Skin Wars (2014–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - Episode #2.1 - full transcript
♪ Don't hold back,
just give me more ♪
♪ I want to explore you ♪
- (Rebecca)
- In the wild world
of competitive body painting,
there's nothing more fierce than
the power of transformation.
It's an all-new season
of Skin Wars hosted by me,
Rebecca Romijn.
♪ Watch me go ♪
♪ I'm fast and low, yeah ♪
- (Rebecca)
- You won't believe your eyes,
as 12 of America's
most talented artists
compete and push the boundaries.
Absolutely breathtaking.
[laughing]
- (Rebecca)
- Some will rise to the top...
[squeals]
- (Rebecca)
- While others will watch
their dreams go down the drain.
It fell pretty flat.
(Rebecca) It's the challenge
of a lifetime for $100,000
and the ultimate title
of Skin Wars champion.
♪ Watch me go ♪
I'm Rudy.
- I'm 30.
- I'm from Houston, Texas,
where I'm known
as the Mayor of Makeup.
I've been body-painting
for ten years.
The style that I lean more
towards is sci-fi and horror.
There are lot of artists
that are fantastic
here in the U.S.,
but not all of them are blessed
like I've been blessed
to be able to make a living
out of this.
[sighs]
- Hi, I'm Sammie.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you too.
- Where are you from?
Oh, I'm from Houston.
- Oh, awesome.
- I'm from Utah.
- Hi.
- I'm Cheryl Ann.
Hi, Cheryl Ann.
Oh, someone else is here.
I'm Dawn Marie.
- Hi.
- Hey!
I'm Kyle.
How are you guys?
My name is Lana.
I live in San Diego right now,
but I'm originally from Russia.
- [gasps]
- Wow.
Oh, my God, I'm so excited.
I'm really happy body paints
in fantasy and ornaments,
and I really love
bright colors.
- Hi, I'm Cheryl Ann.
- Hi.
- [claps hands]
- I have arrived.
(all)
Oh!
- I'm Rio Sirah.
- Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
I want to rub the unicorn horn
for luck.
- Nice to meet you.
- I'm Dawn Marie.
Coming in the work room,
you know,
- and seeing the blondes
- and the brunettes.
- Marcio.
- Welcome. I'm Lana.
Nice meeting you.
- And I'm definitely noticing
- Lana, for sure.
- (Kyle) So tell us
- about yourself, Marcio.
- Oh, I've been surfing
- since I was seven years old.
- Come to San Diego.
- Ahh.
We have cool waves too.
I'll definitely check
that out.
In Miami, I do music videos.
I do a lot of nightclubs, and
the girls are all body-painted.
- You know,
- it's a tropical place,
so why not, you know, shed
your clothes and get painted?
Hi, everybody!
Hi, I'm Aryn.
- Nice to meet you, Aryn.
- Kyle.
- (Aryn)
- Nice to meet you.
- I'm about to turn up!
- Someone else, hello.
Fernello's in the house.
The Fernello style
is sexy, curvy, and exotic,
and that's what I'm known for.
I am a virgin to the body-paint
competition world,
but I set out to conquer.
I set out to win.
- Listen, I want to take out
- my golden shovel,
- 'cause I'm about to bury
- some people right now.
- Oh.
- Okay.
Fernello with that swag
and all that talk, you know,
that pimp walk.
Who does this?
- What's up?
- Oh, hey!
- How are you? I'm Avi.
- How are you?
- Nice meeting you.
- Well, where are you from, Avi?
I'm originally from Israel.
- Oh, wow.
- Yes.
- Hi, I'm Rachel.
- Nice to meet you.
- Oh, ooh.
- Ooh.
Hi.
I'm from Hawaii, Maui.
- Aloha.
- Oh, Maui is nice.
When Rachel
says Ha-vai-ee, it's stupid.
It's--it's Hawaii.
I pronounce it Ha-vai-ee,
'cause that is
the actual pronunciation.
So much of Hawaii
is inside of me
and comes through my brush.
I'm here to do my best work,
and I'm going to kick ass.
I'm really excited.
- Whoo!
- Oh.
Oh, my God. I can't believe
that's Rebecca Romijn.
[cheers and applause]
- Wow.
Hello, painters.
Hello, hello, hello!
This is real life,
and I'm standing, like,
10 feet away from Mystique.
Welcome to season two
of Skin Wars.
- Whoo!
- Yeah!
Butterfly fluttering
in my body.
- It's starting.
- There's no turning back.
Season one introduced
the incredible world
of body painting.
We expect the 12 of you
to raise the bar even higher.
That's right.
- As elite artists,
- you've shown
- that you have the talent
- to be here.
But to win, you're going to have
to impress our revered judges.
You've seen his work
in national magazines,
commercials, films, and more.
Please welcome the guru
of body paint, Craig Tracy!
[cheers and applause]
[man whistles]
What a great-looking group.
Whoo!
Craig, I've seen his pictures
ever since I wanted
to start body-painting.
When I look at him, I look
at someone that I aspire to be.
I wish you luck and creativity,
because you're gonna
need 'em both to win here.
- She's a pioneer in the world
- of body painting
and the owner
of the world-famous
Skin City Body Painting
in Las Vegas.
She's an artist
and the ultimate entrepreneur--
Robin Slonina.
[cheers and applause]
- Hi, everybody.
- Hi!
(Rio) Robin--she's, like,
a phenomenal body painter.
I am ecstatic.
I cannot wait to see
what all of you create.
And finally, please welcome
one of the most
iconic artists on Earth.
He's the host
of RuPaul's Drag Race
and the reigning king--
rewind--
queen of transformation--
RuPaul Charles!
[cheers and applause]
Hi!
Wow.
Never in my wildest dreams
would I ever imagine
I would get to be
in the same room with RuPaul.
I'm so excited
for each of you,
to witness your journey
in this competition.
It's gonna be a blast.
Painters, the winner
of Skin Wars
gets an all-expense-paid trip
for two
to the World Bodypainting
Festival in Austria...
[cheers and applause]
Where you will compete
side by side
with the greatest professional
body painters on the planet.
Oh, I want to go.
- (Rebecca)
- That's not all.
Royal & Langnickel will create
a custom brush collection
with your name on it.
[cheers and applause]
[whistles]
The winner
will also receive $100,000.
[cheers and applause]
You have all the prizes
that any artist would want.
And I want that money,
and I want the travel.
- I want everything
- that comes with it,
because that's
what I'm all about.
- It's time
- for your first challenge.
- God!
- Oh!
To start off, we want to learn
a little bit about you.
On this wheel are some defining
moments of our lives.
- I will spin the wheel
- for each of you,
- and where it lands
- will be the inspiration
for your first
body-paint challenge.
I'm hoping I get the passion,
- 'cause I'm passionate
- about everything.
I'm passionate about right now.
(Rebecca)
Okay, Fernello...
Biggest passion.
- Fernello seems happy
- with that one.
I got this in the bag.
(Rebecca)
Okay, Lana, you're up.
- Favorite song.
- I'm good with that.
(Rebecca)
Marcio.
Greatest achievement.
- Avi.
- Yes.
- Favorite childhood memory.
- [laughs]
I am so exciting.
- (Rebecca)
- Cheryl Ann.
- Ooh.
- Biggest passion.
(Rebecca)
Kyle. Greatest achievement.
- [claps hands]
[laughter]
(Rebecca) Painters, you will be
judged on your creativity
and design concept,
technique,
and execution of the challenge.
Trust me, you want to do well
in this challenge.
You will have just three hours
to complete your work.
That's the bad news.
Good news is you only
need to paint your model
from the waist up,
but it must be front and back.
Painters, are you ready?
- (all)
- Yes!
Good, 'cause your time
starts now.
[electronic music]
♪ ♪
I'm looking around,
and I'm like, "This is amazing.
I feel so lucky
to be here right now."
[laughter]
(Avi)
I see all the paint
and the airbrush section
and all the wigs
and the colors and I was like,
"I feel in Heaven right now."
It's like, whoo.
[laughing]
Let's start.
- We're gonna hook up
- the back real nice.
You're gonna look so sexy
and so awesome.
Fernello--it's hilarious,
because when you
have a big head,
when you have ego,
you will tumble and fall.
- (Fernello)
- About to turn up.
He will eventually wipe
himself out.
- Hey, you ready for this?
- I'm Kyle.
I've been body-painting
since I've been 18.
I am a jack of all trades.
I am an aerial ice skater,
and I'm also a performer.
As an artist, I am definitely
somebody that stands out.
My name is Cheryl Ann.
I am a classically trained
professional artist
and a very poised
elegant Southern lady
- from Winston-Salem,
- North Carolina.
- Can you move your arm a little
- bit out of the way?
Thank you.
I've had so many successes,
but I can see
that the other painters
are technically not as strong.
I'm going to knock them
off the board one by one.
- (Aryn) I'll have to start
- busting ass in a minute here.
I peak around a little bit
- just to kind
- of see what everybody's doing,
and they're all very colorful
and pretty.
I do tend to lean
a little bit more
towards slightly scary things,
but I'm definitely not afraid to
put my style up against theirs.
I came
to the United States, 1986.
I went from surfing in Brazil
to body painting
because I like
making people look sexy.
I love painting naked women
every day of my life.
- All my favorite songs
- were in Russian.
- I'm like, "What I was singing
- just yesterday?"
And I was singing Let It Go,
- 'cause I was thinking
- about my daughter.
She is six years old.
She is my sunshine.
Actually, turn
and face me, sweetheart.
- I'm Sammie.
- I'm a stay-at-home mom.
My husband is a worship pastor
at a church in Park City.
Body painting does give me
my own individual identity,
but I love being a mom,
and I love being a wife.
I want to win for my family.
Down to 45 minutes!
I got to hurry this up.
(woman) Hey, Lana?
How you doing over there?
I wish I will have more time,
and just 40 minutes left,
I started in the back.
- Time to speed up.
- [laughs]
- (Marcio) Lana's struggling
- with time management.
- I see she's taking forever
- in the body.
She has a lot of detail work,
but very, very little time.
Okay, my brain working fast,
fast, fast, fast, fast.
I need to think.
- Oh, my God.
- I know.
Lana is getting ready
to crash and burn hard.
- Close your eyes, hon.
- Thank you.
First challenge
is based on life experience,
and I got a song.
Just 40 minutes left,
I started on the back,
and I start to freak out
about it.
Oh, see that?
- [chuckles]
- Fernello is annoying.
Turn around, baby.
There you go.
(Kyle)
Ugh, his cockiness kills me.
Turn around.
So I glance over to my shoulder,
and I see Kyle's piece.
And I'm thinking,
"This needs to go straight
in the garbage bag."
Guys, we have 15 minutes.
- Hey.
- Whoo-hoo!
- (Fernello) I like pressure.
- I don't know why.
- I think I'm a sick man.
- [laughs]
Oh, no.
I'm looking over at Lana,
- and she was almost
- completely done.
I didn't see that coming.
I have to watch out for her.
We have one minute left!
- Oh, Lord, no.
- Aah!
(Kyle and Rio)
3, 2, 1.
- Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
- Brushes down!
- Whoo!
- Okay, painters.
That's it. Time's up.
Put your tools down.
Wow.
Okay, so the judges
are gonna come around
- and talk to you
- about your work.
I have a passion for art,
and that's why I'm here.
That's my existence.
- (Craig) Tell us a little bit
- about the face.
Well, I wanted the face
to look subtle.
- This is subtle for Fernello.
- [laughs]
Yeah, this is subtle.
Wow.
- ♪ Ahhh ♪
- It's amazing.
So I got the favorite song.
- Is it from Frozen?
- Yeah.
[laughter]
I did back maybe,
like, in 40 minutes,
and I see a lot of illustrations
my daughter do,
'cause this is her favorite.
- (Robin) Is this your first time
- away from your daughter?
Yes.
My favorite song is Super Freak
by Rick James.
The super freakness comes a lot
from what I say and speak.
- I love how crazy
- the front is
and how the back
has a sort of tie-dyed effect.
It's masquerade
from Phantom of the Opera.
- (Robin)
- Oh.
- (Craig)
- It has a nice contrast,
but it's all tied together
with color.
- And I am
- classically trained.
One of the things that I'm also
passionate about is horses.
- (Robin) What's your connection
- to horses?
I grew up on a horse farm.
- Oh, really?
- Yeah.
When I was 14 years old,
my dad pass away,
and I create an angel
that is the guardian angel
to protect me.
- I think your dad
- would be very proud of you.
- Thank you, Avi.
- Thank you very much.
These eyes are
freaking me out.
- It took me a minute
- to realize
that they were painted
on her eyelids.
- (Kyle) Now, when you think
- of haunted houses,
every character needs a mask.
- Oh.
- Nice.
- (RuPaul)
- Scary.
- I'm having trouble seeing
- the face in the mask.
- (Rebecca)
- Okay, so those are the eyes.
- Okay, those are the eyes.
- Oh, yeah.
- Thank you, Kyle.
- Thank you guys.
- (Rebecca) Tell us
- about your greatest achievement.
Well, coming from, you know,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
to South Florida,
- you know, in a way,
- it was a freedom for me also
- to express this type of art.
- The American dream.
All right, painters, the judges
have a lot to talk about,
so we'll be back shortly.
- All right, guys, what do you
- think of the paintings?
(RuPaul)
Fernello's really sold me.
I love what he did
because it was very fashion,
and it looked
like a gorgeous bodysuit.
What'd you think
of Marcio?
(Craig) I love
the immigrant story, but I felt
- that the painting
- was a bit muddy.
Rudy?
I enjoyed the way
he used his color.
- I love the layering he did.
- How about Rachel?
Freaky deaky to the max.
And she's freaky deaky
to the max,
and I thought it was
a perfect choice for her.
What about Lana?
(Craig) She sold it well.
She felt it.
There was some abstract things
going on in the face,
and it works.
I thought that the design
that Kyle did
just was weak technically.
- (Robin)
- Mm-hmm.
- That really showed
- in the face part of the piece.
- (Craig) Things weren't tying
- together for me.
- Right.
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah, yeah.
Let's talk about Avi's.
(Craig) I loved his story.
I loved his heart.
And he put a lot of work
into that piece.
How about Cheryl Ann?
I guess the fact
that she was touting
being classically trained
sort of made me
more skeptical.
I don't know why that is.
- She was talking
- a big game.
Yeah, yeah. But, listen,
I think she delivered.
I thought it was
a beautiful piece of art.
- (Robin) There's some
- real competitors in this group.
Yeah.
- I think it's gonna
- get a bit fierce.
Okay, everybody.
It's time
to pick the best painting.
When I call your name,
please step forward.
Rudy...
Yeah.
- [imitates gunshots]
- [laughter]
- (Rebecca)
- Rachel...
Lana...
Fernello...
Cheryl Ann...
Avi.
You're the top six painters.
We are like, "Oh, my God.
- "We cannot believe
- we are standing here
in front of the judges
and we are the best for today."
- [laughing]
- Oh, crap.
The judges have made
their decision,
and the winner is...
Fernello!
[laughter]
- Fireworks are going off
- in my head.
Fourth of July.
Let's party like it's 1999.
Fernello,
you blew me away.
Your fantastic technique
and gorgeous aesthetic--
I loved it.
Congratulations, Fernello.
- Thank you.
- Okay, guys.
- Are you ready to hear
- about your next challenge?
- (all)
- Yeah!
You will draw your inspiration
from the ultimate game
of skill and strategy--chess.
- (all)
- Oh.
You'll have five hours
tomorrow to create a colorful,
360-degree,
head-to-toe design.
The top six painters
in the first challenge
will chose their chess piece
and their opponent.
You are going head-to-head.
In each team,
one will be safe,
and one will be up
for elimination.
- Fernello,
- you won the first challenge...
Yes.
which means you get to pick
your piece
and your opponent first.
Well, every king
needs a kingdom,
and this is my kingdom.
- My opponent will be Kyle.
- Nice.
Kyle did have one
of the weakest body paints
in the first challenge,
so I'm doing the right thing
by picking Kyle.
Rachel?
It's going to be the rook
and Rio.
- All right.
- Hey.
- [laughter]
- Rudy?
I pick the bishop,
and it's gonna be Sammie.
- Cheryl Ann?
- The knight and Aryn.
- Okay.
- Whoo.
I choose the knight,
because, of course,
it's my love of horses,
and I choose Aryn specifically
because I thought,
- "I can draw horses
- better than her."
Avi?
I choose the queen,
and my opponent is Dawn Marie.
Oh!
It's kind of freaking me out.
Okay, Lana, so that leaves you
with the pawn,
and Marcio is your opponent.
Oh, my God.
Unbelievable.
Lana's definitely gonna be
a tough opponent,
and it makes it harder, too,
going against somebody you like.
You have your chess pieces,
so go home
and get ready for tomorrow.
- Yeah!
- Whoo-hoo!
- I am a king
- above the competition,
and I think the other painters
are feeling it right now.
I want them all gone,
starting with Kyle.
Hee, hee, we're back.
- We're back.
- Time to get the magic working.
(Sammie)
Someone's going home today.
The concept challenge
this week is the game of chess.
We are also going head-to-head.
Helping a neighbor.
- Listen, Lana.
- Let's shake hands.
I have to go head-to-head
with Lana.
We have the same piece,
the pawn,
and now I know Lana
can just pull stuff
out of nowhere all of a sudden,
but I'll still be able
to win this challenge, though.
That's not a problem at all.
- Oh, my God.
- I need this.
I know, right?
It's great.
I think Marcio wasn't worried
to have me as a competitor
with him
'cause he doesn't know yet
what I can develop.
- (Rachel)
- Get it together, people!
- (woman)
- What piece are you doing, again?
I'm doing the king.
- For reals, I want to take
- Fernello down,
and I'm kind of excited
about the king
but I'm honestly thinking,
"Why did you choose
the weakest piece in the game?"
There's only one king--
Fernello, baby.
- (Kyle) Hey, was that beginner's
- luck yesterday?
Beginner's luck?
Listen. Listen, listen...
My peasants.
My royal peasants.
I'm gonna paint my butt off,
- and I'm gonna walk around
- like I own the place,
'cause I am the king.
King 'Nello.
That's right.
You heard it first.
- (Marcio) Hey, guys, we got
- some models coming in.
- Whoo!
- Oh, hey!
I'm just getting warmed up.
- Okay, my hands are cold.
- Yeah. Aah.
[laughs]
- (Rudy) We're painting you
- as chess pieces.
Oh, okay, cool.
So this is gonna be
a full-body 360.
We are competing
against Cheryl Ann
down there at the end.
- It's all right, 'cause
- we're gonna totally kick ass.
I can beat Aryn.
I am a stronger painter
than her.
I got this. I can do it.
[giggles]
You're gonna be
so pretty.
Good morning, good morning,
good morning, painters.
- Good morning.
- And models.
Well, I'm here with Ru
and Robin and Craig,
who are very excited to see what
we have in store this morning,
- so we're gonna walk around
- and take a look.
- Hello, Marcio.
- Hi.
- You're going head-to-head
- against Lana.
How do you feel about that?
- Yeah, I'm watching her
- the whole time.
- Are you?
- Uh-huh, for sure.
- So what kind of color palette
- are you planning on using?
- (Marcio) I'm going really
- earth tones on the front and--
you know, in gold and yellows.
- Lana.
- Hi, guys.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- (Craig) Tell us a little bit
- about your design.
- Oh.
- Thank you.
- We can't wait to see
- the end result.
- (Craig)
- Yeah.
- So you're working
- on the bishop?
- (Rudy)
- Yes, I am.
- Can we see the back at all, or
- is there nothing happening yet?
- Right now it's just plain.
- Okay.
- (Rudy) The back is gonna be
- a cross, and I haven't really
figured out what's gonna
be inside the cross.
Are you serious?
So you're gonna
do all of this work
- and then figure out
- your design?
I had to leave a little bit
to flow with at the very end.
- Manage your time well.
- I will.
- All right.
- Fernello.
- King 'Nello.
- King 'Nello.
- King 'Nello, okay.
- That's right.
- As far as what the back
- is going to be,
I wanted to use
a modern-day story
of crime bosses
versus police department,
because they, to me,
are two different kingdoms.
- All right.
- Great.
- Hi, Kyle. You're up
- against Fernello, right?
I am.
- So I definitely wanted to bring
- the king as the main character.
I don't know.
That look like a queen to me.
- Maybe you don't know my twist.
[laughter]
Cheryl Ann.
Now, you got to pick
your opponent, Aryn.
Yes, I did.
If there's one person here
that maybe I can out-paint
a horse, it would be--
maybe I can out-paint her,
outsmart her, you know.
- So I picked her
- strategically.
- Looks like you've got
- a great start,
- and we'll see where you
- take it from here.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, Cheryl Ann.
Okay, everyone,
so just a reminder--
the challenge is to create
something very colorful
and very elaborate.
- See you soon.
- [painters cheer]
- Two hours left!
- Whoo!
- Yeah!
- You ain't happy about that?
- (Rudy)
- No.
Marcio, that's looking
a little monochromatic.
- Sometimes you got to play it.
- In a color competition?
I wanted to go
with earth tones
- because that pawn
- was representing a peasant,
and it was coming
from the ground up.
- I have a lot
- of confidence in my artwork.
- I've been doing it
- for a long time.
I can definitely bring it.
Okay, and hold here.
I'm using more color,
but I remember when judges
give us directions,
they expected something
really colorful and vibrant.
It's why I'm going
really vibrant concept.
- Let me finish
- the leg quick.
I'm a little bit worried
about my concept.
I'm not taking
the actually chess pieces,
'cause I'm totally changing
the game.
Avi, you're going down.
I don't think so.
My dragon's gonna kill you.
Nah.
Not quite sure
exactly what he's doing,
'cause I have not seen dragons
on a chessboard before.
Fernello's looking around.
- Now you're getting nervous?
- Hey.
I think your talk is starting
to come back at you, man.
- Don't be all talk today
- for us.
I am a human being.
- No, you're not.
- I'm not a machine.
You can't turn back
now, bro.
- I'm loving
- what I see in the front,
but at the back, it's tough,
because my ideas
are so intense that I don't know
if the clock will allow me
the time to finish up.
Lana, you need help?
[laughs]
Me and Lana definitely have
a chemistry there.
- You can have some
- of my water.
Thank you.
15 minutes, guys.
- All right.
- Aah!
Turn around
for me, hon.
All right.
- As soon as I see Rachel's piece,
- I don't see a story.
I do see the rook,
but it's a lot.
- Fernello.
- Yeah?
You almost done?
- Fernello's ready to be
- overthrown.
- No.
- One minute left!
♪ Ahh ♪
- Crazy, man.
- [sighs]
Time's up.
Put your tools down!
- Whoo!
- Wow.
The judges are very excited
to see your work.
- (Marcio)
- I think I have a strong piece.
- Some of the artists
- are really, really nervous
because no one wants to hear,
"Go wash your canvas."
Painters, models,
follow me.
All right.
I'm a big threat.
I am a classically
trained painter.
I don't have to worry
about any other competitors.
I know my talent
speaks for itself.
Welcome, painters.
- Hello.
- Whoo!
Tonight you are going
head-to-head.
In each team,
one will be safe,
and one will be up
for elimination.
But before we start,
I want to welcome back
our esteemed judges--
Craig Tracy,
Robin Slonina,
and RuPaul Charles.
So excited to see
how you play the game.
So let's see who put
their opponent in check.
- (Cheryl Ann) My grandfather
- taught me how to play chess.
So I did a little girl and then
a father figure playing chess.
- I chose specifically
- the knight
because I am so strong
in my horses.
(Aryn) I definitely think
my design is much more dynamic.
My design ends up
being my vision
of the embodiment
of what a dark knight is.
The front is all armor,
and on the back,
there's a scene of, like,
a triumphant dark knight.
(Marcio) Seeing my model
and Lana's walking out together
definitely makes me want
to beat Lana.
The pawn is a piece that is
mostly sacrificed at first,
but it grows,
changing to the knight.
On the back, I have the pawns
as a group taking over
and becoming the queen.
[Lana laughs]
So cool.
- (Rio) As soon as both of 'em
- walk down the stage,
I was like, "I won."
I decided that what I would do
on the front is have my castle
and my wall with a cannon
shooting a cannonball
towards her rook and her castle,
and then on the back,
it would by my cannonball
busting through her wall.
"Ha ha."
(Rachel) My concept is,
"What's it like to be behind
the castle walls
in a defensive position?"
- I expressed the emotion
- and passion
that I wanted to express,
using the wall
as a literal representation
of what it's like to be at war.
- (Sammie)
- I think it's kind of cool
- that I do have
- the bishop piece,
considering I do have
a religious background.
I think that my knowledge
of religion helps me
in putting key points
into the piece.
- (Rudy)
- My concept for the bishop
is God having
this warrior's back
through faith
on the battlefield.
I'm pretty confident
that my piece, conceptually,
is better than Sammie's.
(Avi)
I create a dragon queen.
I didn't use
an actually chess pieces.
I created the face
to be the queen.
All the creativity
and the story,
I just hope I pulled it off
for the judges.
(Dawn Marie) With my piece,
I have made a surreal chessboard
that goes 360 around the body.
My queen will be
striking down her enemy,
knocking her opponents
into a field
of desolation and blood.
[laughter]
- (Fernello)
- So I'm looking at my model,
and I wanted to illustrate
two kings fighting over power,
fighting over territory.
On the back, to illustrate
the two different powers,
I painted crime bosses,
representing red.
The cops represent the blue.
(Kyle) I'm not gonna lie.
I'm looking at Fernello's.
I'm actually feeling not so much
like the underdog.
I love that my piece is fun.
It has character.
- (Fernello)
- Seeing Kyle's model onstage,
it definitely does look good,
and his technique
and his colors are on point,
and I'm like, "Uh-oh."
- (Rebecca) Okay, guys,
- the judges want to hear
more about your work.
Avi and Dawn Marie,
please step forward.
So, Avi, everything
about this thing is exquisite.
I just would like to see
a little bit more
of a chess game going on there,
but that's just me, Avi.
Dawn Marie, you've created
a magnificent killer queen.
I love
this bloody bitch, okay?
[laughter]
- Okay.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you very much.
- Thank you.
- (Rebecca)
- Cheryl Ann and Aryn.
So, Cheryl Ann, your piece
is absolutely breathtaking.
Thank you.
I was just taken aback
by the consistency
of the saturation.
Thank you.
The composition is very similar
to the first challenge.
Make sure that you mix up
your composition.
Got it.
- Aryn, will you please
- tell us about your piece?
The face is essentially the
facemask on a knight's helmet.
This, for me,
was love at first sight.
I absolutely adore
what you've done.
- Thank you.
- You both did an amazing job.
Thank you so much.
- Lana, Marcio.
- Well, Lana...
I love the sort of aerial shots
that you achieved
where I feel like I'm sort of
flying over a landscape,
and the depth
is really wonderful.
Thank you.
There is some negative spaces
that feel empty to me.
Marcio,
I wanted more from you.
I wanted more color,
and I found there to be a little
bit of technical problems.
On the back--
like, a hole,
like, a negative space.
I just got lost a little bit
on the front
with some of the details.
(Rebecca) Thanks, guys.
Rudy and Sammie.
Rudy.
Can you turn around, please?
- Did you have something
- else designed for the back?
No.
I was running out of time.
That's an issue.
If you have a tomorrow
in this competition...
make a full painting.
Oh, ****.
This sucks.
- Rudy.
- Yes?
If you have a tomorrow
in this competition,
make a full painting.
Mm-hmm.
- (Craig)
- Can I have both of the models
turn around for me for a second?
Is it completely coincidence
that there are big, bold crosses
on the back of each?
I think it is.
I want you to think
more creatively
so that that
doesn't ever happen again.
Okay, thank you so much.
Not to sound like a dick,
but whatever.
- That's here or there.
- It's done.
It's over.
It's whatever.
I'll flow with it.
Rachel, will you tell us
about your decision
to make a mossy G-string?
- Oh.
[laughter]
There was no alter-agenda.
That was just what came
to me in the moment.
I almost find the figures
of the king
and the queen
even a little goofy.
Definitely wasn't
the intention of that.
Rio, will you please
tell us about your work?
- Since we were competing
- with each other,
me and Rachel, I have here
on my side the castle
- with the cannonball
- shooting over to her rook
- and her castle and then,
- on the back,
the cannonball going
through her castle wall,
- with her kind of jumping
- out the window.
- So wait a minute.
- That's Rachel on your painting?
- Yes, this is Rachel
- right here.
You are not visiting
me in Maui.
[laughter]
- I love the humor
- in this piece.
I also love the fact
that you bring in your graffiti.
- Okay, guys.
- Thank you so much.
Aloha.
Fernello and Kyle.
Fernello, the mafio
or the organized crime
and the police--
it's just not strong enough.
We know that you
have the Fernello style,
and you showed it to us,
but for me,
- I feel like it's not pushing
- it enough.
It's not creative enough.
I was looking so forward
to this piece.
I expected more and it probably
has to do with the fact
- that you talk
- a real good game.
Kyle, let's hear
about your piece, please.
- Don't turn your back,
- 'cause you don't know
what the pieces will do.
You release the pawns
for the final checkmate.
Break 'em down, I win.
I'm a little confused.
Wait, so this is the king,
and this is the king?
This is my king.
This is the their king.
Opponent's king.
And then the face
is a queen?
- Of the opponent?
- Of the opponent?
Tell me about the nose
of that queen.
- I don't know.
- I just thought of him
- and how he was always lifting
- his nose up at me,
so I thought I would bring it
into the painting.
Oh, is that Fernello
right there?
- He's kind of
- a queen sometimes.
Oh.
- Like, come on.
- Really?
I was really impressed
by your technique.
I think the detail
on the lower arms is beautiful.
- Okay, thank you.
- Thank you guys.
Okay, painters, please go back
to the lounge,
- and we'll bring you
- out shortly.
Thank you.
- That was intense.
- [laughs]
The pawns.
- The pawns.
- Lana's piece.
- (Robin) She turned
- that model's shoulder blades
into buildings
receding into the distance.
- (Craig)
- Love it.
- And I that
- was really effective.
Yeah, that was a fun ride.
Marcio, his aesthetic
isn't shining through
the way I would want it to.
He was trying
to keep the front muted.
- I don't think the risk
- paid off for him.
Let's talk about the rooks.
How about Rachel?
It was too chaotic.
- I got lost in her work.
- Mm-hmm.
- (Craig) I felt like her piece
- was overdone
and underdone
at the same time.
Cheryl Ann and Aryn,
our knights.
- What do we think?
- Man, that's a hard one.
Cheryl Ann blew me away.
- And the only thing that makes me
- a little bit nervous
about Cheryl Ann
is that this piece,
while amazing,
looked very similar to her piece
from the first challenge.
Aryn's work--
I really did fall in love it.
- Yeah.
- I love the color.
And they both painted
really, really well.
But so different.
- Avi.
- He's a very talented artist.
Not so much
a chess story.
To be honest, I liked it better
than his opponent's piece.
- Fernello surprised me
- in a bad way.
I just think he bit off
way more than he could chew.
Kyle's piece--
it was crazy.
There was kings and queens.
- And my three sons, yeah.
- Another king and queen.
- And a pig.
- Yeah.
- It was weird
- in a good way.
- We're gonna have to say good-bye
- to someone tonight.
- Unfortunately.
- Ay, yi, yi.
- Yeah.
- Glad I'm not you.
Uh-huh.
Welcome back, painters.
Chess is not an easy game,
and this challenge
wasn't easy either.
You all did
a masterful job.
Rio...
Kyle...
Sammie...
Lana...
Cheryl Ann...
Avi...
congratulations.
Each of you won
in your head-to-head match.
Believe it or not,
I lost to Lana,
and I'm just amazed.
So Kyle wins,
and I'm thinking to myself,
"I done went from a king
to a damn pawn."
I can't go home
on the first challenge.
- Ain't nobody got time
- for that.
Man, I really dropped the ball
on this one.
Cheryl Ann, Kyle, Lana,
you're the top three.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
How do you feel?
- I deserve to be
- on the top three.
I'm a better painter than both
of the painters
in the top with me.
That's a fact.
Fernello...
Rachel...
Marcio...
You are the bottom three.
The rest of you standing here,
you may go back to the lounge.
- [sighs] Thank God.
- Oh, my gosh.
That was insane.
The top three,
please step forward.
Tonight there will be
only one winner.
My heart is about to pound
out of my chest.
[laughs]
And the winner is...
Lana, you're the winner.
[laughs]
- Oh, my God.
- Yay.
- (Rebecca)
- All right!
(Robin) Lana, we loved
your color and your composition.
Thank you guys
for appreciating my art.
- You may head back
- to the lounge.
[cheers and applause]
- Thank you guys.
- Oh!
- I'm shining.
So I'm really happy.
- It was amazing.
- Thank you.
- Like, seriously.
- Oh, I'm so proud of you.
- Bring it, bring it.
- bring it, bring it.
I really wasn't expecting her
to be such a contender.
I said, "Oh, Lana's bringing
something to the table."
Fernello, Rachel, Marcio...
you are the bottom three.
And one of you
will be going home tonight.
Fernello, you had
a really strong concept,
but it fell pretty flat.
Rachel, we felt the piece
was a bit muddy,
and it was filled
with chaos.
Marcio, the color
was muted butterscotch,
and your aesthetic
just didn't shine through.
Fernello...
you are safe, but the judges
expect you to step up your game.
I got to turn up.
I know.
I'll definitely do that,
and I'm definitely
gonna take charge.
Thank you.
I'm not a fraud.
I need to get up
off this depressing loss
and get my ass back into gear.
Marcio, Rachel...
for one of you,
this is checkmate,
and you will be going home.
The player
who is going home is...
Marcio.
[sighs]
Rachel,
that means you survived.
- You may head
- back to the lounge.
Thank you very much.
(Craig)
Marcio, you're a class act.
You're an excellent painter.
This competition
was insanely difficult tonight.
You represent Brazil
and America
with beautiful pride.
I really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Marcio, I'm sorry to say,
it's game over.
Please go wash off
your canvas.
- Thank you guys.
- Good-bye.
I'm not ready to go home.
I let myself down.
If I had the chance again,
I would've put every color
of the rainbow in the piece,
and maybe, you know, it
would've been a better outcome.
I definitely gonna miss
being in Skin Wars.
- I think it
- was an awesome experience,
and I wouldn't change it
for the world.
I made it here, and I'm going
home with my head high.
I have a full, running shop
and a lot of naked women
in Miami to be painted.
- (Rebecca)
- This season on Skin Wars...
- We're bringing out
- the big guns.
- Queens!
- Yes!
Your job is to transform
their bodies.
It's going to be hot.
Say hello to platinum-selling
artist Zendaya.
- Hey.
- This is so cool.
It's Carson Kressley.
- Welcome back, Carson.
- Hi, everybody.
World-renowned chef
Cat Cora.
Star of the Saw movies
Tobin Bell.
- Hello.
- Whoo-hoo-hoo!
- (Tobin)
- Thank you.
- (RuPaul)
- This is a battle royale.
- (Rebecca)
- One of you will be going home.
This is not "Excuses Wars."
Is someone paying her
to throw me under the bus?
I think it's really childish.
- It's time
- to wash off your canvas.
I loved this.
Congratulations.
- You have that "it" factor.
- Yes!
You just won the title
of Skin Wars Champion!
just give me more ♪
♪ I want to explore you ♪
- (Rebecca)
- In the wild world
of competitive body painting,
there's nothing more fierce than
the power of transformation.
It's an all-new season
of Skin Wars hosted by me,
Rebecca Romijn.
♪ Watch me go ♪
♪ I'm fast and low, yeah ♪
- (Rebecca)
- You won't believe your eyes,
as 12 of America's
most talented artists
compete and push the boundaries.
Absolutely breathtaking.
[laughing]
- (Rebecca)
- Some will rise to the top...
[squeals]
- (Rebecca)
- While others will watch
their dreams go down the drain.
It fell pretty flat.
(Rebecca) It's the challenge
of a lifetime for $100,000
and the ultimate title
of Skin Wars champion.
♪ Watch me go ♪
I'm Rudy.
- I'm 30.
- I'm from Houston, Texas,
where I'm known
as the Mayor of Makeup.
I've been body-painting
for ten years.
The style that I lean more
towards is sci-fi and horror.
There are lot of artists
that are fantastic
here in the U.S.,
but not all of them are blessed
like I've been blessed
to be able to make a living
out of this.
[sighs]
- Hi, I'm Sammie.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you too.
- Where are you from?
Oh, I'm from Houston.
- Oh, awesome.
- I'm from Utah.
- Hi.
- I'm Cheryl Ann.
Hi, Cheryl Ann.
Oh, someone else is here.
I'm Dawn Marie.
- Hi.
- Hey!
I'm Kyle.
How are you guys?
My name is Lana.
I live in San Diego right now,
but I'm originally from Russia.
- [gasps]
- Wow.
Oh, my God, I'm so excited.
I'm really happy body paints
in fantasy and ornaments,
and I really love
bright colors.
- Hi, I'm Cheryl Ann.
- Hi.
- [claps hands]
- I have arrived.
(all)
Oh!
- I'm Rio Sirah.
- Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
I want to rub the unicorn horn
for luck.
- Nice to meet you.
- I'm Dawn Marie.
Coming in the work room,
you know,
- and seeing the blondes
- and the brunettes.
- Marcio.
- Welcome. I'm Lana.
Nice meeting you.
- And I'm definitely noticing
- Lana, for sure.
- (Kyle) So tell us
- about yourself, Marcio.
- Oh, I've been surfing
- since I was seven years old.
- Come to San Diego.
- Ahh.
We have cool waves too.
I'll definitely check
that out.
In Miami, I do music videos.
I do a lot of nightclubs, and
the girls are all body-painted.
- You know,
- it's a tropical place,
so why not, you know, shed
your clothes and get painted?
Hi, everybody!
Hi, I'm Aryn.
- Nice to meet you, Aryn.
- Kyle.
- (Aryn)
- Nice to meet you.
- I'm about to turn up!
- Someone else, hello.
Fernello's in the house.
The Fernello style
is sexy, curvy, and exotic,
and that's what I'm known for.
I am a virgin to the body-paint
competition world,
but I set out to conquer.
I set out to win.
- Listen, I want to take out
- my golden shovel,
- 'cause I'm about to bury
- some people right now.
- Oh.
- Okay.
Fernello with that swag
and all that talk, you know,
that pimp walk.
Who does this?
- What's up?
- Oh, hey!
- How are you? I'm Avi.
- How are you?
- Nice meeting you.
- Well, where are you from, Avi?
I'm originally from Israel.
- Oh, wow.
- Yes.
- Hi, I'm Rachel.
- Nice to meet you.
- Oh, ooh.
- Ooh.
Hi.
I'm from Hawaii, Maui.
- Aloha.
- Oh, Maui is nice.
When Rachel
says Ha-vai-ee, it's stupid.
It's--it's Hawaii.
I pronounce it Ha-vai-ee,
'cause that is
the actual pronunciation.
So much of Hawaii
is inside of me
and comes through my brush.
I'm here to do my best work,
and I'm going to kick ass.
I'm really excited.
- Whoo!
- Oh.
Oh, my God. I can't believe
that's Rebecca Romijn.
[cheers and applause]
- Wow.
Hello, painters.
Hello, hello, hello!
This is real life,
and I'm standing, like,
10 feet away from Mystique.
Welcome to season two
of Skin Wars.
- Whoo!
- Yeah!
Butterfly fluttering
in my body.
- It's starting.
- There's no turning back.
Season one introduced
the incredible world
of body painting.
We expect the 12 of you
to raise the bar even higher.
That's right.
- As elite artists,
- you've shown
- that you have the talent
- to be here.
But to win, you're going to have
to impress our revered judges.
You've seen his work
in national magazines,
commercials, films, and more.
Please welcome the guru
of body paint, Craig Tracy!
[cheers and applause]
[man whistles]
What a great-looking group.
Whoo!
Craig, I've seen his pictures
ever since I wanted
to start body-painting.
When I look at him, I look
at someone that I aspire to be.
I wish you luck and creativity,
because you're gonna
need 'em both to win here.
- She's a pioneer in the world
- of body painting
and the owner
of the world-famous
Skin City Body Painting
in Las Vegas.
She's an artist
and the ultimate entrepreneur--
Robin Slonina.
[cheers and applause]
- Hi, everybody.
- Hi!
(Rio) Robin--she's, like,
a phenomenal body painter.
I am ecstatic.
I cannot wait to see
what all of you create.
And finally, please welcome
one of the most
iconic artists on Earth.
He's the host
of RuPaul's Drag Race
and the reigning king--
rewind--
queen of transformation--
RuPaul Charles!
[cheers and applause]
Hi!
Wow.
Never in my wildest dreams
would I ever imagine
I would get to be
in the same room with RuPaul.
I'm so excited
for each of you,
to witness your journey
in this competition.
It's gonna be a blast.
Painters, the winner
of Skin Wars
gets an all-expense-paid trip
for two
to the World Bodypainting
Festival in Austria...
[cheers and applause]
Where you will compete
side by side
with the greatest professional
body painters on the planet.
Oh, I want to go.
- (Rebecca)
- That's not all.
Royal & Langnickel will create
a custom brush collection
with your name on it.
[cheers and applause]
[whistles]
The winner
will also receive $100,000.
[cheers and applause]
You have all the prizes
that any artist would want.
And I want that money,
and I want the travel.
- I want everything
- that comes with it,
because that's
what I'm all about.
- It's time
- for your first challenge.
- God!
- Oh!
To start off, we want to learn
a little bit about you.
On this wheel are some defining
moments of our lives.
- I will spin the wheel
- for each of you,
- and where it lands
- will be the inspiration
for your first
body-paint challenge.
I'm hoping I get the passion,
- 'cause I'm passionate
- about everything.
I'm passionate about right now.
(Rebecca)
Okay, Fernello...
Biggest passion.
- Fernello seems happy
- with that one.
I got this in the bag.
(Rebecca)
Okay, Lana, you're up.
- Favorite song.
- I'm good with that.
(Rebecca)
Marcio.
Greatest achievement.
- Avi.
- Yes.
- Favorite childhood memory.
- [laughs]
I am so exciting.
- (Rebecca)
- Cheryl Ann.
- Ooh.
- Biggest passion.
(Rebecca)
Kyle. Greatest achievement.
- [claps hands]
[laughter]
(Rebecca) Painters, you will be
judged on your creativity
and design concept,
technique,
and execution of the challenge.
Trust me, you want to do well
in this challenge.
You will have just three hours
to complete your work.
That's the bad news.
Good news is you only
need to paint your model
from the waist up,
but it must be front and back.
Painters, are you ready?
- (all)
- Yes!
Good, 'cause your time
starts now.
[electronic music]
♪ ♪
I'm looking around,
and I'm like, "This is amazing.
I feel so lucky
to be here right now."
[laughter]
(Avi)
I see all the paint
and the airbrush section
and all the wigs
and the colors and I was like,
"I feel in Heaven right now."
It's like, whoo.
[laughing]
Let's start.
- We're gonna hook up
- the back real nice.
You're gonna look so sexy
and so awesome.
Fernello--it's hilarious,
because when you
have a big head,
when you have ego,
you will tumble and fall.
- (Fernello)
- About to turn up.
He will eventually wipe
himself out.
- Hey, you ready for this?
- I'm Kyle.
I've been body-painting
since I've been 18.
I am a jack of all trades.
I am an aerial ice skater,
and I'm also a performer.
As an artist, I am definitely
somebody that stands out.
My name is Cheryl Ann.
I am a classically trained
professional artist
and a very poised
elegant Southern lady
- from Winston-Salem,
- North Carolina.
- Can you move your arm a little
- bit out of the way?
Thank you.
I've had so many successes,
but I can see
that the other painters
are technically not as strong.
I'm going to knock them
off the board one by one.
- (Aryn) I'll have to start
- busting ass in a minute here.
I peak around a little bit
- just to kind
- of see what everybody's doing,
and they're all very colorful
and pretty.
I do tend to lean
a little bit more
towards slightly scary things,
but I'm definitely not afraid to
put my style up against theirs.
I came
to the United States, 1986.
I went from surfing in Brazil
to body painting
because I like
making people look sexy.
I love painting naked women
every day of my life.
- All my favorite songs
- were in Russian.
- I'm like, "What I was singing
- just yesterday?"
And I was singing Let It Go,
- 'cause I was thinking
- about my daughter.
She is six years old.
She is my sunshine.
Actually, turn
and face me, sweetheart.
- I'm Sammie.
- I'm a stay-at-home mom.
My husband is a worship pastor
at a church in Park City.
Body painting does give me
my own individual identity,
but I love being a mom,
and I love being a wife.
I want to win for my family.
Down to 45 minutes!
I got to hurry this up.
(woman) Hey, Lana?
How you doing over there?
I wish I will have more time,
and just 40 minutes left,
I started in the back.
- Time to speed up.
- [laughs]
- (Marcio) Lana's struggling
- with time management.
- I see she's taking forever
- in the body.
She has a lot of detail work,
but very, very little time.
Okay, my brain working fast,
fast, fast, fast, fast.
I need to think.
- Oh, my God.
- I know.
Lana is getting ready
to crash and burn hard.
- Close your eyes, hon.
- Thank you.
First challenge
is based on life experience,
and I got a song.
Just 40 minutes left,
I started on the back,
and I start to freak out
about it.
Oh, see that?
- [chuckles]
- Fernello is annoying.
Turn around, baby.
There you go.
(Kyle)
Ugh, his cockiness kills me.
Turn around.
So I glance over to my shoulder,
and I see Kyle's piece.
And I'm thinking,
"This needs to go straight
in the garbage bag."
Guys, we have 15 minutes.
- Hey.
- Whoo-hoo!
- (Fernello) I like pressure.
- I don't know why.
- I think I'm a sick man.
- [laughs]
Oh, no.
I'm looking over at Lana,
- and she was almost
- completely done.
I didn't see that coming.
I have to watch out for her.
We have one minute left!
- Oh, Lord, no.
- Aah!
(Kyle and Rio)
3, 2, 1.
- Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
- Brushes down!
- Whoo!
- Okay, painters.
That's it. Time's up.
Put your tools down.
Wow.
Okay, so the judges
are gonna come around
- and talk to you
- about your work.
I have a passion for art,
and that's why I'm here.
That's my existence.
- (Craig) Tell us a little bit
- about the face.
Well, I wanted the face
to look subtle.
- This is subtle for Fernello.
- [laughs]
Yeah, this is subtle.
Wow.
- ♪ Ahhh ♪
- It's amazing.
So I got the favorite song.
- Is it from Frozen?
- Yeah.
[laughter]
I did back maybe,
like, in 40 minutes,
and I see a lot of illustrations
my daughter do,
'cause this is her favorite.
- (Robin) Is this your first time
- away from your daughter?
Yes.
My favorite song is Super Freak
by Rick James.
The super freakness comes a lot
from what I say and speak.
- I love how crazy
- the front is
and how the back
has a sort of tie-dyed effect.
It's masquerade
from Phantom of the Opera.
- (Robin)
- Oh.
- (Craig)
- It has a nice contrast,
but it's all tied together
with color.
- And I am
- classically trained.
One of the things that I'm also
passionate about is horses.
- (Robin) What's your connection
- to horses?
I grew up on a horse farm.
- Oh, really?
- Yeah.
When I was 14 years old,
my dad pass away,
and I create an angel
that is the guardian angel
to protect me.
- I think your dad
- would be very proud of you.
- Thank you, Avi.
- Thank you very much.
These eyes are
freaking me out.
- It took me a minute
- to realize
that they were painted
on her eyelids.
- (Kyle) Now, when you think
- of haunted houses,
every character needs a mask.
- Oh.
- Nice.
- (RuPaul)
- Scary.
- I'm having trouble seeing
- the face in the mask.
- (Rebecca)
- Okay, so those are the eyes.
- Okay, those are the eyes.
- Oh, yeah.
- Thank you, Kyle.
- Thank you guys.
- (Rebecca) Tell us
- about your greatest achievement.
Well, coming from, you know,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
to South Florida,
- you know, in a way,
- it was a freedom for me also
- to express this type of art.
- The American dream.
All right, painters, the judges
have a lot to talk about,
so we'll be back shortly.
- All right, guys, what do you
- think of the paintings?
(RuPaul)
Fernello's really sold me.
I love what he did
because it was very fashion,
and it looked
like a gorgeous bodysuit.
What'd you think
of Marcio?
(Craig) I love
the immigrant story, but I felt
- that the painting
- was a bit muddy.
Rudy?
I enjoyed the way
he used his color.
- I love the layering he did.
- How about Rachel?
Freaky deaky to the max.
And she's freaky deaky
to the max,
and I thought it was
a perfect choice for her.
What about Lana?
(Craig) She sold it well.
She felt it.
There was some abstract things
going on in the face,
and it works.
I thought that the design
that Kyle did
just was weak technically.
- (Robin)
- Mm-hmm.
- That really showed
- in the face part of the piece.
- (Craig) Things weren't tying
- together for me.
- Right.
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah, yeah.
Let's talk about Avi's.
(Craig) I loved his story.
I loved his heart.
And he put a lot of work
into that piece.
How about Cheryl Ann?
I guess the fact
that she was touting
being classically trained
sort of made me
more skeptical.
I don't know why that is.
- She was talking
- a big game.
Yeah, yeah. But, listen,
I think she delivered.
I thought it was
a beautiful piece of art.
- (Robin) There's some
- real competitors in this group.
Yeah.
- I think it's gonna
- get a bit fierce.
Okay, everybody.
It's time
to pick the best painting.
When I call your name,
please step forward.
Rudy...
Yeah.
- [imitates gunshots]
- [laughter]
- (Rebecca)
- Rachel...
Lana...
Fernello...
Cheryl Ann...
Avi.
You're the top six painters.
We are like, "Oh, my God.
- "We cannot believe
- we are standing here
in front of the judges
and we are the best for today."
- [laughing]
- Oh, crap.
The judges have made
their decision,
and the winner is...
Fernello!
[laughter]
- Fireworks are going off
- in my head.
Fourth of July.
Let's party like it's 1999.
Fernello,
you blew me away.
Your fantastic technique
and gorgeous aesthetic--
I loved it.
Congratulations, Fernello.
- Thank you.
- Okay, guys.
- Are you ready to hear
- about your next challenge?
- (all)
- Yeah!
You will draw your inspiration
from the ultimate game
of skill and strategy--chess.
- (all)
- Oh.
You'll have five hours
tomorrow to create a colorful,
360-degree,
head-to-toe design.
The top six painters
in the first challenge
will chose their chess piece
and their opponent.
You are going head-to-head.
In each team,
one will be safe,
and one will be up
for elimination.
- Fernello,
- you won the first challenge...
Yes.
which means you get to pick
your piece
and your opponent first.
Well, every king
needs a kingdom,
and this is my kingdom.
- My opponent will be Kyle.
- Nice.
Kyle did have one
of the weakest body paints
in the first challenge,
so I'm doing the right thing
by picking Kyle.
Rachel?
It's going to be the rook
and Rio.
- All right.
- Hey.
- [laughter]
- Rudy?
I pick the bishop,
and it's gonna be Sammie.
- Cheryl Ann?
- The knight and Aryn.
- Okay.
- Whoo.
I choose the knight,
because, of course,
it's my love of horses,
and I choose Aryn specifically
because I thought,
- "I can draw horses
- better than her."
Avi?
I choose the queen,
and my opponent is Dawn Marie.
Oh!
It's kind of freaking me out.
Okay, Lana, so that leaves you
with the pawn,
and Marcio is your opponent.
Oh, my God.
Unbelievable.
Lana's definitely gonna be
a tough opponent,
and it makes it harder, too,
going against somebody you like.
You have your chess pieces,
so go home
and get ready for tomorrow.
- Yeah!
- Whoo-hoo!
- I am a king
- above the competition,
and I think the other painters
are feeling it right now.
I want them all gone,
starting with Kyle.
Hee, hee, we're back.
- We're back.
- Time to get the magic working.
(Sammie)
Someone's going home today.
The concept challenge
this week is the game of chess.
We are also going head-to-head.
Helping a neighbor.
- Listen, Lana.
- Let's shake hands.
I have to go head-to-head
with Lana.
We have the same piece,
the pawn,
and now I know Lana
can just pull stuff
out of nowhere all of a sudden,
but I'll still be able
to win this challenge, though.
That's not a problem at all.
- Oh, my God.
- I need this.
I know, right?
It's great.
I think Marcio wasn't worried
to have me as a competitor
with him
'cause he doesn't know yet
what I can develop.
- (Rachel)
- Get it together, people!
- (woman)
- What piece are you doing, again?
I'm doing the king.
- For reals, I want to take
- Fernello down,
and I'm kind of excited
about the king
but I'm honestly thinking,
"Why did you choose
the weakest piece in the game?"
There's only one king--
Fernello, baby.
- (Kyle) Hey, was that beginner's
- luck yesterday?
Beginner's luck?
Listen. Listen, listen...
My peasants.
My royal peasants.
I'm gonna paint my butt off,
- and I'm gonna walk around
- like I own the place,
'cause I am the king.
King 'Nello.
That's right.
You heard it first.
- (Marcio) Hey, guys, we got
- some models coming in.
- Whoo!
- Oh, hey!
I'm just getting warmed up.
- Okay, my hands are cold.
- Yeah. Aah.
[laughs]
- (Rudy) We're painting you
- as chess pieces.
Oh, okay, cool.
So this is gonna be
a full-body 360.
We are competing
against Cheryl Ann
down there at the end.
- It's all right, 'cause
- we're gonna totally kick ass.
I can beat Aryn.
I am a stronger painter
than her.
I got this. I can do it.
[giggles]
You're gonna be
so pretty.
Good morning, good morning,
good morning, painters.
- Good morning.
- And models.
Well, I'm here with Ru
and Robin and Craig,
who are very excited to see what
we have in store this morning,
- so we're gonna walk around
- and take a look.
- Hello, Marcio.
- Hi.
- You're going head-to-head
- against Lana.
How do you feel about that?
- Yeah, I'm watching her
- the whole time.
- Are you?
- Uh-huh, for sure.
- So what kind of color palette
- are you planning on using?
- (Marcio) I'm going really
- earth tones on the front and--
you know, in gold and yellows.
- Lana.
- Hi, guys.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- (Craig) Tell us a little bit
- about your design.
- Oh.
- Thank you.
- We can't wait to see
- the end result.
- (Craig)
- Yeah.
- So you're working
- on the bishop?
- (Rudy)
- Yes, I am.
- Can we see the back at all, or
- is there nothing happening yet?
- Right now it's just plain.
- Okay.
- (Rudy) The back is gonna be
- a cross, and I haven't really
figured out what's gonna
be inside the cross.
Are you serious?
So you're gonna
do all of this work
- and then figure out
- your design?
I had to leave a little bit
to flow with at the very end.
- Manage your time well.
- I will.
- All right.
- Fernello.
- King 'Nello.
- King 'Nello.
- King 'Nello, okay.
- That's right.
- As far as what the back
- is going to be,
I wanted to use
a modern-day story
of crime bosses
versus police department,
because they, to me,
are two different kingdoms.
- All right.
- Great.
- Hi, Kyle. You're up
- against Fernello, right?
I am.
- So I definitely wanted to bring
- the king as the main character.
I don't know.
That look like a queen to me.
- Maybe you don't know my twist.
[laughter]
Cheryl Ann.
Now, you got to pick
your opponent, Aryn.
Yes, I did.
If there's one person here
that maybe I can out-paint
a horse, it would be--
maybe I can out-paint her,
outsmart her, you know.
- So I picked her
- strategically.
- Looks like you've got
- a great start,
- and we'll see where you
- take it from here.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, Cheryl Ann.
Okay, everyone,
so just a reminder--
the challenge is to create
something very colorful
and very elaborate.
- See you soon.
- [painters cheer]
- Two hours left!
- Whoo!
- Yeah!
- You ain't happy about that?
- (Rudy)
- No.
Marcio, that's looking
a little monochromatic.
- Sometimes you got to play it.
- In a color competition?
I wanted to go
with earth tones
- because that pawn
- was representing a peasant,
and it was coming
from the ground up.
- I have a lot
- of confidence in my artwork.
- I've been doing it
- for a long time.
I can definitely bring it.
Okay, and hold here.
I'm using more color,
but I remember when judges
give us directions,
they expected something
really colorful and vibrant.
It's why I'm going
really vibrant concept.
- Let me finish
- the leg quick.
I'm a little bit worried
about my concept.
I'm not taking
the actually chess pieces,
'cause I'm totally changing
the game.
Avi, you're going down.
I don't think so.
My dragon's gonna kill you.
Nah.
Not quite sure
exactly what he's doing,
'cause I have not seen dragons
on a chessboard before.
Fernello's looking around.
- Now you're getting nervous?
- Hey.
I think your talk is starting
to come back at you, man.
- Don't be all talk today
- for us.
I am a human being.
- No, you're not.
- I'm not a machine.
You can't turn back
now, bro.
- I'm loving
- what I see in the front,
but at the back, it's tough,
because my ideas
are so intense that I don't know
if the clock will allow me
the time to finish up.
Lana, you need help?
[laughs]
Me and Lana definitely have
a chemistry there.
- You can have some
- of my water.
Thank you.
15 minutes, guys.
- All right.
- Aah!
Turn around
for me, hon.
All right.
- As soon as I see Rachel's piece,
- I don't see a story.
I do see the rook,
but it's a lot.
- Fernello.
- Yeah?
You almost done?
- Fernello's ready to be
- overthrown.
- No.
- One minute left!
♪ Ahh ♪
- Crazy, man.
- [sighs]
Time's up.
Put your tools down!
- Whoo!
- Wow.
The judges are very excited
to see your work.
- (Marcio)
- I think I have a strong piece.
- Some of the artists
- are really, really nervous
because no one wants to hear,
"Go wash your canvas."
Painters, models,
follow me.
All right.
I'm a big threat.
I am a classically
trained painter.
I don't have to worry
about any other competitors.
I know my talent
speaks for itself.
Welcome, painters.
- Hello.
- Whoo!
Tonight you are going
head-to-head.
In each team,
one will be safe,
and one will be up
for elimination.
But before we start,
I want to welcome back
our esteemed judges--
Craig Tracy,
Robin Slonina,
and RuPaul Charles.
So excited to see
how you play the game.
So let's see who put
their opponent in check.
- (Cheryl Ann) My grandfather
- taught me how to play chess.
So I did a little girl and then
a father figure playing chess.
- I chose specifically
- the knight
because I am so strong
in my horses.
(Aryn) I definitely think
my design is much more dynamic.
My design ends up
being my vision
of the embodiment
of what a dark knight is.
The front is all armor,
and on the back,
there's a scene of, like,
a triumphant dark knight.
(Marcio) Seeing my model
and Lana's walking out together
definitely makes me want
to beat Lana.
The pawn is a piece that is
mostly sacrificed at first,
but it grows,
changing to the knight.
On the back, I have the pawns
as a group taking over
and becoming the queen.
[Lana laughs]
So cool.
- (Rio) As soon as both of 'em
- walk down the stage,
I was like, "I won."
I decided that what I would do
on the front is have my castle
and my wall with a cannon
shooting a cannonball
towards her rook and her castle,
and then on the back,
it would by my cannonball
busting through her wall.
"Ha ha."
(Rachel) My concept is,
"What's it like to be behind
the castle walls
in a defensive position?"
- I expressed the emotion
- and passion
that I wanted to express,
using the wall
as a literal representation
of what it's like to be at war.
- (Sammie)
- I think it's kind of cool
- that I do have
- the bishop piece,
considering I do have
a religious background.
I think that my knowledge
of religion helps me
in putting key points
into the piece.
- (Rudy)
- My concept for the bishop
is God having
this warrior's back
through faith
on the battlefield.
I'm pretty confident
that my piece, conceptually,
is better than Sammie's.
(Avi)
I create a dragon queen.
I didn't use
an actually chess pieces.
I created the face
to be the queen.
All the creativity
and the story,
I just hope I pulled it off
for the judges.
(Dawn Marie) With my piece,
I have made a surreal chessboard
that goes 360 around the body.
My queen will be
striking down her enemy,
knocking her opponents
into a field
of desolation and blood.
[laughter]
- (Fernello)
- So I'm looking at my model,
and I wanted to illustrate
two kings fighting over power,
fighting over territory.
On the back, to illustrate
the two different powers,
I painted crime bosses,
representing red.
The cops represent the blue.
(Kyle) I'm not gonna lie.
I'm looking at Fernello's.
I'm actually feeling not so much
like the underdog.
I love that my piece is fun.
It has character.
- (Fernello)
- Seeing Kyle's model onstage,
it definitely does look good,
and his technique
and his colors are on point,
and I'm like, "Uh-oh."
- (Rebecca) Okay, guys,
- the judges want to hear
more about your work.
Avi and Dawn Marie,
please step forward.
So, Avi, everything
about this thing is exquisite.
I just would like to see
a little bit more
of a chess game going on there,
but that's just me, Avi.
Dawn Marie, you've created
a magnificent killer queen.
I love
this bloody bitch, okay?
[laughter]
- Okay.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you very much.
- Thank you.
- (Rebecca)
- Cheryl Ann and Aryn.
So, Cheryl Ann, your piece
is absolutely breathtaking.
Thank you.
I was just taken aback
by the consistency
of the saturation.
Thank you.
The composition is very similar
to the first challenge.
Make sure that you mix up
your composition.
Got it.
- Aryn, will you please
- tell us about your piece?
The face is essentially the
facemask on a knight's helmet.
This, for me,
was love at first sight.
I absolutely adore
what you've done.
- Thank you.
- You both did an amazing job.
Thank you so much.
- Lana, Marcio.
- Well, Lana...
I love the sort of aerial shots
that you achieved
where I feel like I'm sort of
flying over a landscape,
and the depth
is really wonderful.
Thank you.
There is some negative spaces
that feel empty to me.
Marcio,
I wanted more from you.
I wanted more color,
and I found there to be a little
bit of technical problems.
On the back--
like, a hole,
like, a negative space.
I just got lost a little bit
on the front
with some of the details.
(Rebecca) Thanks, guys.
Rudy and Sammie.
Rudy.
Can you turn around, please?
- Did you have something
- else designed for the back?
No.
I was running out of time.
That's an issue.
If you have a tomorrow
in this competition...
make a full painting.
Oh, ****.
This sucks.
- Rudy.
- Yes?
If you have a tomorrow
in this competition,
make a full painting.
Mm-hmm.
- (Craig)
- Can I have both of the models
turn around for me for a second?
Is it completely coincidence
that there are big, bold crosses
on the back of each?
I think it is.
I want you to think
more creatively
so that that
doesn't ever happen again.
Okay, thank you so much.
Not to sound like a dick,
but whatever.
- That's here or there.
- It's done.
It's over.
It's whatever.
I'll flow with it.
Rachel, will you tell us
about your decision
to make a mossy G-string?
- Oh.
[laughter]
There was no alter-agenda.
That was just what came
to me in the moment.
I almost find the figures
of the king
and the queen
even a little goofy.
Definitely wasn't
the intention of that.
Rio, will you please
tell us about your work?
- Since we were competing
- with each other,
me and Rachel, I have here
on my side the castle
- with the cannonball
- shooting over to her rook
- and her castle and then,
- on the back,
the cannonball going
through her castle wall,
- with her kind of jumping
- out the window.
- So wait a minute.
- That's Rachel on your painting?
- Yes, this is Rachel
- right here.
You are not visiting
me in Maui.
[laughter]
- I love the humor
- in this piece.
I also love the fact
that you bring in your graffiti.
- Okay, guys.
- Thank you so much.
Aloha.
Fernello and Kyle.
Fernello, the mafio
or the organized crime
and the police--
it's just not strong enough.
We know that you
have the Fernello style,
and you showed it to us,
but for me,
- I feel like it's not pushing
- it enough.
It's not creative enough.
I was looking so forward
to this piece.
I expected more and it probably
has to do with the fact
- that you talk
- a real good game.
Kyle, let's hear
about your piece, please.
- Don't turn your back,
- 'cause you don't know
what the pieces will do.
You release the pawns
for the final checkmate.
Break 'em down, I win.
I'm a little confused.
Wait, so this is the king,
and this is the king?
This is my king.
This is the their king.
Opponent's king.
And then the face
is a queen?
- Of the opponent?
- Of the opponent?
Tell me about the nose
of that queen.
- I don't know.
- I just thought of him
- and how he was always lifting
- his nose up at me,
so I thought I would bring it
into the painting.
Oh, is that Fernello
right there?
- He's kind of
- a queen sometimes.
Oh.
- Like, come on.
- Really?
I was really impressed
by your technique.
I think the detail
on the lower arms is beautiful.
- Okay, thank you.
- Thank you guys.
Okay, painters, please go back
to the lounge,
- and we'll bring you
- out shortly.
Thank you.
- That was intense.
- [laughs]
The pawns.
- The pawns.
- Lana's piece.
- (Robin) She turned
- that model's shoulder blades
into buildings
receding into the distance.
- (Craig)
- Love it.
- And I that
- was really effective.
Yeah, that was a fun ride.
Marcio, his aesthetic
isn't shining through
the way I would want it to.
He was trying
to keep the front muted.
- I don't think the risk
- paid off for him.
Let's talk about the rooks.
How about Rachel?
It was too chaotic.
- I got lost in her work.
- Mm-hmm.
- (Craig) I felt like her piece
- was overdone
and underdone
at the same time.
Cheryl Ann and Aryn,
our knights.
- What do we think?
- Man, that's a hard one.
Cheryl Ann blew me away.
- And the only thing that makes me
- a little bit nervous
about Cheryl Ann
is that this piece,
while amazing,
looked very similar to her piece
from the first challenge.
Aryn's work--
I really did fall in love it.
- Yeah.
- I love the color.
And they both painted
really, really well.
But so different.
- Avi.
- He's a very talented artist.
Not so much
a chess story.
To be honest, I liked it better
than his opponent's piece.
- Fernello surprised me
- in a bad way.
I just think he bit off
way more than he could chew.
Kyle's piece--
it was crazy.
There was kings and queens.
- And my three sons, yeah.
- Another king and queen.
- And a pig.
- Yeah.
- It was weird
- in a good way.
- We're gonna have to say good-bye
- to someone tonight.
- Unfortunately.
- Ay, yi, yi.
- Yeah.
- Glad I'm not you.
Uh-huh.
Welcome back, painters.
Chess is not an easy game,
and this challenge
wasn't easy either.
You all did
a masterful job.
Rio...
Kyle...
Sammie...
Lana...
Cheryl Ann...
Avi...
congratulations.
Each of you won
in your head-to-head match.
Believe it or not,
I lost to Lana,
and I'm just amazed.
So Kyle wins,
and I'm thinking to myself,
"I done went from a king
to a damn pawn."
I can't go home
on the first challenge.
- Ain't nobody got time
- for that.
Man, I really dropped the ball
on this one.
Cheryl Ann, Kyle, Lana,
you're the top three.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
How do you feel?
- I deserve to be
- on the top three.
I'm a better painter than both
of the painters
in the top with me.
That's a fact.
Fernello...
Rachel...
Marcio...
You are the bottom three.
The rest of you standing here,
you may go back to the lounge.
- [sighs] Thank God.
- Oh, my gosh.
That was insane.
The top three,
please step forward.
Tonight there will be
only one winner.
My heart is about to pound
out of my chest.
[laughs]
And the winner is...
Lana, you're the winner.
[laughs]
- Oh, my God.
- Yay.
- (Rebecca)
- All right!
(Robin) Lana, we loved
your color and your composition.
Thank you guys
for appreciating my art.
- You may head back
- to the lounge.
[cheers and applause]
- Thank you guys.
- Oh!
- I'm shining.
So I'm really happy.
- It was amazing.
- Thank you.
- Like, seriously.
- Oh, I'm so proud of you.
- Bring it, bring it.
- bring it, bring it.
I really wasn't expecting her
to be such a contender.
I said, "Oh, Lana's bringing
something to the table."
Fernello, Rachel, Marcio...
you are the bottom three.
And one of you
will be going home tonight.
Fernello, you had
a really strong concept,
but it fell pretty flat.
Rachel, we felt the piece
was a bit muddy,
and it was filled
with chaos.
Marcio, the color
was muted butterscotch,
and your aesthetic
just didn't shine through.
Fernello...
you are safe, but the judges
expect you to step up your game.
I got to turn up.
I know.
I'll definitely do that,
and I'm definitely
gonna take charge.
Thank you.
I'm not a fraud.
I need to get up
off this depressing loss
and get my ass back into gear.
Marcio, Rachel...
for one of you,
this is checkmate,
and you will be going home.
The player
who is going home is...
Marcio.
[sighs]
Rachel,
that means you survived.
- You may head
- back to the lounge.
Thank you very much.
(Craig)
Marcio, you're a class act.
You're an excellent painter.
This competition
was insanely difficult tonight.
You represent Brazil
and America
with beautiful pride.
I really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Marcio, I'm sorry to say,
it's game over.
Please go wash off
your canvas.
- Thank you guys.
- Good-bye.
I'm not ready to go home.
I let myself down.
If I had the chance again,
I would've put every color
of the rainbow in the piece,
and maybe, you know, it
would've been a better outcome.
I definitely gonna miss
being in Skin Wars.
- I think it
- was an awesome experience,
and I wouldn't change it
for the world.
I made it here, and I'm going
home with my head high.
I have a full, running shop
and a lot of naked women
in Miami to be painted.
- (Rebecca)
- This season on Skin Wars...
- We're bringing out
- the big guns.
- Queens!
- Yes!
Your job is to transform
their bodies.
It's going to be hot.
Say hello to platinum-selling
artist Zendaya.
- Hey.
- This is so cool.
It's Carson Kressley.
- Welcome back, Carson.
- Hi, everybody.
World-renowned chef
Cat Cora.
Star of the Saw movies
Tobin Bell.
- Hello.
- Whoo-hoo-hoo!
- (Tobin)
- Thank you.
- (RuPaul)
- This is a battle royale.
- (Rebecca)
- One of you will be going home.
This is not "Excuses Wars."
Is someone paying her
to throw me under the bus?
I think it's really childish.
- It's time
- to wash off your canvas.
I loved this.
Congratulations.
- You have that "it" factor.
- Yes!
You just won the title
of Skin Wars Champion!