Things you might want to know before you enter a Body Art Competition
Posted on Jul 30, 2009 09:40:00 PM
With my now grand total of one competition under my belt, I thought I would make a list of the things I want to remember for next time. Some of these are things I was told beforehand, but most of them I figured
out on the day. Some of them I really, really wish someone had told me beforehand! So then I thought, why not put it here where you might find them useful.
1. Slippers are essential! Our backstage area was concrete covered in plastic wrap. No matter how warm the room is, if your model’s feet are cold, (s)he will be cold. Also, hard floors start to hurt after a while. Take nice soft, padded warm slippers with you. Your model will thank you.
2. An extra chair can come in very handy. I have a folding one that takes up no room at all.
3. Tissues, baby wipes, cotton buds. All three of these are absolutely necessary. Don’t think you can leave one at home and be ok. 
4. Absolutely everything you take will end up covered in paint. Chairs, cushions, slippers, robes, towels, you, your assistant, everything.
5. Robes are good (that’s what I took). Sarongs are better, they can be wrapped around any part of the body and they are lighter and easy to wear without smudging too much of your work. Polar fleece blankets are
best of all. Perhaps take all three. You just never know what the room will be like. The room we were in was unevenly heated. My model was freezing and less than 3 meters away another girl nearly passed out from the heat.
6. Oh, on the note of fainting. Right before you faint or throw up, your body sweats, all over. As you can probably imagine, this is an absolute disaster if you are body painting. So that leads on to …
7. Look after your model. Do the best you can to make sure they aren’t freezing or roasting. Make them move, eat and drink regularly. Take chocolate! Do not put them in something they cannot eat or drink in. If
you have a prosthetic glued-on type of mask and it doesn’t have a hinged jaw or a wide enough gap for them to poke a drink bottle or a cracker in then shame on you! They will have to wear it for hours and hours. If
they get faint and sweaty and ruin your entire piece it will be your fault.
8. Take a great assistant. Someone who won’t mind being sent on errands for food/ water/ coffee. Who is willing to figure out how to do new things. Someone who will say things like “It’s ok, <insert name here> 
you’re going to be fine.” and will keep you from panicking when you’re suddenly convinced that there’s no way you’re going to finish in time. My assistant was all these things and more. No, you can’t have her.
9. And finally, try to remember to have fun. You entered because you love body art, right?