Some Good News

I thought my computer's power pack had bit the dust yesterday.  The truth is, it needed to cool down for a while.  Also, I had a major life change last tuesday which allows me to throw myself into adapting Edgar Rice Burroughs' At the Earth's Core into a feature film screenplay.  Although being out of school is tough, I need a vacation to complete this screenplay and to have it marketed and made into a good film of old fashioned adventure.  So it's a blessing in disguise.

You really can't go wrong with Edgar Rice Burroughs for Adventure fiction.  A lot of his books have been adapted to feature films, and in some cases, readapted.  Tarzan of the Apes has been adapted over a bizillion times.  Tarzan is probably the 4th most filmed character, after Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, and the Frankenstein Monster.

It's an exciting time to write! :)

The Twelve Kingdoms

Twelve Kingdoms, thirteen tribes of Yisrael.

The setting of the Twelve Kingdoms of Man, is ahistorical, pseudo-medieval.  In other words, it has more to do with Gor and Conan, than it does with King Arthur or even Middle Earth.  But really, I'm not looking for an English Fuedal System.  There's other systems -- the Athenian Greeks had a tyrant, for instance (essentially a dictatorship) that was benevolent during the Age of the City State.  This man became tyrant of Athens by using a young girl and declaring himself chosen by Athena to lead the City State into a new age of prosperity.

The Tyrants were eventually put down and a Democracy set up (rabble rule).  In ancient Israel, my ancestors were ruled by David the King.  It was to be a monarchy that was set up by Yahweh, the El of Israel.  Yahweh would choose the king -- first Saul (who was of the tribe of Benjamin) and second David (who was of the tribe of Judah).  As was promised to Judah, his seed will carry the septre to the end of the World.

Setting up the twelve kingdoms in my new Pathfinder world to be like the twelve tribes of Israel, but giving each of them a different culture is the goal.  One would be based on Persia.  Another, based on Cimmeria, another full of amazons, two with fighting men, and so on (it's ahistorical, pseudo medieval, remember?  I'm just making the 13 tribes obivious!).

Secondly, I thought I'd use churches instead of Gods.  It's different, it's hip, its new.

The campaign setting might begin like this:

In the beginning of our story, the twelve kingdoms were once thirteen tribes who had four hundred years of prosperity.  First as individual tribes, then a small kingdom, then a huge empire, then the empire divided into twelve kingdoms.  This prosperity was not to last, as the kingdoms fell into decline an invasion from another world discombulated the peace and balance in the world.

Something to work on, I admit.  The invasion, of course, are orcs; which threaten humanity.  At least, humanity in the Twelve Kingdoms.  There are others, to be sure.  The orcs were released when a portal transported a raging Orc Horde into the world.  They then spread out, attacking many kingdoms as they sought a place for their own clans and tribes to settle.  The action of the Campaign Setting takes place in the Twelve Kingdoms and the rampaging orc horde with elves and dwarves in there somewhere.

However, the orcs have feeling, they have purpose, they have culture.  I talked a lot about orcs on this blog in my world.  Now it is time to dwell on human culture.

Body Paint: This Fall’s Hottest Fashion Trend – Body Painting

A Model participate in a 2008 World Body Painting Festival Asia at World Cup Stadium on August 29, 2008 in Daegu, South Korea. The “World Body painting Festival” is the largest Art event in the body painting theme and spreads the art form to thousands of interested visitors each year. Now the Festival is expanding with a vibrant and dedicated team in South Korea to host a second event. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images AsiaPac)

The World Body Painting Festival currently taking place in Daegu, South Korea is currently the largest art event in body painting, and you can see why.

Its goal is to spread the art of body painting to thousands interested in it. And, as you can see, body painting is truly an art. The work done takes hours, but in the end models bare an uncanny resemblance to tress, various animals and mobile works of art.

A Model participate in a 2008 World Body Painting Festival Asia at World Cup Stadium on August 29, 2008 in Daegu, South Korea. The “World Body painting Festival” is the largest Art event in the body painting theme and spreads the art form to thousands of interested visitors each year. Now the Festival is expanding with a vibrant and dedicated team in South Korea to host a second event. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images AsiaPac)

A model wears body art by Shin Won-Sun of South Korea during 2008 World Body Painting Festival Asia at World Cup Stadium on August 29, 2008 in Daegu, South Korea. The “World Body painting Festival” is the largest Art event in the body painting theme and spreads the art form to thousands of interested visitors each year. Now the Festival is expanding with a vibrant and dedicated team in South Korea to host a second event. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Artist paints the body of a model with pictures during a 2008 World Body Painting Festival Asia at World Cup Stadium on August 29, 2008 in Daegu, South Korea. The “World Body painting Festival” is the largest Art event in the body painting theme and spreads the art form to thousands of interested visitors each year. Now the Festival is expanding with a vibrant and dedicated team in South Korea to host a second event.

Chocolate Body Painting

Extreme Chocolate Body Painting

Beautifull Chocolate Body Painting

Abstraks ChocolateBody Painting

Body Painting Supplies

Face Body Painting Supplies

Dresses Body Painting Supplies

Animal Body Painting Supplies

Woman Dress Body Painting

Woman Rolling Stones Dress Body Painting

Women Club Body Painting

Women Flower’s Dress Body Paint

Body Painting Miss Universe

Body Painting Miss Universe – Miss Rima Fakih

Body Painting Miss Universe – Miss Alice Musukwa

Body Painting Miss Universe – Two Miss

Flag Body Painting

U.S. Flags on Body Painting

Really Good Woman with Flag Body Paint art

Kissed in Body Paint Art

Setting Design: starting from the ground up.

So, where does someone begin when they make a setting for Pathfinder or for D&D (4e or any other edition)?  Everything every where begins as a idea.  Usually out of the Zeitgeist (there's that word again).  So you start with an idea.  Where do people get their ideas from?

Well, you can thank God that we don't live in a vacuum of human expression.  The Corporate World, however, demonize God because we don't live in a vacuum of human expression.  Nina Paley wrote on her essay "The Cult of Originality" this:

How peculiar, then, that Michelangelo's  works showed up in Europe in the 16th Century, rather than ancient Egypt or Sumeria or Persia, or in the Lascaux Caves?  How “original” was Michaelangelo? He used the language and techniques of his time. He carried ideas passed to him by his neighbors. He didn’t create in a vacuum. [1]


Neither does the Dungeon Master.  To say a setting like Glorion, or Eberron, is original is to be conceited.  Eberron has strong Steampunk roots.  Something you get from Gibson's writing about how Babbage's calculator machine had become common place, or Sony's Steam Boy. Glorion draws heavily on several tropes in the Genre.  Especially some Tolkien, making it an unremarkable setting for some (especially me).  I want to do something REMARKABLE, different, and . . . as I said in my previous Essay . . . obvious.

I've written on numerous occasions about orcs on this blog, and while they are all cool, I didn't pay enough attention to humans.  How can you get orcs and humans to interact and make humans interesting to play at the same time? (I'm currently playing a Worgen mage on World of Warcraft, and I've become sick of how clichéd the humans are).  I want something not a cliche for my humans.  With several tribes of orcs, all different, they don't need a culturally homogeneous human race to fight against.  Not every human nation needs to be a knock off of High Middle Ages England with American Accents.  In a sense, Tolkien has dominated American fantasy . . . with a few off shoots like Mar Barker or John Norman, for a very long time.  It's like we are in a dark age of American fantasy and dreams -- Tolkien, who is acclaimed as a genius, has been copied.  Copied! so many times that many of the things you see in a present day American Fantasy novel is full of clichés.  What happened to Edgar Rice Burroughs or Robert E. Howard?

 

Where does one turn to get ideas to set up a remarkable campaign setting?

to create interesting nations for the orcs to fight and contend with, I go by a few simple rules:

* Don't look at Tolkien.  Tolkien, while original in his day in creating a Myth for his time, has been copied so much that many of his work has become clichés in D&D settings the world over.  Tolkien can be admired for a source of inspiration, but not to take whole Cloth.  Like Disney did when they crossed out the Roman Portico for Atlantis, I have to cross out Tolkien.

* Look at Frank Frazetta's paintings.  While the OSR movement flocks around Frank Frazetta, not a lot of what he painted are clichés in the standard D&D campaign setting stuff.  And most of what he paints is American Fantasy.

* Look to the Sinbad movies.  Sinbad and the 1001 Arabian Nights in which the tales of Scheherazade is the inspiration of these movies.  Sinbad's voyages as told by Scheherazade are the inspiration for many movies set in Persia, Arabia, and Baghdad.  Some interesting links:
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas




(Anything with Sinbad is good, even the T.V. series).

* Ray Harryhausen is the seminal inspiration for a generation of filmmakers.  He revolutionized the special effects industry until computer graphics dominated the scene.

Finally . . .

Ancient History and the Bible.

All of these used to contain clichés, but now not a lot of people know about them or read about them.  They are often locked up in stupid Copyrights that are jealously guarded by people who have either lost their talent, or they sit on their Grandfather's legacy and rip the rewards.  ( Copyright is a bad thing).

And the bible?  Hardly anyone makes movies from it anymore.  Despite historical accuracy; although Samson would be great to make a movie about (everyone loves an Anti-hero).

Ahem . . . 12 hooks, from different sources other than Tolkien.  NICE! :)

So, to create something remarkable you need to get off the beaten path.  Tolkien has been, to put it nicely, copied to death.  There's loads of literature to draw your ideas from -- the above is just the tip of the iceberg. To create your setting, you need a hook or an idea.  Stay away from what everyone else is doing and look at everything else no one else is looking at.  Even if it's a series about Gor (John Norman), Conan the Barbarian (John Howard), or Sinbad (1001 Arabian Nights).

Thirteen Tribes, Thirteen Nations

When thinking of a new setting, I am conflicted between how my cousin doesn't like any historical fantasy, and how I draw on real history when I create a setting.  An example is the ideas I've been getting lately.  With this conflict in mind, how do I draw on real history for ideas and still create a believable fantasy that my cousin will play in?

The idea of the Twelve Nations really came from Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas but you can guess that it actually comes from the Bible.  The funny thing is that most everything is not truly original.  There is a bit of a calque in most anything in which something is transmitted through our language.  Nina Paley talks about this on her blog post "The Cult of Originality."  Thirteen human nations, thirteen American colonies, thirteen tribes of Israel.

The trick to solving this problem is simple:
You don't be original, you're more successful when you are being obvious.  When you state an obvious idea (my campaign setting has thirteen human nations!) you seem like you're original ("That's a great idea!").   What a contradiction, right?  The contradiction is coming from a Copyright standpoint.  The point is nothing is original, says the English Professors, as they have a theory that there is only 4 stories that are being retold over and over again in many variations.  A student stated the obvious once to show how ludicrous the theory is to promulgate across the universe.  So this is how you solve a problem when you have players who simply hate history but you love it and you like to mine history for ideas to RP about.

That, and I think art executives are an excentric lot.  In the days before the Internet, they were the artists' sole audience.  Now, with the internet, an artist can directly touch base with their audience.  Often in ways most people can't even begin to guess.

The only problem is how to be obvious without stepping on people's toes so that they don't think you're competing with their monopoly.

Pathfinder Conversions: The Mage of World of Warcraft

Welcome to Pathfinder Conversions!

One of my players for 4.0 stated that he wanted Wizards to pick up the WoW RPG license from Blizzard.  A great idea, but I stated that the two games (WoW and 4.0) are too similar enough in concept that you couldn't be able to tell you were adventuring in WoW or Forgotten Realms.  You've got your healer, tank, DPS, and Blaster; and you enter into a dungeon and have fun.

However, the whole purpose for the WoW RPG is so you can do stories outside of the MMORPG.  Like infiltrating the burning blade or actually participate in a Battle for Gilneas in other ways.  While it can be done with 4.0, most people at the Convention Table will just run a WoW standard game using 4.0, not deviating from the MMO.

Okay, rant over.  So, lets take a look at the Arcanist class and see what we can do with it.

In Pathfinder, the Wizard class is subdivided into nine different specializations.

Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, Transmutation, and Universalist.  In World of Warcraft, the Arcanist is split into different schools as well -- Inscriber, Magician, Necromancer, and Warlock.  Each school, or path, is subdivided.  The inscriber deals with runes, glyphs, and sigils and are split between Arcane and Dark.  The Mage is split between Arcane, Fire, and Ice; while the Warlock is split between Affliction, Demonology, and Destruction.  As for the Necromancer --> there's only one specialization.

Lets start with the Mage.  The Arcanist gets all the rules that the Wizard has in terms of character creation.  But the Mage has only three specializations: Arcane, Fire, and Ice.

Arcane Mages are like your standard Evoker.  They revel in the power of raw magic and can use it to create and destroy with ease.  The signature damage spell is Arcane Barrage (A high level Arcane Missile spell).  So in Pathfinder, an Arcane Mage receives:

Intense Spells (Su): Whenever you cast a mage spell that deals hit point damage, add 1/2 your wizard level to the damage (minimum +1). This bonus damage is not increased by Empower Spell or similar effects. This bonus only applies once to a spell, not once per missile or ray, and cannot be split between multiple missiles or rays. This damage is of the same type as the spell. At 20th level, whenever you cast an evocation spell you can roll twice to penetrate a creature’s spell resistance and take the better result.

Metamagic Mastery (Su): At 8th level, you can apply any one metamagic feat that you know to a spell you are about to cast. This does not alter the level of the spell or the casting time. You can use this ability once per day at 8th level and one additional time per day for every two wizard levels you possess beyond 8th. Any time you use this ability to apply a metamagic feat that increases the spell level by more than 1, you must use an additional daily usage for each level above 1 that the feat adds to the spell. Even though this ability does not modify the spell’s actual level, you cannot use this ability to cast a spell whose modified spell level would be above the level of the highest-level spell that you are capable of casting.

Fire Mages specialize in the element of fire.  While the spell frostfire contains elements of ice, their most powerful spell is Pyroblast (found in More Magic and Mayhem) and Molten Armor (also found in More Magic and Mayhem).

I'll edit this after I get back.  If and when. :)

The Socialist Song

I present the Socialist Song, sung to the music of the Lumberjack Song.

Barber: I'm a Socialist and I'm okay.  I sleep all night and I work all day.

American Founding Fathers: He's a Socalist and he's okay, he sleeps all night and he works all day.

Barber: I make my money, I author my books,
I go to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays I go shoppin'
And have buttered scones for tea.

American Founding Fathers: He makes his money, he authors his books,
He goes to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays he goes shopping
And have buttered scones for tea.

Barber: I make money, I skip and jump
I like to press wild flowers.
I burn the flag of the United States,
and hang around in bars.

American American Founding Fathers: He makes his money, he skips and jumps
He likes to press wild flowers.
He burns the flag of the United States,
and hang around in bars?
He's a Socialist and he's okay,
He sleeps all night and he works all day.


Barber: I make my money, I destroy the dollar,
the mark, and the lira,
I'd wish I'd been a Communist
Just like my dear Papa!

American Founding Fathers: He makes his money.  He destroys the dollar,
The mark, and the lira?
[All American Girl talking]
What's this? Wants to be a Communist?  Oh, my!
I thought you were so individualistic! Commie!!
[American Founding Fathers singing]
He's a Socialist and he's not okay
He sleeps all night and he works all day.
He spends the day restricting people's freedoms
In order to make us look bad.

Wonderful Body Painting Women | Body Painting

Wonderfull Body Painting Women

Wonderfull Body Painting Women

Wonderfull Body Painting Women

World of Warcraft Adventures Wiki gone live!

I started a new Wiki for the World of Warcraft RPG.  Called Adventures in World of Warcraft I originally thought of doing it up for Quel'thalas campaigns.  However, since the World of Warcraft is ever reaching and encompasses quite a large area, I opening up the Wiki for every World of Warcraft fan to record their adventures for everyone to use.  The spirit of the site is sharing.  Sharing your adventures set in World of Warcraft to everyone.

We will accept adventures written for the RPG, or written for 4th Edition, or for Pathfinder, or for most any system you please.  As long as you mark what system the adventure is for.  Players and fans may write adventures for any era to share with other fans of the pencil-and-paper side of the franchise.

Thanks for reading! :D

Elton.

Why Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Dark Forces are fantastic constructs

Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Dark Forces.  All designed to prop up a theory in which Gravity is the driving force in our Universe.  There is a major problem with Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and Dark Forces.  The simple reason is the existence of Vacuum Energy or Zero Point Energy.

For any theory of the universe to be correct, it has to agree with what Yahweh has said about the universe.  Yahweh (pronounced or sung "eeeeeaaaaooooaaaaeeee"), who is a God of Truth, cannot not possibly lie about the Universe[1].  While Yahweh has transmitted allegories in the past to teach us about ourselves, sometimes he has revealed some precious truths that helps us understand the Universe.

One of these precious truths is the fact that Yahweh says that there is no savior beside him.  Secondly, he declared that we worship a "what" instead of a "who." The what we worship is called the Father as a proper name, it is also called the Spirit or the Spirit of Truth[2].

The Spirit of Truth exists in our Universe as pure Energy.  This energy exists at the Zero Point on the Kelvin temperature scale and is often called Zero Point Energy or Vacuum Energy[3].   The Spirit of Truth was discovered as Energy by Doctor Wilhelm Reich.  He called it the Orgone Energy[4], an energy that can be seen and photographed.  This energy is found everywhere: surrounding galaxies, the Earth, and several lifeforms such as man.  Since this energy fills all possible space, represents all truth and knowledge, is the source of intelligence, and is the Father of all things both good and evil; then it stands that it is the source of all Life, Force, and Matter in the Universe.

So, what is the problem with "Dark" Energy, Matter, and Forces?  Simple.  In order to exist, there hast to be a second intelligence in the Universe.  A second Orgone Energy, a second Energy that exists at the zero point.  However, Yahweh has never talked about a second intelligence in the universe.  He never even mentioned a second Intelligence.  Yahweh only said that beside him there is no savior.  This means that the Father is the Source of both, and all, Good and Evil in the Universe[5].

Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and Dark Forces are really fantastic constructions to hold up a theory that is proving to be more and more incorrect all the time.  The Big Bang Theory is the dream of many, and since it is proven incorrect by observation and experiments in the laboratory; then it cannot possibly agree with the Scriptures.  Ironically, however, the Big Bang has the most to offer to Creationists; but many are dumping the theory[6].

The truth is, making up Dark versions of these elements goes against basic physics.  First of all, Dark Force simply goes against Newton's description of all a Force acts.  Force itself is neutral.  It's an application of power to an object in order to make it move.  Force can be used by good and evil, it's the same and applies to movement according to Newton.  Experiments in the Laboratory and application in the real world has shown that force works for all things: Man, Plant, Animal, and Mineral.  And it is the intent behind the force that makes it work for Good or Evil.  Sir Issac Newton only described motion and put forth his laws of Motion, which work for all things.  The existence of a Dark Force cancels out Newton's Laws of Motion since it implies an exotic way of working motion.

This means that the Atheists are in error and are supporting a theory that is proven to be erroneous in all things.  The astrologers (astronomers who support the Big Bang) are holding fast to a theory that doesn't match up to revealed Truths.  Although one can argue that Genesis represents the Big Bang, the problem with the account in Genesis is that it was witnessed by Human beings[7].  And during the time from 4,000 B.C. to about 2,000 B.C. our ancestors saw in the sky an alien constellation of planets[8],[9].  And then the fall happened, and what resulted is a story that is told around the world[10],[11].

The Electric Universe, or Plasma Universe, is a much simpler explanation of the Universe[12].  The corner stone of the theory isn't Gravity.  It's electromagnetism.  The plasma universe theory is a much simpler theory that attempts to explain the Universe in the Now instead of what it was and what it will be.  It does not claim a beginning to the universe, since it relies on observation and laboratory experiments in order to work.  Since the beginning of the Universe is nigh impossible to observe using our present technology, and it is hard to replicate in the laboratory, the Electric Universe cannot make a claim on how the universe began.

It has been used to explain comets[13], most Martian anomalies [14,15,16], and even miracles performed by Elijah and Moses.  The Electric Universe offers a simple explanation of the Universe for everyone -- Believer and Atheist alike.  It does not resort to exotic matter, but it does explain gravity in terms of being an electromagnetic effect.  Quite simply, the Big Bang is an Error because it can't be replicated in the laboratory, while the Plasma Universe theory is held up by laboratory experiments.  The astrologers are in error about the universe, and the real Astronomers are those who are observing the Universe, performing laboratory experiments, and coming to different conclusions.

References:

1. The Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, Chapter 3.
2. Doctrine and Covenants 93:26.
3. Calphysics Institute: Introduction to Zero Point Energy
4. Wilhelm Reich and the Orgone Energy (video)
5. Parowan Prophet: the Cause of World War Three.
6. Dealing with Pseudoskepticism in Astronomy, Thunderbolts Blog post
7. The Saturn Epic: In the Beginning (Blog Post, October 20, 2008)
8. LDS, dawn in 2,500 B.C. (video)
9. Symbols of an Alien Sky, The Thunderbolts Project (video, non-LDS)
10. Remembering the End of the World, the Thunderbolts Project (Video, DVD)
11. The Saturn Epic: Mythmaking (blog post, October 22, 2008)
12. The Cosmic Thunderbolt, the Thunderbolts Project (video)
13. Thornhill, Wallace. "The Deep Impact of Comet Theory." The Electric Universe. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . 
14. Talbott, David. "YouTube - Planet of a Thousand Mysteries ." YouTube. The Thunderbolts Project, 10 Sept. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . 
15. Talbott, David. "YouTube - When Meteorites Fell From Mars ." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . The Thunderbolts Project, 18 Oct. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . 
16. Talbott, David. "YouTube - The Thunderbolt that Raised Olympus Mons ." YouTube. The Thunderbolts Project, 11 Nov. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . 

Stockholm Body Painting Contest 2010

We went to see Stockholm Body Painting Contest the 18th of October 2008 - Sweden’s first contest with international competitors and our very first Body Painting event ever!

Needless to say, we were very excited to find such an opportunity to see something so unusual, something we never had seen before.

The contest was initiated and arranged by the manager of Make Up Institute in Stockholm together with The World Body Painting Association.

The contest’s theme was “Human and Nature in Frame”, with both airbrush and brush / sponge body painting techniques competing with each other for the first price: €1000 of Mist Stockholm products.

There were twenty international and professional bodypainters from countries such as Sweden, Finland Holland, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Bulgaria, Poland, Israel among others. I don’t even remember, there were so many!

I remember though that both the ruling World Champions in brush /sponge and airbrush technique were participating. This was a contest with high class indeed.

With the thought of that the painting started at 9 o’clock in the morning (!) and should be ready for judgement at 3 in the afternoon, I’m really impressed by the painters and the models stamina as well as the amazing results!

The jury must have had a very tough job, because there were so many amazing body paintings to choose between.

I’ll start with telling you who came at third place: the Swedish Team Jarl, ruling World Champions 2008 in the Seeboden Body Painting Festival in the brush / sponge category.

As some of you might recognize, their bodypainting was inspired by the Scandinavian nature and mythology from other famous painters like John Bauer, Ernst Josephson, Carl Larsson and Staffan Ullstrand (a famous Swedish ethologist).

So many wonderful details, I love the back as well!

At second place came the ruling World Champion in the airbrush category, Alex Hansen from Brazil, ranked 1st in Canada at Color Mundo 2007 and 1st in the World at the World Body Painting Festival 2008.

This bodypainting model were actually the first one I saw when we entered the place and she instantly gave me the visions of a wild creature of the Amazonas. Very fascinating.

Such rich details. I’m so impressed, beyond words. Can’t stop looking at her! (One of my two favorites which I did tip as a winner).

…and the winner was: Australia! (I have no idea what the painters name is… If any one reading this knows, please tell me her name in the comments thank you).

UPDATE: We got the wrong information. The winner was Bella Volen from Austria (born in Bulgaria), sorry for that!

Another amazing bodypainting and I love the birds, but yet, no, this was not the one that I would have chosen as the winner.

My winner would have been this one below, because of the way the painter had chosen to take advantage of the models body, look how one of her breasts are the painted lady’s breast too.

If she did close her eyes, it really looked like she had a fox face and the fox is embracing her. I also love the male figure hanging on her back, entwined by the octopus. Simply brilliant.

It’s never the right one that wins, right? The jury were celebrities, which I never think is a good idea. Better would be to choose a jury of persons with a big knowledge and long experience of the subject - in this case body painting.

Mark Reid from USA was also participating - ranked 3rd in in the World at the World Body Painting Festival 2008. (See my other post with the video where he is painting jeans on a girl).

He was also going to hold a body painting seminar on Monday after the competition, as well as Alex Hansen and the very talented Einat Dan.

I recommend you to read my post Bodypainting Trips Tips about other Bodypainting events around the world to travel to.

You simply MUST see all Lifecruiser Stockholm Body Painting Contest 2008 Photos with the other bodypaintings and close up’s!!!

If you don’t want to see the overview, you can go direct to Lifecruiser Stockholm Body Painting Contest 2008 Photos Slideshow.

World Body Painting Festival Seeboden 2010

World Body Painting Festival Seeboden 2010

World Bodypainting Festival is an annual festival held in Seeboden, Carinthia, Austria, near the Millstätter See, on the third week of July every year.

The World Bodypainting Festival was created in 1998 by Alex Barendregt. At the time, Barendregt was working in a local travel agency and was given the task of organising a new summer event in Seeboden. He chose body painting on a whim after seeing a photograph about it. Although the festival wasn’t very popular at first, today it is the biggest annual event of the body painting culture and community. The festival is the first of its kind in the world and has become the Mecca of Bodypainting. It draws the best two hundred body painting artist teams and models, as well as tens of thousands of visitors, from all over the world every year.

The Lake Millstätter See region’s scenery is the stage, where bodies are boldly put on show, and each artist has the opportunity to show his/her own specialities – bodies painted with many different materials and techniques, and sometimes combined with the most fantastic costumes, masks and effects.

The festival lasts a week, of which the first four days consist of over thirty special workshops and lessons run by the WBF Academy, and the last three days consist of the actual festival event in the body paint city, which is open to the public without prior reservation. The festival event is open for both adults and children, and many families come there together.

A male model being painted.

The artists compete in many categories: brush and sponge, airbrush, and special effects are World Champion titles. At night time there is also a special UV effects contest giving the title for World Champion in UV bodypainting effects. There is a World Facepainting Award and a special award for special effects face make up. There are also semi professional student awards. All categories have separate prizes and trophies. Artists can use either male or female models as they wish. All models must be wearing underpants while painted, but female models can go topless if they want. Many body painting models are unpaid and volunteer for the unique experience of transformation by the body painting artists.

Body painting is not simply painting a body, body painting is to replant the body into an entire scenery, to create a body scene with choreography and music. The WBF Institute of Sound is the community music project that developed through the World Bodypainting Festival. Every year the festival brings together international musicians, specialists in electronic music and technicians from many different countries and cultures. It is the festival’s goal to develop the music scene like the community of body painters, photographers and models that has already existed for years. The creative thoughts of both groups can develop many new ideas.

The WBF Fashion Department focuses on body painting for fashion with many artists working alongside designers and with stylists around the world in the fashion industry.

Also the BodyCircus is one of the biggest event highlights in the festival week. Music, shows and costumes in the unique location of the medieval castle Sommeregg.