ok, so this fall i’ve had this urge to paint my face and body. i’m a total newb, but i’ve heard of clay body and face paints. does anyone have any experience with these things? any tips on what to use for colors? best ways to mix things up.
many thanks,
wildeyes
for what purpose? Camouflage? Decor?
for fun. 
funny you should ask. i just found some hunks of red clay in a creek today–amazing, just like round hunks of pastels to draw/paint with–and immediately put some on my face. 
i brought some home to experiment with.
It might sound funny, but often i’ve had fantasies thinking that i should paint my face… scar my body (dont worry i know how to)… i dunno… especially at important moments and situations involving conflict.
Can anyone tell me more about this? itd be nice to know what paints to use…things i can scavenge or forage…
Turns out the clay lost its face-painting magic when it left its creek.
Out in the woods, fresh out of the cold mountain creek, it held itself together in a firm ball, with a smeary, clay-like texture. In my kitchen, it blows apart into a million crumbly pieces. I tried getting it cold and wet in the fridge again, but I think that creek has something my kitchen doesn’t.
Some sort of iron oxide? It looks like a bowl of rust.
I’ve made some cool looking black body paint by puvlerizing burned wood and mixing it with sunflower oil
Yeah on Creek bed mud and clay!!
Stupid/inspiring story: I was on mushrooms once, and somehow the consistency of the mud and my mindset was perfect and I just started painting my arms. (**Later I decided to take a shower ot remove it and called in “washing the hippi off”. In the end, I think that said more about underlying embarrassment with it than any “lameness”.) It was bautiful. Mud feels cool and rad. And I somehow made some awesome swirly designs that were wonderful.
Lately I’ve been trying to celebrate and reconnect with my body in major ways (Basically because it’s been given a good weathering lately and it needs some love). I’m finding make up is a cool way to do this and not necesarily self-exploitive. (I did read recently in Ms. that the sociologists are catching on stronger to the fact that women tend to see themselves through other’s eyes constantly, causing major pain.) It’s also a cool ritual. I’m finding that since I gave up working and school and my schedule’s in flux, makeup is a good way to tell yourself you are starting the day. In the end there are no clearcut answers. I can still love my body, and use it for physical labor, and flaunt it. ~H
i have some nice experience with lime pulver this white stones. And curcuma is a great colour. ashes in diffrent ways.
someday i took blue fingercolour on my hand put it on the face and walk around with it. I liked the experience…
Beet Juice… 
Something in the curry I just made turned the whole batch a bright pink. Could be useful for painting oneself. Also, the Thai iced tea my partner made me today stains everything orange. Apparently today is the day for colorful foods and drinks.
I understand animal grease is a great substrate for powdered dyes like ochre and stuff.