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Painted Lady
Mar. 6th, 2011 10:58 pmThis afternoon I painted on myself.
Not just any paint, I should add. The good people at the Dharma Trading Company sell a line of Temporary Tattoo Ink which, as one would expect from the name, allows you to paint tattoo-like pictures on skin. In this case, mine.
I had gotten the paint a few summers ago for Gencon and then wheedled my long-suffering friend Brent to paint the Daidoji mon on my arms. I hadn't used it since, and I've gotten tired of it mocking me from the bathroom shelf I had parked them on after my move. Unfortunately, Brent lives in a different time zone so I had to paint myself this time. The results were not pretty: I look like I was attacked by a seven-year-old armed with a watercolor set. But I had to paint by looking in the mirror at what I was doing and half the time I was using my off-hand, so I wasn't expecting a great result. My hope is that if I start practicing now then by the time warm weather rolls around and I am wearing shirts that would allow my efforts to be seen they will be worth looking at.
Since this was all experimental I did random stuff: I have the constellation Orion on my upper left arm, a rose and three cornflowers across my chest, and a wheatstalk-poppy-cornflower bouquet on my upper right arm. Next time I try this I am going to put the complicated design on my left arm, so that I can use my right hand to paint with. Also, I need more paintbrushes. And I need to order something in the yellow or gold range, because green wheatstalks, while possible in nature, look drab when paired with green stems and leaves.
Now I will see how long they last. The Dharma website says 24 to 72 hours, but I recall they lasted longer than that at Gencon. You can take them off with rubbing alcohol, but water doesn't affect them much: I took a bath this evening and it did nothing to them. I don't think any of my winter blouses will show them; otherwise I will have some explaining to do. I wonder, could I keep a straight face long enough to convince people they are permanent?
Not just any paint, I should add. The good people at the Dharma Trading Company sell a line of Temporary Tattoo Ink which, as one would expect from the name, allows you to paint tattoo-like pictures on skin. In this case, mine.
I had gotten the paint a few summers ago for Gencon and then wheedled my long-suffering friend Brent to paint the Daidoji mon on my arms. I hadn't used it since, and I've gotten tired of it mocking me from the bathroom shelf I had parked them on after my move. Unfortunately, Brent lives in a different time zone so I had to paint myself this time. The results were not pretty: I look like I was attacked by a seven-year-old armed with a watercolor set. But I had to paint by looking in the mirror at what I was doing and half the time I was using my off-hand, so I wasn't expecting a great result. My hope is that if I start practicing now then by the time warm weather rolls around and I am wearing shirts that would allow my efforts to be seen they will be worth looking at.
Since this was all experimental I did random stuff: I have the constellation Orion on my upper left arm, a rose and three cornflowers across my chest, and a wheatstalk-poppy-cornflower bouquet on my upper right arm. Next time I try this I am going to put the complicated design on my left arm, so that I can use my right hand to paint with. Also, I need more paintbrushes. And I need to order something in the yellow or gold range, because green wheatstalks, while possible in nature, look drab when paired with green stems and leaves.
Now I will see how long they last. The Dharma website says 24 to 72 hours, but I recall they lasted longer than that at Gencon. You can take them off with rubbing alcohol, but water doesn't affect them much: I took a bath this evening and it did nothing to them. I don't think any of my winter blouses will show them; otherwise I will have some explaining to do. I wonder, could I keep a straight face long enough to convince people they are permanent?