I've been wanting to do a paint photoshoot with my partner, but from research on both here and elsewhere, paint is pretty dangerous when it's covers your entire face/head etc.

So I'm looking for safe alternatives that don't hurt you when it can be poured over ones head, ALSO another important note is that I'm looking to have it in different colours, it's more of a theme thing.

Now, the exact kind of look I'm hoping for comes from Michael Huissel's work (https://www.instagram.com/rm_photodesign/), although I'm not sure if he actually DID use real paint for his models or something else, but yeah these photos of his are what I'm looking for for a more safe yet still paintlike look.

Does anyone have any advice or leads on where to look? Or if anyone has had paint play before, what would you recommend? Thank you! x

You can use children's tempera (liquid or powdered) or poster paint and order it in bulk sizes. It's used in schools it's non toxic and washes off at the end easy.


I hope that helps

There's no alternative, really. He's using water based tempera paint. The quality stuff is more effective than you think. Undiluted, straight out the can. The gold is Mehron powder and oil - very widely used here.

Most water based artist's acrylic paints (student grade) are also okay to use and, with a little caution, water based emulsion paint. Or pigments with non toxic oil. I've tried most permutations. DM me.

There are paints made specifically for body painting. Some of them come in tubes like the ones here https://www.amazon.com/Face-Body-Paint-Moon-Creations/dp/B07DCW4Z7V or https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Far-Blacklight-Fluorescent-Non-Toxic/dp/B09BZBBK6C/

While the amount per tube isn't that much when the intended use is full body coverage and WAM, I think I have read that some use olive oil or something like that to fill it out when there's no need for it to dry.

Washable tempera paints might be a good option https://www.amazon.com/Washable-Tempera-Paint-Supplies-Pieces/dp/B07DFP31XQ/

Any paint not specifically designed to be safe for the skin is not going to be good. Acrylic paints are a bad idea, as is anything intended to paint walls, cars, etc. Even for some paints that are non-toxic, you'd risk staining your skin. ANY paint is going to be unsafe for the eyes, even non-toxic washable body paint. But you don't really want to get condiments or chocolate sauce or mud in your eyes either, so if WAM involves anything going on the face that's an intrinsic risk.

I'd second the suggestion of children's "poster paint". It's cheap, readily available and has been successfully tested on children for many years . It washes off fairly readily, though it has to be said some colours can take a bit of an effort to remove all traces from the skin, and it can stain clothing. My biggest criticism is that light colours are often not very opaque. In particular I've not found a white which doesn't just look watery.

Much more satisfying for white is emulsion paint, which looks pleasingly opaque. I've always avoided the eyes with this, and I usually google the names of the chemicals used as preservatives in the particular brand I'm using first - often, but not always, they're actually the same as are used in makeup and toiletries, which I take as good evidence they're not going to do us any significant damage. Ironically, despite looking much "thicker" than poster paint, I've always found emulsion washes off skin and even clothing very easily, with no staining, though I've mostly used plain white.

You can make lighter colours more opaque with kaolin powder. It's used as an extender for artists when large quantities are needed.

Me and models have always been fine with low VOC matt emulsions (for walls) and loads of varieties kids poster paints

just avoid any solvent or oil based ones (like for wood)