BODY & SOUL

Master of the art of applying paint to human skin, PASHUR reveals the secrets of his profession...

- JORDAN RIEFE

If you were to body paint a nude woman, which would you choose — a model with large breasts or more modest-sized? The answer is that it depends, according to Pashur, recipient of the first-ever Hall of Fame Award at the Paintopia Body Paint Festival in the UK, and a four-time body paint award winner at Fantasy Fest here at home.

“You have models who have large breasts, those are really good for designs like lingerie where you’re trying to sell that aspect of it,” he tells us. “When you’re creating art, all sizes of the canvas, you need them — larger, smaller, bald, sometimes you even need a model who’s missing a leg. I’m always looking for models with smaller breasts for theatrical stuff. And if it’s for a magazine cover, or something I’m looking to sell with sex appeal, I’m looking for a model that’s larger.”

Most of his work, sensual torsos coated in abstract imagery, is in styles such as “Bio-Gothique,” delineating what he calls the Dark Mechanics of the female form, and “Aquatica,” exploring similar notions in blue and green. His painted-on lingerie is often better than the real thing.