BodyPainter Rich wrote:
White can be REALLY tricky to get good coverage. Too little and streaks show through, too much and it will crack while you are shooting (at least the water based stuff does).

I haven't tried it yet, but I heard that Wolfe Bros. black is the latest and greatest in the face painting/bodypainting community. Their white is supposed to be good too, though I heard from one painter that it was a bit dry.

I like Kryolan's stuff myself, but I almost always airbrush a bit over it to even out the tone or I spend FOREVER getting an even streak free finish.

Thanks.

David Klasfeld wrote:
I'm also into OCC Ink, for airbrush. But seriously, no one has our white beat in terms of opacity and texture, and our black is great too. Settling in the bottle is always an issue with all black airbrush paints (especially alcohol-based ones) and ours is no exception, but to rectify that is to compromise the longevity and the coverage, so shake, shake, shake before applying.

As far as hand-applied paints go, nothing's ever beat Make Up For Ever's Color Cream. Neither a lack of opacity or streakiness are a concern. The texture is sort of like buttercream frosting - it's amazing.

The product itself can be hard to find, but it's something I wouldn't hesitate ordering through the NYC Boutique (212-914-9337), sight unseen. You won't be dissapointed. The price is higher than competitive products, but they do offer a professional discount.

I'm just not a fan of water-activated, cake type makeups. True you can "make" all of them work, but the midday crackles are just too much a headache. Wolfe Brothers and Mehron Paradise AQ are the best of the bunch, but if I was painting by hand, I'd reach for the Make Up For Ever stuff.

David, if it's a cream, does it dry or must it be set? I find when doing a whole body, especially with such high contrast color, you end up getting color transfer between say the elbow and the rib cage unless the area is dried and sealed. This cream sounds great for putting on, but will it stay put without a powder (which might have to wait until the whole design is finished)?

BodyPainter Rich wrote:
David, if it's a cream, does it dry or must it be set? I find when doing a whole body, especially with such high contrast color, you end up getting color transfer between say the elbow and the rib cage unless the area is dried and sealed. This cream sounds great for putting on, but will it stay put without a powder (which might have to wait until the whole design is finished)?

Rich, I can't imagine you wouldn't love it. You apply like you would cake icing, but not as thick - it goes on with more colour than you'd assume right away. It dries pretty matte, but I'd definitely powder if color transfer is a concern (and I've always found it is, with any non-alcohol-based product). But it easily matches the longevity and durability of the other non-airbrush products mentioned in this thread. It's high underrated - and versatile! I carry little sample pots of some staple colors in my kit at all times as a shadow, shadow base, face paint, etc. It's incredible.