15 Embarrassing Body Paint Costume Photos You Have to See

STRIPES

Gesine Marwedel, a German painter, discovered the world of body painting through her friend, photographer Thomas van de Wall. Instead of canvases, she now uses the elegant forms of dancers’ bodies as canvases – her works last up to 12 hours and have a painterly depth that is perfectly captured photographically.

Her inspirations come from a mix of inner drive and the environment: “Sometimes we don’t know where the ideas come from,” she says. In commissioned works, however, she follows the client’s wishes. In her portraits, improvised areas of color merge with controlled lines, creating a tension between freedom and discipline that feels like a fleeting glimpse into a stranger’s soul.