Skin Wars

BODY PAINTING IS EVERYWHERE,

FROM HIGH-FASHION MAGAZINES

TO CHART-TOPPING MUSIC VIDEOS.

TEN OF THE MOST TALENTED BODY PAINTERS

FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WILL PUSH THE BOUNDARIES

OF THE NAKED CANVAS.

- MY BIGGEST COMPETITION HERE IS, UM, EVERYONE.

- EACH WEEK, THEY WILL COMPETE IN TWO CHALLENGES.

GO, GO, GO!

THE WINNER OF THE FIRST CHALLENGE

WILL RECEIVE AN ADVANTAGE IN THE CONCEPT CHALLENGE...

OH, MY GOD!

- WHERE SOMEONE WILL BE SENT HOME.

- THE WEAKEST THING YOU'VE PAINTED IN THIS COMPETITION.

- SOME WILL HIT NEW CREATIVE HEIGHTS...

- MIND BLOWN. -

- WHILE OTHERS WILL WATCH THEIR DREAMS GO DOWN THE DRAIN.

IT'S TIME TO WASH OFF YOUR CANVAS.

ULTIMATELY, ONLY ONE WILL WIN

THE GRAND PRIZE OF $100,000,

AND THE TITLE OF SKIN WARS CHAMPION.

LET YOUR IMAGINATION RUN WILD.

WELCOME TO SKIN WARS.

- I'M GEAR. I'M 35. AND I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS.

MY REAL NAME'S LAURENCE,

BUT NO ONE CALLS ME LAURENCE.

I'M A FULL-TIME ARTIST.

I DO GRAFFITI, OILS, ACRYLICS, AIRBRUSH.

MY BIGGEST WEAKNESS AS A PAINTER...

NO, SCREW THAT, I GOT NO WEAKNESSES. NEXT.

HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON? - HEY! NICOLE.

HEY, I'M GEAR.

I LIVE IN RIVERVIEW, FLORIDA.

I AM A JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES.

I DO STILT-WALKING, ROLLER DERBY,

AND WHEN IT COMES TO BODY PAINTING,

I'M HERE TO COMPETE.

- MY NAME IS FELLE. I'M FROM DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

I'VE BEEN PAINTING FOR 26 YEARS NOW.

I'VE DONE WORK FOR A LOT OF HIP-HOP ARTISTS.

WHAT SEPARATES ME FROM OTHER ARTISTS

IS MY EYE FOR DETAIL.

WE CAN LOVE ON EACH OTHER NOW.

MAYBE A LITTLE LATER WE'RE GONNA END UP HATING EACH OTHER.

- RIGHT, IT'S GONNA BE HARD. - NO!

- HI. - HELLO.

- HI. NATALIE. both: NICE TO MEET YOU.

- MY NAME IS NATALIE. I'M 28 YEARS OLD.

I'M KNOWN FOR CAMOUFLAGE LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS--

KIND OF MY THING, BECAUSE I LIVE IN A FREAKING POSTCARD,

BEND, OREGON.

I'M DOING THIS TO SHOW THE WORLD THE ART FORM

AND TO SHOW PEOPLE WHAT I CAN DO.

- HEY. all: HI.

- HEY, I'M ALAN. I'M 38 YEARS OLD.

I'M FROM DENVER, COLORADO.

I'M A FIREFIGHTER BY DAY, BODY PAINTER BY NIGHT.

I'M NEW TO THE BODY-ART WORLD.

I THINK I COULD BE UNDERESTIMATED

IN THIS COMPETITION, BUT I CAN GET IN HERE AND WIN THIS.

- HERE'S A BADASS. all: HEY.

- THIS GUY LOOKS TOUGH. - I DEFINITELY RECOGNIZE DUTCH.

HE'S PRETTY GENIUS WITH THE AIRBRUSH AND THE PAINTBRUSH.

- AS SOON AS I COULD PICK UP A PENCIL, I WAS ABLE TO DRAW--

GOD-GIVEN TALENT.

I AM THE COMPLETE EMBODIMENT OF AN ARTIST.

I'M KIND OF KNOWN FOR MY TRANSFORMATIONS.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE DOUBLE TAKES. WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?

PUTTING SOMEONE'S PIECE NEXT TO MY PIECE,

THERE'S SOME INTIMIDATION THERE.

I DIDN'T COME HERE TO LOSE.

YEAH.

- I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO'S GONNA BE

THE FIRST PERSON TO CRY.

I'M ANGELA. I'M 22 YEARS OLD. I'M FROM LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA.

I HAD NO IDEA THAT BODY PAINTING EXISTED.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED CATHOLIC, SO NUDITY WAS, LIKE, A NO-NO.

BUT THEN I MODELED A COUPLE OF BODY PAINTS,

AND NOW MY WHOLE LIFE IS ABOUT BODY PAINTING.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

all: HEY. - I'M SHANNON.

I'M 38, AND I'M FROM ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

I'M REALLY CONFIDENT ABOUT MY ARTWORK.

I ALWAYS KIND OF HAD THIS FEELING

LIKE I WAS GOING TO BE A FAMOUS ARTIST.

I DO THINK I CAN WIN.

- HI! all: HEY.

- WHOA. SHE'S COLORFUL. - HI, I'M ALAN.

- HEY. both: AW.

- SHE'S A HUGGER. - SHE'S A HUGGER.

- I TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD AND TEACH WORKSHOPS,

AND MYTHICA HAS TAKEN NUMEROUS CLASSES FROM ME.

SHE'S A CHARACTER.

- HUGS ALL AROUND. - COOL.

- I HAVE SEARCHED MY WHOLE LIFE, TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING

THAT MARRIES MY SPIRITUALITY AND MY ART TOGETHER,

AND BODY PAINTING IS IT.

I'LL WIN SKIN WARS BECAUSE I'M TALENTED.

I'M ADORABLE.

- HOW'S IT GOING, EVERYBODY? I'M SEAN.

- OH, WAIT, WAIT, TWINS! - HEY!

THAT'S AWESOME.

- MY NAME'S SEAN. I'M 39 YEARS OLD.

AND I'M FROM CANADA ORIGINALLY, AND I LIVE IN VERMONT NOW.

BODY PAINTING IS THE GREATEST ART FORM

ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET.

BODY PAINTING IN VERMONT HASN'T CAUGHT ON QUITE YET.

LUCKILY, I MARRIED A MODEL, MY WIFE, JANNA.

IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST AIRBRUSH.

- WOW. IS THAT MYSTIQUE?

- HELLO, PAINTERS! - YOU'RE THE BEST!

IT'S FREAKING REBECCA ROMIJN.

THANK YOU.

- WELCOME TO THE FIRST-EVER SEASON OF SKIN WARS.

- YEAH! - WOW!

- I'M YOUR HOST, REBECCA ROMIJN, AND I'LL BE WITH YOU

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

RIGHT NOW I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO YOUR ESTEEMED JUDGES.

YEAH!

SO NOT WORTHY.

SO...

CRAIG TRACY--OH, MY GOD, LIKE, THIS IS MY HERO.

OH, MY GOSH. - AH.

- OUR FIRST JUDGE IS THE GURU OF BODY PAINTING

AND WORLD CHAMPION MASTER BODY PAINTER,

ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE, CRAIG TRACY.

HELLO.

- CRAIG TRACY IS THE GODFATHER OF BODY PAINTING.

- SHE IS A TRUE INNOVATOR IN THE WORLD OF BODY PAINTING

AND THE OWNER

OF THE WORLD-FAMOUS SKIN CITY BODY PAINTING

IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, ROBIN SLONINA.

HI, GUYS!

- ROBIN, HER WORK IS REALLY SICK,

HER BUSINESS IS REALLY AMAZING,

AND SHE'S DEFINITELY A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

WHEN IT COMES TO BODY PAINTING.

- I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE.

WHOO-HOO!

- AND FINALLY, PLEASE WELCOME ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED ICONS

IN MUSIC AND TELEVISION.

NO ONE HAS MASTERED THE ART OF TRANSFORMATION

BETTER THAN THE FABULOUS RU.

HE'S OUTRAGEOUS, OUTSPOKEN.

YOU PROBABLY KNOW HIM BEST

AS THE HOST OF RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE.

RUPAUL CHARLES. - THAT'S RIGHT.

- WE ALL JUST DRAG RACING, RU. WE ALL JUST DRAG RACING.

- THAT'S RIGHT, HONEY. - I NEVER THOUGHT

IN MY ENTIRE LIFE THAT I'D EVER GET TO MEET RUPAUL

AND REBECCA ROMIJN, EVER.

- WE SEARCHED THE ENTIRE COUNTRY

TO FIND THE BEST OF THE BEST.

THE WINNER OF SKIN WARS WILL RECEIVE

A YEAR'S SUPPLY OF PAINT

AND BE A FEATURED GUEST ARTIST AT IMATS,

THE PREMIER BODY PAINTING TRADE SHOW IN NEW YORK CITY,

COURTESY OF MEHRON PAINT.

WHOO!

- THE WINNER WILL ALSO RECEIVE THE $100,000 CASH PRIZE.

- - THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, RIGHT?

OH-HO-HO!

WHAT?

I NEED TO, LIKE, WORK AS HARD AS I CAN TO WIN THIS.

I ONLY HAVE $60 IN THE BANK.

- FOR YOUR FIRST CHALLENGE, WE WANT YOU TO BE INSPIRED

BY YOUR NEW HOME, LOS ANGELES,

THE STAR-STUDDED LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION LAND OF HOLLYWOOD.

YOU WILL TAKE A ONE-HOUR HOLLYWOOD TOUR,

AND YOU WILL HAVE TWO HOURS TO CREATE YOUR MASTERPIECE.

- WHAT? WAIT. HOW MANY HOURS? - TWO.

- LUCKILY, YOU WILL ONLY HAVE TO PAINT YOUR MODELS

FROM THE WAIST UP. - COOL.

- OKAY. - COOL.

- THE JUDGES WILL CHOOSE A WINNER

BASED ON CREATIVITY AND DESIGN CONCEPT,

AS WELL AS TECHNIQUE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHALLENGE.

AND THE WINNER OF THIS FIRST CHALLENGE

WILL RECEIVE A HUGE ADVANTAGE FOR THE NEXT CHALLENGE.

- YEAH. - YEAH.

- LET'S ALL RAISE OUR GLASSES TO THE VERY FIRST SEASON

OF SKIN WARS.

SKIN WARS!

- WELCOME, EVERYBODY! WELCOME TO HOLLYWOOD!

WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE!

- I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A DOUBLE-DECKER BUS,

AND I'VE NEVER TAKEN A TOUR.

- THIS IS EARLY HOLLYWOOD. THIS IS WHERE HOLLYWOOD BEGAN.

- LOS ANGELES IS REALLY NEAT. I MEAN, THIS IS THE--

THE LAND OF MOVIE STARS. -

- HOLLYWOOD HISTORY EVERYWHERE AROUND HERE!

- NOBODY MAKES ANY REAL MOVIES OR TELEVISION SHOWS

ABOUT SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN.

- AND ON THE LEFT, LOOK, THE SUNSET TOWERS--

A BEAUTIFUL ART DECO BUILDING FROM THE EARLY 1930s.

- ALL OF THE ART DECO BUILDINGS ARE REALLY CATCHING MY EYE.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE GLITTER,

AND I DECIDE TO DO

AN ART DECO BUILDING COMPLETELY OUT OF GLITTER.

- WE'LL TURN RIGHT AND GO UP SUNSET BOULEVARD.