Publications
Partners
Laura Pennington from Florida, US, started using her body as a canvas for her work eight years ago.
She has created over 350 designs using make-up.
Over the past few years the 23-year-old has made everything from comic book characters Venom and Super Mario to Spyro the Dragon and Jason from the movie Friday the 13th.
The EKG (electrocardiogram) technician said she finds it weird that she’s able to work on her own skin.
“While I’m working on the art it never feels like I’m sitting there for six hours at all,” Laura said.
“For me, it’s just a way to escape, it’s something fun to get my mind off work and school.
“A full face of make-up can take 45 minutes, but my longest one to date has been eight and a half hours.
“I tend to gravitate towards more of the nerdy side, like videogames, movies, and pop culture.
“I try to blend my interests in, once in a while I make more girly things and always try to make it glamorous too.”
Laura has always been fond of art and took extra classes in the subject at school.
In one of her first experiments the medical student portrayed Spider-Man’s foe Venom on her body.
“My favourite has to be Lord Of The Rings, which was quicker but came out so well, then I also love my Spiro the Dragon one too.
“I have done everything from Disney inspired work to Jason from Friday 13th, a horror big gash on my face, Halo, Super Mario, and other fandom.
“My Harry Potter fighting off the Dementors was one of my favourites, as well as Spiro, then I did a Dragon Ball Z character where I look like an anime character.
“After completing a piece I have to sit and admire myself for a while, I have definitely gone out to Chick-fil-A [US fast-food outlet] with all the make-up on.
“I’ll always have the pictures but it stinks having to wash it off. At times I will sit and look in the mirror making poses before taking it off.
“Weirdly I can paint better on myself than any piece of paper or canvas, I don’t know why, I guess it’s just the way I am, it’s weird,” she said.
Laura now incorporates her love of gaming, movies and pop culture to form the designs, often using her notepad to draw sketches.
“My mum always told me I could draw ever since I held a pencil.
"I was always getting in trouble in class for doodling on my work.
“Art class was my favourite and then once I realised you could paint on your body, I thought that sounded like me 100%.
“I see it as my way to express my interests and I have a chance to reach people who aren’t interested in make-up but other things instead.
“I learn something new every time I work on a design and always want to apply that in the next job,” Laura said.
Laura, who shares her work on Instagram, hopes she’ll inspire other artists to showcase their work.
“For anyone trying this I’d say keep trying. A lot of these paintings I have to start over because I messed them up the first time,” she said.
“If you want to do something trial and error is a pretty good way, you have to be determined.”
Source: Magazine Features
