don't try to make straight lines and nice borders on the early coats. It is easiest to leave them a little rough, and then, after all the rest of the body has been painted, to touch up the edges with smooth, even, single passes of the brush. If you try to make it perfect on the first coat, you'll invariably screw it up on the second or third.

5: Notes on painting each area of the body

This section exists because I ended up having to figure out, by trial and error, some stuff that I really wish there'd already been a guide to, or a place to ask questions. I'm guessing most people either don't even think of some of this stuff, or are embarrassed to talk about it.

Male genitals:

I am assuming that the reason I could find no information on this part of the body is that people are shy about discussing it. Fortunately, I am a neopagan, humanist, and occasional naturist/nudist and I don't think genitals are dirty or shameful, so I will gladly share some tips.

I originally elected to do my genital area first, because it is the most fiddly and complicated area to do, and there seem to be the most things that can go wrong there. As I became comfortable working with latex I decided that it's better to save this area for last.

Because of the lack of specific information on this subject, I had to waste quite a bit of time and supplies finding a method that would work (hence this guide). When you are inexperienced with latex painting, if you do this trouble spot first, then you save yourself the risk of doing your whole body and then having to start over if you mess up the smallest and most difficult part.

Basically, the main difficulty with this area is that your genitals are soft and squishy. They don't have lots of muscle and bone to give them shape, so you are painting loose skin. Also of course, unlike many other body parts, they can change size or shape while you are working - it had to be said. You probably won't have as much of an issue with this as you think, but it can happen. The second most common question I get from guys is "what happens if I get an erection?" The answer is that when you're involved with getting painted, it's generally distracting enough that it won't happen, especially if you save this part for last.

The thing I found that worked best for painting my groin was to do the back half of my scrotum first, and finish that completely. Then do the front half, and seal the area with the silicone spray or powder, before trying to paint the penis.

Regarding the penis, you'll probably want to stay flaccid as possible. If you get an erection while painting, then when it shrinks, the latex will be really, really, super-wrinkly. If that's the look you're going for, of course, then that's fine. Don't worry too much about painting a flaccid penis and getting an erection later. If you have a thick enough coat of latex, this stuff stretches a lot, and it's unlikely your John Thomas is going to be able to rip it's way out. Besides which, most guys find that after you've walked around in the buff a while it's not as "sexy" as people are led to believe.

As with every other area of the body, try to "feather" a bit at the edges so that it will join up when you do the next area.

You will want to make sure your legs are well apart, so that your bits don't get stuck to, or smear latex on, the inside of your thigh - Unless you want to spend the whole of your latex time with your gonads glued to your leg.

Guys, you'll have a decision to make with your genitalia. You can either stick your penis down onto your scrotum with the latex, so that it's all one package, or you can try to paint them separately, seal them with the silicone finishing spray, and keep them separate.

Also, keep something important in mind - you'll still need to pee. Make sure that you don't cover over the opening of your penis. I'm sure that the result of trying to urinate with a painted-over urethra is going to be disappointing or messy. Make sure to leave a tiny opening at least. You may have to sit down to pee.

Female Genitals:

My apologies, but I'm not a girl, and I haven't ever had to paint any. If someone would like to contribute something to this area of the document, I'd appreciate it, because I don't want to steer anyone wrong.

Buttocks:

Another possible trouble area may be your butt. There's the "crack" down the middle, of course, but for those of us who aren't built like greek gods, there's also probably a crease under each cheek where latex might stick together.

The method I've found is easiest is to have the subject lean forward slightly, so that the bottom of their butt-cheeks don't touch their legs. It may help to have a chair or something that the person can lean against. They should keep their butt-muscles relaxed with their cheeks together, and the painters can just paint over the whole butt, crack and all, in one fell swoop.

The perianal area:

(aka the "gooch")

Don't know what to say, other than to try and be careful with the area. The join of legs and crotch, front and back, is of course one of the places where large areas of the body all come together in a small area, and where you have to move a lot. Just try to get everything covered evenly and not let it get stuck together. It's actually not as hard as it seems.

The Torso:

This is the easiest area of the body to paint. It is best to have the person relax, but try to keep their stomach firm, and to stand straight up with the arms away from the sides. It doesn't matter whether you paint the front first, or the back, but do those first and then paint the sides. This makes it easier on the person being painted, because when you are painting their sides, they will have to hold their arms up and out of the way.

Legs:

The legs are another easy part of the body to paint. Just keep them somewhat apart and straight, and go to town. Pay special attention to the backs of the knees. You may want to stay away from the groin until the last part, so that the person doesn't risk sticking to themselves when they move.

Feet:

I suggest you paint the tops of the feet only, if you decide to paint the feet at all. Normally, I stop painting right above the ankle, but you can do the rest of the feet if you like. If you paint the bottoms of the feet, it's probably going to be disappointing.

Arms:

The arms can be a little tricky. I recommend doing the torso and sides first (sealing with powder or silicon spray of course). Have the subject stand with their arms comfortably at their sides and, starting from the shoulders, paint the top (the side away from the body) side of the arms first, and seal with powder or spray.

Next, have the person raise their arms enough to get at them, and paint the whole inner side except for the armpits. Powder or spray to seal.

Some people don't paint the armpit area at all. If you do, wait until you've done all the rest of the arms... then have the person hold their arms over their head (I usually cross mine behind my head), and paint the armpits, then seal them.

Head:

Again, I didn't paint my head or face. If someone wants to contribute to this section, I'd welcome it.

6: Apply decals, designs, or decorations

Generally, I start with a base coat of a single color, and then add other painted designs later. Keep in mind, most colors of liquid latex are translucent, except for black, white (if you put it on heavily enough) and fluorescent blue (I think). If you try to paint over black with transparent colors, it probably won't show up very well.

I've used other kinds of paint, including hobby paint, for small designs. You can paint right on top of the latex with acrylics, although they aren't as flexible as latex. You can also stick vinyl decals directly onto latex, although you need to stick them onto unsealed or unpowdered areas. If necessary, put more fresh latex on, then apply the decal.

You can also create your own latex decals separately and stick them to the subject. That's a subject for a separate guide.

7: Removing the latex

Personally, I found this part the easiest. The longer it stays on, of course, the easier it is to remove, because as you sweat, the latex loosens.

To get it started, rub with your fingers at an edge of the paint, and roll up the edge a little as it comes loose. That will give you something to grab onto and pull. You may have better luck pulling slowly and firmly to get it off in large pieces, rather than yanking or pulling quickly.

Removing the latex can feel pretty good, if it's had time to loosen first. Some people suggest taking a warm shower with soap and water while removing it, if it's proving difficult. If it's not coming off easily, try waiting a few hours, if possible. The longer you wear it, the easier it is to remove.