Skin Wars (2014–…): Season 2, Episode 3 - Episode #2.3 - full transcript
In the wild world
of competitive body-painting,
there's nothing more fierce than
the power of transformation.
the only limits
are your imagination.
You won't believe your eyes
as 12 of America's
most talented artists
compete and push the boundaries.
Absolutely breathtaking.
Some will rise to the top,
while others will watch
their dreams go down the drain.
It fell pretty flat.
It's the challenge
of a lifetime for $100,000
and the ultimate title
of Skin Wars Champion.
Ooh.
Maybe this looks fun.
There are musical instruments,
- and there's chairs
- in the middle.
I don't know if we're gonna
pick these things up
and try to play them
or what it is we're doing,
but it's pretty interesting.
I see Rebecca, RuPaul,
and I immediately
recognize Zendaya 'cause my kids
and I watch her on TV
and see a lot of her movies.
- Hello, painters.
- Hello.
Hi.
First, say hello to our judges,
starting with our resident
musical icon, RuPaul Charles.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Our special guest judge
is a true triple threat.
You may have seen her acting
in the new hit TV show,
Casey Undercover,
- competing on
- Dancing with the Stars,
and you've definitely
heard her chart-topping music.
Say hello to one of today's
hottest and most talked
about platinum-selling artist,
Zendaya.
- Hey.
- Hey.
She's really cute,
and she's really well-known
for her music.
- What's up, guys?
- Hey, what's going on?
I'm extremely excited
'cause I'm a musician as well.
I have a personal passion
for arts, and this is really,
really cool to be here
and see what you guys do,
- so I have tons of respect
- for you guys.
So you guys
ready to get this party started?
Yes.
Good, I hope so,
because you're about to play
musical chairs,
Skin Wars style.
Oh, nice.
For this first challenge, you're
going to create a waist-up
front or back design
that brings a musical
instrument to life.
We're not looking
for just a replica.
We want you to be inspired
by the instrument.
- And the winner
- of this challenge
will get a key advantage
in the concept challenge.
Here's how our version
of musical chairs works.
When I snap my fingers,
we'll start the music,
- and you'll move around
- in a circle.
When I snap my fingers again,
the music will stop,
and that's your cue
to grab any available seat.
Whatever musical instrument
is in front of that seat
is yours,
or maybe not,
because if I snap
my fingers again,
the music will come back on,
and we'll go for another round.
There could be one round.
There could be 10, maybe 75.
- I don't know.
- I haven't figured it out yet.
- I'll let you know
- when the game is officially over
and you have your instrument.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah.
- Okay, let's get it started.
Hm. Okay...
I'm wanting an instrument
that has color already to it,
so I definitely
want the maracas.
- I don't want
- to get the accordion.
Even when I used to play
keyboard before the accordion,
it's kind of annoying.
And stop!
- I get bongos,
- and I'm like,
- "All right,
- I can do something with that."
- I just landed
- on the tambourine,
and I do not want it,
and I'm praying
they start the music up again.
- Mm, no,
- I think I'm gonna go again.
- Yeah?
- Okay.
And go!
- Freestyle? Okay.
- Yeah.
Uh, uh. Need some of them
in my video.
I am strategically
dancing around the guitar
and the saxophone
so I can either move faster
or just slow up a little bit
and then sit down.
Stop!
Somebody...
Okay, that's it.
Let's see
what instrument you each have.
It's a frigging accordion.
- What the hell
- am I gonna do with that?
Zendaya, any words of advice
on how to hit a high note
in this challenge?
I would definitely say,
don't necessarily think
about the instrument itself,
but more so the feeling
and emotion that
that instrument creates.
Okay, painters,
you have two hours
to complete this challenge,
and your time starts now.
Good luck.
- Let's get to it.
- Do it.
Let's do this.
Ooh.
I'm excited about the maracas
because I immediately
have inspiration.
- I know that I want
- to incorporate the wood grain,
and I want to definitely
use the colors, also.
Music is the foundation
of my art,
my just--inspiration in life,
so I have a lot
I want to say,
and I think that the back
would be able to convey
the message a little more solid
than the front would.
I definitely feel a little bit
of a disadvantage
because I have no attachment
to an accordion.
When I think of the accordion,
- I think of something funny,
- you know?
That's what strikes my mind,
and I think of cartoons.
- I think of hokey and...
- Oh, there you go.
- That's cute.
- You know,
so I'm gonna go there.
I got the keyboard.
It's just black and white,
not interesting,
but then I figured keyboard
can actually create any sound,
- so it was good advantage
- for me.
- Way to go, Kanye.
Thank you.
Mr. I-win-all-the-challenges.
Uh-oh, you getting jealous
that he won that last one?
Technically, I've only
won one challenge,
even though I've been
in the top three a lot,
but they don't know my ability
to keep shining.
You can't dull a diamond.
Hey, guys,
we have one hour more.
- I love it
- when you try something,
and it works, and then you
start talking to yourself.
I love it.
So my instrument's the banjo,
and I'm creating the feel
and vibe of a party bear
that's traveling
around the country
at these festivals
with banjos and music.
I'm just having fun.
It's what it's about, you know?
I'm not gonna bull**** you.
I don't draw as well
realistically
because I'm self-taught.
- I learned makeup
- and body painting in a little
over 20 years
of just doing it.
Yes.
The biggest issue I am running
into is just coloring the hair
in the back solid enough
for it to be seen that the hair
is supposed to be attached
to the character on the back.
All right, guys,
we got one minute.
Okay, time's up, painters.
Tools down.
All right. Okay.
Wow.
- Well, we can't wait
- to walk around the room
and check out your work.
Hello, Avi.
I create the piano
going around,
but the person getting the ideas
in colors.
Oh, that's awesome.
Lana, tell us
about your tambourine painting.
This instrument,
it's bringing me memories
about music festivals.
- You know,
- I really appreciate this one
- because I've been
- to tons of music festivals,
and there's--it's just free,
and it's fun,
and I love the way
that you kind of transferred
that into what
you've created here.
Hi, Aryn.
Let's talk about your maracas.
Yeah, maracas.
- I went ahead
- and chose a color palette
that kind of matched
the maracas themselves,
and I put an awesome flamenco
dancer making her skirt fly.
- Oh, yes. That's her skirt.
- Look at that.
Yeah, and then
if you'll turn around for me,
I went ahead and did the back
on my visual representation
on what a maraca,
like, sounds like.
The challenge
is to paint just one side.
You make us look weak.
So just real quick,
- is there a little bit of you
- in here because I see the hair.
- And...
- Absolutely.
I mean, this is a callout
to my 20s,
and we would travel around,
- and we would go
- to all these music festivals,
and I had so much fun
with this.
- Wow.
- I can tell.
- I'm feeling the vibe.
- Yep.
Rachel's fuzzy-wuzzy
bear painting--
I don't see anything musical
about this.
It didn't really
make any sense to me.
Fernello, so tell us
about your instrument.
It's the accordion,
so it was a little awkward
for me.
We couldn't tell.
- No, no, no.
- You look--You're a natural.
- There you go. I'm gonna
- put a smile on your face.
Here we go. Smile.
It is really funny.
Yeah, it is.
That's awesome.
Rio, you haven't painted
a stitch.
I thought that I'd work
on my guitar skills instead,
and then I figured
I got a little time left,
I'll just paint the back,
so I started...
- Ooh.
- Ooh.
- Yeah.
- Wow.
This here is a brain,
and it's whistling this tune,
kind of creating the whole vibe
of this musician
who comes out of my mind.
Is there a reason why you
- picked the back
- instead of the front?
I strive to do
- everything opposite
- of what everyone else will do.
Hi, Sammie.
So you got the violin.
- I immediately
- thought classical,
- and then the movie Marie
- Antoinette popped in my head.
- What were the different
- techniques you used?
The stencil piece
here is with the airbrush,
- and then everything else
- is all pretty much hand-painted.
Got you.
And I have to say, my daughter
is gonna be so thrilled,
- because she watches you
- all the time, so...
That's awesome. Well, tell
her I said hello, okay?
I will for sure.
May I present to you
the royal princess
of the spirit of jazz.
Ooh.
And she would like
to play a little note for you.
Oh, wow, look at that.
Well, I love jazz, and I think
you really evoke jazz.
Thank you.
Okay, painters, thank you.
The judges have a lot to
discuss. We'll be back soon.
Thank you.
- Okay, guys,
- so what'd you think of the work?
I thought it was really cool
- that they really listened
- to what the challenge was,
- was to be inspired
- by the instrument.
- Which is really great,
- 'cause we all love music,
and it's interesting to see
how music or the idea of music
inspires the artist.
Absolutely.
- Okay, so what do you guys
- think about Rio?
- He used the back,
- and as soon
- as she turned around,
- it was incredible,
- and then there was
- so much detail, like.
He took a lot
on with the concept,
but he followed through,
and it actually worked.
Uh-huh,
and what about Aryn's maracas?
It definitely
had that fun feeling.
It had that energy, you know,
with the twirling skirt,
the flowiness and the movement,
and it felt alive,
- and the fact
- that she used both sides...
Right.
It wasn't just like a pattern
- or something fun
- she put on the back.
- Yeah, I would think that
- would have taken so much time.
She had too much time.
You know, Lana always
has a fantastic story to tell.
- You can't always
- understand all of it.
You can't understand
it, but I nod a lot, you know?
Not only did it fit
the body really nicely,
but it had a story,
- and you could tell
- she really went in deep
into what she was creating.
And I loved Cheryl Ann.
She did evoke New Orleans jazz
feeling.
- I thought it was beautiful.
- Mm-hmm.
I have no idea how
they can come--first of all,
- come up with the idea
- and then actually
create something of quality
on a body...
In two hours.
- In two hours.
- They came through.
Yep. Okay, so have you made
your decision?
- Yeah.
- I think so.
Painters, you've had two hours
to create your artwork.
The top three painters are...
- I had the advantage
- of the last challenge,
and I can't allow
another competitor
to use that advantage
against me.
I want this
so I can knock them out.
Painters, you've had two hours
to create your artwork.
The top three painters
are...
Aryn...
Rio...
- Ooh.
- Good job.
Good job, young man.
Lana.
Wow.
I am surprised
that I'm not in the top three.
I'm a little bit
shocked about that.
Aryn, your piece
was magnificent.
You covered back and front
in two hours.
It was brilliant.
Rio, your piece was beautiful.
- Like, literally, as soon
- as she turned around,
I was like, "Oh, gorgeous."
Well, all right, thank you.
Lana, I felt
like I was at Burning Man
looking at your piece.
It was magnificent.
Thank you.
Across the board,
your artwork was incredible,
and the winner
of this challenge is...
Rio.
- Congratulations, Rio.
- Good job.
I feel very honored like
I'm getting my mojo working now.
The groove is starting
to move in, no pun intended.
Congratulations.
- I wish I could put it
- on my body.
- I don't think my parents
- would be too happy about that.
Zendaya, it was so great
having you here today
and having your perspective
on these amazing artists.
- Thank you so much
- for joining us.
Absolutely. Thank you guys
so much, and good luck to you.
Bye.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
In your first challenge,
you each brought
an instrument to life.
Now in this concept challenge,
you will be creating
more of a duet,
because you're about to compete
in teams of two.
I had a feeling
that it was any moment they were
gonna do a teammate challenge.
I hope I get a good teammate.
Rio, because you
won the first challenge,
you get to pick the teams.
Oh.
And remember, Rio,
this is an opportunity
for you to really strategize.
If you choose a team that will
serve your own purpose,
that would be
a very wise thing to do.
Indeed, sir.
Yes, I do have power, and it
seems like a bigger upper hand
than all the other challenges,
and I'm going to shake up
the beehive a little bit.
So, Rio,
who's your teammate gonna be?
Eeny-meeny-miny-moe.
Avi.
Avi is very good technically
when it comes to painting,
so I feel great.
This is my challenge to win.
The next team is going
to be Dawn Marie and Cheryl Ann.
Okay.
Okay, Rio,
who's the next team?
Aryn and Fernello.
Oh, interesting.
- I'm a little apprehensive
- just because Fernello
has a penchant for being,
you know, kind of a-hole-ish,
- and he seems like he's, like,
- stubborn and stuff like that.
Who's next?
Um, it's gonna
be Kyle and Lana.
Yay. Yay.
So, Rachel and Sammie,
that means you're the last team.
Yay!
I definitely
have a greater speed
and skill set than Rachel,
so I just wish I had
a stronger painter to work with.
All right, we have our teams.
Now let's talk about
how the challenge will work.
Each team will get two models
and two different genres
of music
as a source of inspiration
to create a musical mash-up,
which will result
in one single cohesive design.
Each team will get
to pick one album
from speaker one and one album
from speaker two.
Rio and Avi,
come up and pick your genre.
So we're choosing
hair metal and reggae.
We definitely gonna kill it.
Okay, Dawn Marie
and Cheryl Ann.
Country and Western
is really easy for me.
To me, the perfect
pairing for that is pop--
a lot of crossover
between those two genres.
Okay, Aryn and Fernello.
We decide that punk rock
and hip-hop are the way
that we're gonna go.
Kyle and Lana.
- Lana is in charge
- of psychedelic rock,
and I got Latin, so I think
we're gonna be set to go.
And last but not least,
Rachel and Sammie.
I'm choosing new wave,
and then Sammie
knows a lot about Motown.
You will have five hours
to complete your work tomorrow,
and you'll have the rest
of the night to jam out a design
with your teammate.
- Whoo-hoo.
- Awesome.
So good luck,
and we'll see you then.
- We could have silhouettes
- of horses chasing the mustang.
Yeah.
- I'm just gonna let you keep
- sketching there,
and then I can just...
- I have the good fortune
- to have my own studio,
- so I have control,
- and with Dawn Marie,
I have no control
over how she's going to paint.
Then if it goes down
here more, that's fine.
- Sammie's very,
- very meticulous.
Her composition is excellent,
- and I'm just a little different,
- you know?
- I'm just quirky.
- I'm just different.
The main thing
is the artwork in the center.
- Rachel
- is a little bit more crazy
and kooky on the outside,
- so, yeah, I'm a little
- concerned about that.
What do punk rock
and hip-hop have in common?
Hmm. They're both edgy.
- No, no, no.
- The police.
Actually, I'm just like,
"Uh, okay, what?"
I like your rebellious thing,
but I don't know if we should
incorporate the cop thing.
I'm definitely nervous
about working with Aryn.
She's not feeling
any of my ideas, so tomorrow,
- we're in each other's face,
- and we're painting away.
You got to go and mentally
prepare for these things.
- Hurry. Hurry.
- Oh, we're over here.
Over here. Over here.
We have five hours
to paint musical mash-up of both
of these styles of music.
What the F?
- Hi.
- Hey, are you our models?
Red metallic or something.
- Do we have red metallic?
- Yes.
So we have punk rock and hip-hop
that we're mixing together.
- Let's just
- start painting 'cause
if we explain it...
- Well, okay.
- We're wasting time.
The two genres of music
that me and Avi
get are hair metal and reggae.
Okay, yeah.
The face was a lion because
it is a classic reggae symbol.
Jam on.
Is it gonna be
silver and gold together?
- Yes, and I'm gonna have
- the silver come around the top,
and I'm gonna blend the two in.
- And the faces
- have to be silver and gold, too.
It is extremely important
- that I am able to
- control my own fate.
- I can't be sure
- that someone else
is gonna paint their ass off.
That's what has been
putting me on top,
is that I just go in there.
I focus on me,
and I paint my ass off.
Well, just kind of put
the layout where it says.
- I can't without the two
- of them--
- you know what I'm saying--
- together.
In the past two
elimination challenges,
- she was very close
- to going home,
- so, yeah, I am kind of concerned
- about that.
I wanted to be paired
with a stronger partner.
I don't want to go home
over someone else's work.
- Just work on the top first.
- All right.
Today, we have five hours
to mash-up two musical genres
onto two models.
Trying to get this done quick.
And if you want to sketch
the car in, sketch it in in,
like, a light white
or the nude color.
- Are you gonna start
- jumping in on silver?
- No, no, I was just
- trying to get an outline of it
so you know where it's going.
No, no, no.
Don't do black yet.
Cheryl Ann
is being pretty bossy right now,
but we need to work together,
and I don't want to create
more tension by arguing,
- so I'm just gonna
- choose my battles
and do what needs to be done.
And the faces
have to be silver and gold, too.
- So you put water in this,
- and then you rub the brush in.
- Yeah.
- You don't wet this.
You don't wet that.
- I know that I'm inventive,
- and I'm creative.
That's my strongest point,
but technique-wise, Avi
is the best out of all of us.
I mean, I want to get closer
to understanding his skill,
and the only way to do that
was to get next to him.
Kabuki brush is fast.
It's fast, yeah.
- Good morning, painters.
- Good morning.
Well, we have our esteemed
judges, Craig and Robin,
- today, who can't wait
- to take a look at your work.
- Okay, so how's it going,
- you guys?
- Good.
- I see your little nod to Devo.
Ah, yes.
Was my very first vinyl record
I ever bought by myself.
- See? Perfect.
- Awesome!
The one main element
- that's gonna make our piece
- cohesive is a vinyl record.
Bringing the two together.
- Perfect circles are one
- of the hardest things to paint,
- and then to do it
- on a human body--extra hard.
For sure.
And you're doing one
on both sides. All right.
You know, hip-hop's known
for their gold chains.
Punk rock, they use a lot
of silver chains,
and that's
what links them together.
So you guys are both painting
the models separately...
Yeah.
And then is one of you
taking the lead?
Um...
I mean...
How are you guys
feeling on time?
- Eh...
- We actually...
- She's like...
- Well, I mean--
- I feel good about it,
- but you know...
You need to maybe make
- your partner feel
- a little bit more comfortable.
We wanted to kind of tell a
story of, like, life and death.
We're using death as rock,
and life as reggae.
And we actually
created our logo as a yin-yang.
Rio, are you gonna share
any of your tricks with Avi?
Anything he wants to know,
I'm free with sharing
- my information and knowledge
- as well.
I'm not stingy.
- And he's an amazing artist,
- so I know I'm gonna learn a lot.
- So tell us
- about your paintings.
His will be love story
between hippie girl,
and she's fell in love
with Latino hot guy
who is dancing salsa.
So this is a musical love story.
Correct.
You guys have a similar
look going on today.
- It was completely unplanned.
- Oh, come on.
But just like destiny,
our painting's gonna merge
together, just like we do.
Now, you guys
have pop and country.
- Pop and Country.
- Okay.
Well, thank you,
Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie.
- Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
Okay, painters,
judges are really excited
to see your final work tonight,
and one person
will be going home.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Okay, everybody,
we got one hour left.
This is looking so good.
- We definitely have this
- in the bag, though.
Feeling really confident
about this challenge,
and I hope we're gonna win
and not be on the bottom.
We are the dream team.
Yay.
- I think it's going great
- so far.
It's nice to work
with an assistant
who knows how to paint.
Wait a minute. Did she just
call me her assistant?
An assistant?
You know what I mean.
- Like, work with another artist
- who knows how to paint.
Freudian slip, totally.
Okay, you just dug
your hole even deeper,
'cause a Freudian slip is saying
something that you actually
believe accidentally.
So she actually believes
I'm there as her assistant.
- Can we put them together again,
- please?
Looking around the room to see
the train wreck that I perceived
is actually happening
with Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie,
and the rest
will just fall in line.
Superstar.
That works.
How you like me now?
Fernello's personality
is to be, you know,
- stubborn and kind of
- like, you know, "I don't care.
I do what I want."
It definitely takes a lot more
patience to work with him.
- No glitter, please.
- Nope.
We don't
have to get along really well.
We just need to make
our style come together
and create one cohesive piece.
What do you think?
You want to do both sides?
Well, I think you need
to keep your side of the record
in your style, though.
I want to talk to Sammie
while I'm painting,
but she's just
like, "Just do it."
I know, I'm just--
I want to communicate
with you about--
Just like, "Ah!"
I mean, what do you think
you would have time for?
I think we have time
for words.
Uh, we got five minutes.
We can do this.
Yay.
Okay, painters, time's up.
Tools down.
- Oh.
- Whoo!
- How you guys feeling?
- Cool.
- Pretty good.
- Awesome.
- Good job, everybody.
- I feel like a champion.
- Everybody, let's head
- over to the elimination stage.
All right, here we go.
- Going
- into the elimination stage,
you never know what's coming
or what to expect,
but I can trust myself
that I'm gonna do
exactly what I need to do.
Welcome, painters.
- How you all feeling
- about your work?
- Great.
- Good.
- Excellent.
- Really good.
Well, you had five hours
to create a musical mash-up
inspired by two musical genres.
You will be judged on design
concept and creativity,
technique,
and execution of the challenge.
In the end,
there will be one winning team
and one losing team.
There will also be one winner
and one person
who will be going home.
And we have a surprise.
The winner of this challenge
will also get
the ultimate airbrush studio kit
from Iwata Airbrush Company.
Wow.
That is awesome because
airbrushes are so expensive.
Let's welcome back
our revered judges.
Craig Tracy...
- Robin Slonina...
- Hi, everybody.
And RuPaul Charles.
Hey, music lovers.
Hey, RuPaul.
Okay, painters, it's time for
you to present your mash-ups.
Let's start the show.
Our models look
amazing together.
The lining just
makes our colors pop.
I'm feeling very confident
at this point.
I see my models walk out,
and they're selling it.
- They are definitely showing
- the essence
of punk rock and hip-hop,
and I'm so proud.
- Our piece ended up,
- like, cohesive,
but still really different,
and I thought our paint styles,
like, ended up working
really well together.
We don't deserve to go home.
I'm feeling confident,
- and some would probably say
- overconfident.
Ironically, me and Avi,
as a team, are yin and yang.
We work for each other
and not against each other.
I feel pretty amazing.
The story,
it's just so creative.
- It was totally different
- than other people.
We pulled off an amazing piece.
- I'm not seeing
- as much of myself in the models
as I'd like to.
I already knew that as we were
painting, so I'm not surprised,
but I hope the judges
don't notice.
I'm really
impressed with my painting.
I see the contrast.
I see the detail.
The colors are gorgeous.
It is really working the way
I wanted it to.
I think my work
is very original and very unique
and very different from the rest
of the painters.
Gonna be honest,
Rachel's line work
is a little bit off
'cause it's not
so crisp and clean.
It's really hard
to make a circle on a body,
but I did pretty well.
I'm pretty proud of myself.
- All right.
- Rock and roll.
Lana and Kyle, please step
down to the stage.
- I thought
- this was a gorgeous piece.
You know, when they walked out,
I immediately knew
that was the psychedelic one.
Wasn't quite sure
what the other was.
Craig, what do you think?
I think this piece
is filled with pure energy
that's full of risk-taking.
There's some posing going
on there that isn't safe,
and I like that.
Who's responsible for the faces?
It was even.
- When we talked about it,
- we really
wanted it to be both of us.
The faces, unfortunately,
are my least favorite part
of the work.
- Thanks, guys.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Rio and Avi.
I love this piece.
I love the face.
You've got the eyes
closed so that the faces
are sort of spooky.
You've got the lion
for reggae.
The face on the hair metal
model, what does that symbolize?
It's, like, a devil.
- It's supposed to be,
- like, evil.
- You guys have really
- done it all.
It's full circle.
And what a crazy success
you've painted.
You've got focal points
and color and humor,
which is always welcome.
Rio, you're responsible more
in general for the concept.
The concept,
the light to death, the skulls,
um, the symbol.
I feel like the skull leg is
so strongly done, technically,
and then the fire kind
of falls flat for me.
It's a little muddy, and I had
to really squint to be like,
"Oh, those are flames."
Who painted the flames?
- Me.
- You painted the flames?
Yes.
If the two of you
were on the top,
who should be the winner?
Me, okay?
Me.
Avi, are you just
gonna get pushed around?
No, wait...
- That was cool.
- I can't push you.
It's Skin Wars.
It's not Friend Wars.
We are here to win $100,000.
- Nobody's playing.
- It's not a game.
Fernello and Aryn, your turn.
Punk rock and hip-hop
are rebellion personified,
and this seemed like perfect
choices for the two of you guys.
It's really rocking my world.
I'm actually the most surprised
that you guys were able to get
it done, because I think of you
two as polar opposites.
- I thought I was gonna
- have some trouble with her...
Me too.
- And I thought she was gonna
- have some trouble with me.
- Why'd you think you were gonna
- have trouble with her?
- You know what, she looks
- like a ticking time bomb.
- What made you think
- she was a ticking time bomb?
I don't know, man.
I mean, women in general
are ticking time bombs.
- Oh!
- Whoa!
Oh!
- She looks like
- a ticking time bomb.
- I don't know
- what I'm getting with her.
- What made you think
- she was a ticking time bomb?
I don't know, man.
- I mean, women in general
- are ticking time bombs.
I'm just saying...
Oh, so this is a generalization.
- You know, you never
- know what you're gonna get.
- Fernello--I'm really not
- surprised at all.
I mean, that's just Fernello,
- and this is
- what I had to deal with.
- Aryn, why did you think you were
- gonna have trouble with him?
Uh,
because I don't like dumb ideas,
so he was gonna come up...
Oh, the **** done
just got real.
It just got real.
At the end of the day,
we may not like each other.
- I really don't like
- anybody here,
but we all have to get along
and do the project.
Oh, snap.
Okay, guys, thanks so much.
Okay, Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie.
I absolutely love this piece.
It's so gorgeous,
but it really rings
of more Cheryl Ann.
It feels like Cheryl Ann
is the dominant force here,
and that ribbon of musical notes
that are kind of reminiscent
of what you did yesterday,
Dawn Marie.
- Somewhat, yes.
- Yes.
It's a bit obvious.
I wanted more creativity.
I'm just not feeling enough
of the pop music.
It really is missing for me.
Ladies, how do you
think your piece stacks up
against everyone else's?
We were really
focused on clean painting,
so I was just really
hoping to be super strong
in my concept and my ideas
and bring forth.
Cheryl Ann is talking
about the piece
in a sole-ownership
kind of way.
The decisions
we made on the big parts
were both of our decisions.
Okay, so if you were to be
the winners tonight, Cheryl Ann,
which of you should win?
I think I should win.
The concept was mine.
- Dawn Marie,
- do you agree with that?
Um, honestly, not 100%, no.
A lot of the concept was mine.
- Of course she's gonna
- stick up for herself, you know?
- You don't back a cat
- into the corner
- and not expect
- to get scratched.
Okay, Sammie
and Rachel, your turn.
I wish I saw a little
bit more soul in this piece.
When I think of Motown,
it also reminds me of soul,
so I didn't feel
that it was a good cohesive move
in that regard.
Some of the colors in
the new wave section here are--
They're just a little
more earthy and not electric
as the new wave storyline goes.
The concept was blurry for me.
So you both did work on...
- On both.
- Yeah.
- Both.
- Right.
Sammie was really great.
She came up with the main idea
of the vinyl record
in the middle.
You're brave doing the record,
because trying
to do a perfect circle
on a human body
is almost impossible,
- but I think you've done
- a pretty good job with it.
Thank you very much.
Okay, painters,
you have given our judges a lot
to discuss,
so please
go back to the lounge,
and we'll bring you out shortly.
Oh, my God.
So many emotions.
That was a tough one.
I tend to let people
take credit for a lot of things
and don't speak up for myself.
I'm at that point
in the competition now
where I can't let other people
take credit for my contribution.
Yeah, well, I think you should
be proud of yourself for that.
- You should pat yourself
- on the back.
I mean, you had no problem
saying what you did
- and the reason
- why you should stay.
- But there's a way
- to do it with dignity, too.
Yeah.
Look, y'all,
we exist in a reality right now
that is called Skin Wars.
If you're in a situation
where it's me or you--
- this place could be burning down
- right now--
how many of you all are gonna
- pick the other one up
- and run out of here?
No, you're gonna run out of here
and save yourself first.
Instinct. Instinct.
Instinct.
Now, of course, Rio
had the choice
to pick whoever he wanted to,
and he chose Avi.
This was the perfect marriage
between creativity
and technical skills.
They, together,
really killed it.
Avi did the flames
up on that leg,
- and I was surprised
- that that came from him.
- I couldn't even really
- tell it was flames.
- Right, but I thought
- that was really, really clever
to put both those genres
together.
The blondes, Kyle and Lana.
I wish there was
more of a focal point.
I wish the technique
was just a little bit cleaner,
just a little bit stronger.
I have no idea
what Fernello's up to,
but he is absolutely here
to compete.
They definitely had two fronts
that were a snap
right away to identify.
I really,
really enjoyed their piece.
For me,
Dawn Marie's pop did not pop.
Right, well, the big news
here is that Cheryl Ann
is a fine-ass painter.
Unfortunately,
she relied too heavily on things
she's done in the past.
I think she's used
horses three times
out of six challenges?
Three times, yeah. Yeah.
- Okay, let's talk
- about Rachel and Sammie.
- I don't think
- they were very familiar
with Motown or new wave.
When I think of new wave,
I think of hot pink.
I think of dayglow green,
and those colors weren't there.
They were in her clothing.
- That's not a good sign
- when your clothes
say your genre
more than your painting.
Sammie came up with the
concept of the actual record,
so I've got
to give her some credit.
Painting circles
on human beings,
especially females,
is really tricky, so...
Well, because females
are ticking time bombs,
that's why it's so hard
to paint circles on them.
Welcome back, painters.
In this challenge,
you competed in teams,
but tonight there will be
only one winner,
and one painter
will be going home.
- Fernello...
- Yes.
Aryn...
Congratulations.
You're both safe.
Awesome.
You may head back
to the lounge.
The rest of you
represent the top two teams
and the bottom two teams,
- and one of you is going home
- tonight.
Lana and Kyle...
Rio and Avi...
You are the top two teams.
Please come forward.
One of you will be
tonight's winner.
Rio, Avi,
congratulations,
you're the winning team.
Lana, Kyle, you
are both safe for another week.
You may head back to the lounge.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Avi, the parts
you painted were so well-done.
Thank you.
But, Rio,
thematically, you were
the driving creative force,
so this is kind
of a hard decision for us.
The winner of this challenge
and the ultimate airbrush studio
kit from Iwata Airbrush Company
is...
Rio.
Congratulations,
you're tonight's winner.
Okay.
You know, it really came
down to who was the mastermind
between this brilliant piece,
and you played your hand
very well, Rio.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Thank you.
I think it's great, man.
I mean, every day that I win,
I get closer to 100 grand.
My man.
Avi, you should be
very proud also.
- Thank you.
- You may go back to the lounge.
Please come forward.
Cheryl Ann, Dawn Marie,
Rachel, and Sammie,
you are the bottom two teams,
and one of you
is going home tonight.
Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie,
- we've seen the music notes
- before,
and we've seen the horses
before,
and it felt a bit
like a rehash of some old work.
Rachel, Sammie,
it felt overwhelming
with too many ingredients,
but at the same time,
a bit underwhelming as well.
Just could have used
a little bit more soul.
Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie...
You are safe, but the judges
expect you to amp up your work
with new elements and creativity
if you want to stay
in this competition.
It's Cheryl Ann's
painting skills
that kept you from being
the bottom team tonight.
Okay.
- You may head back
- to the lounge.
Rachel, Sammie,
the judges really
felt it could go either way,
but one of you was
the better technical painter.
Rachel, I'm sorry to say...
You're going home tonight.
I'm sorry.
We'll paint again.
Sammie, that means you survived.
Yeah.
Please go back
to the painter's lounge.
Good-bye, beautiful.
Rachel, your aloha spirit
really brightened these rooms.
You are an amazing,
wonderful, lovely person.
Thank you, RuPaul.
- I can't wait to see so
- much more of you,
and I know I will.
Rachel, please go wash
off your canvas.
Thank you so much.
I'm so grateful and humble.
- I feel that the most
- important thing
is that I'm happy with my work,
and I'm so happy with my work.
Aloha.
Aloha nui loa.
- It means, "You and I shall
- remain as one
until we meet again."
I've gained so much confidence
from being here on Skin Wars.
I'm definitely disappointed
to go home so early in the game,
- but, obviously, I'm supposed
- to be somewhere else right now.
I'm excited to see
what's gonna happen next.
Next time on Skin Wars...
These aren't
just ordinary male models.
They're not even ordinary males.
Oh, my God,
they're wearing heels.
We are painting drag queens.
I have no idea
what I'm getting myself into.
Listen to what they have to say,
or you will have hell to pay.
That's a lot of ass.
If it were up to me,
I would start over.
This is crazy.
- Is someone paying her
- to throw me under the bus?
I'm gonna shoot straight.
You do have an issue
with bullying.
Cheryl Ann has became a little
bit of the villain in the house.
Tonight was unlike anything
I've ever done.
of competitive body-painting,
there's nothing more fierce than
the power of transformation.
the only limits
are your imagination.
You won't believe your eyes
as 12 of America's
most talented artists
compete and push the boundaries.
Absolutely breathtaking.
Some will rise to the top,
while others will watch
their dreams go down the drain.
It fell pretty flat.
It's the challenge
of a lifetime for $100,000
and the ultimate title
of Skin Wars Champion.
Ooh.
Maybe this looks fun.
There are musical instruments,
- and there's chairs
- in the middle.
I don't know if we're gonna
pick these things up
and try to play them
or what it is we're doing,
but it's pretty interesting.
I see Rebecca, RuPaul,
and I immediately
recognize Zendaya 'cause my kids
and I watch her on TV
and see a lot of her movies.
- Hello, painters.
- Hello.
Hi.
First, say hello to our judges,
starting with our resident
musical icon, RuPaul Charles.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Our special guest judge
is a true triple threat.
You may have seen her acting
in the new hit TV show,
Casey Undercover,
- competing on
- Dancing with the Stars,
and you've definitely
heard her chart-topping music.
Say hello to one of today's
hottest and most talked
about platinum-selling artist,
Zendaya.
- Hey.
- Hey.
She's really cute,
and she's really well-known
for her music.
- What's up, guys?
- Hey, what's going on?
I'm extremely excited
'cause I'm a musician as well.
I have a personal passion
for arts, and this is really,
really cool to be here
and see what you guys do,
- so I have tons of respect
- for you guys.
So you guys
ready to get this party started?
Yes.
Good, I hope so,
because you're about to play
musical chairs,
Skin Wars style.
Oh, nice.
For this first challenge, you're
going to create a waist-up
front or back design
that brings a musical
instrument to life.
We're not looking
for just a replica.
We want you to be inspired
by the instrument.
- And the winner
- of this challenge
will get a key advantage
in the concept challenge.
Here's how our version
of musical chairs works.
When I snap my fingers,
we'll start the music,
- and you'll move around
- in a circle.
When I snap my fingers again,
the music will stop,
and that's your cue
to grab any available seat.
Whatever musical instrument
is in front of that seat
is yours,
or maybe not,
because if I snap
my fingers again,
the music will come back on,
and we'll go for another round.
There could be one round.
There could be 10, maybe 75.
- I don't know.
- I haven't figured it out yet.
- I'll let you know
- when the game is officially over
and you have your instrument.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah.
- Okay, let's get it started.
Hm. Okay...
I'm wanting an instrument
that has color already to it,
so I definitely
want the maracas.
- I don't want
- to get the accordion.
Even when I used to play
keyboard before the accordion,
it's kind of annoying.
And stop!
- I get bongos,
- and I'm like,
- "All right,
- I can do something with that."
- I just landed
- on the tambourine,
and I do not want it,
and I'm praying
they start the music up again.
- Mm, no,
- I think I'm gonna go again.
- Yeah?
- Okay.
And go!
- Freestyle? Okay.
- Yeah.
Uh, uh. Need some of them
in my video.
I am strategically
dancing around the guitar
and the saxophone
so I can either move faster
or just slow up a little bit
and then sit down.
Stop!
Somebody...
Okay, that's it.
Let's see
what instrument you each have.
It's a frigging accordion.
- What the hell
- am I gonna do with that?
Zendaya, any words of advice
on how to hit a high note
in this challenge?
I would definitely say,
don't necessarily think
about the instrument itself,
but more so the feeling
and emotion that
that instrument creates.
Okay, painters,
you have two hours
to complete this challenge,
and your time starts now.
Good luck.
- Let's get to it.
- Do it.
Let's do this.
Ooh.
I'm excited about the maracas
because I immediately
have inspiration.
- I know that I want
- to incorporate the wood grain,
and I want to definitely
use the colors, also.
Music is the foundation
of my art,
my just--inspiration in life,
so I have a lot
I want to say,
and I think that the back
would be able to convey
the message a little more solid
than the front would.
I definitely feel a little bit
of a disadvantage
because I have no attachment
to an accordion.
When I think of the accordion,
- I think of something funny,
- you know?
That's what strikes my mind,
and I think of cartoons.
- I think of hokey and...
- Oh, there you go.
- That's cute.
- You know,
so I'm gonna go there.
I got the keyboard.
It's just black and white,
not interesting,
but then I figured keyboard
can actually create any sound,
- so it was good advantage
- for me.
- Way to go, Kanye.
Thank you.
Mr. I-win-all-the-challenges.
Uh-oh, you getting jealous
that he won that last one?
Technically, I've only
won one challenge,
even though I've been
in the top three a lot,
but they don't know my ability
to keep shining.
You can't dull a diamond.
Hey, guys,
we have one hour more.
- I love it
- when you try something,
and it works, and then you
start talking to yourself.
I love it.
So my instrument's the banjo,
and I'm creating the feel
and vibe of a party bear
that's traveling
around the country
at these festivals
with banjos and music.
I'm just having fun.
It's what it's about, you know?
I'm not gonna bull**** you.
I don't draw as well
realistically
because I'm self-taught.
- I learned makeup
- and body painting in a little
over 20 years
of just doing it.
Yes.
The biggest issue I am running
into is just coloring the hair
in the back solid enough
for it to be seen that the hair
is supposed to be attached
to the character on the back.
All right, guys,
we got one minute.
Okay, time's up, painters.
Tools down.
All right. Okay.
Wow.
- Well, we can't wait
- to walk around the room
and check out your work.
Hello, Avi.
I create the piano
going around,
but the person getting the ideas
in colors.
Oh, that's awesome.
Lana, tell us
about your tambourine painting.
This instrument,
it's bringing me memories
about music festivals.
- You know,
- I really appreciate this one
- because I've been
- to tons of music festivals,
and there's--it's just free,
and it's fun,
and I love the way
that you kind of transferred
that into what
you've created here.
Hi, Aryn.
Let's talk about your maracas.
Yeah, maracas.
- I went ahead
- and chose a color palette
that kind of matched
the maracas themselves,
and I put an awesome flamenco
dancer making her skirt fly.
- Oh, yes. That's her skirt.
- Look at that.
Yeah, and then
if you'll turn around for me,
I went ahead and did the back
on my visual representation
on what a maraca,
like, sounds like.
The challenge
is to paint just one side.
You make us look weak.
So just real quick,
- is there a little bit of you
- in here because I see the hair.
- And...
- Absolutely.
I mean, this is a callout
to my 20s,
and we would travel around,
- and we would go
- to all these music festivals,
and I had so much fun
with this.
- Wow.
- I can tell.
- I'm feeling the vibe.
- Yep.
Rachel's fuzzy-wuzzy
bear painting--
I don't see anything musical
about this.
It didn't really
make any sense to me.
Fernello, so tell us
about your instrument.
It's the accordion,
so it was a little awkward
for me.
We couldn't tell.
- No, no, no.
- You look--You're a natural.
- There you go. I'm gonna
- put a smile on your face.
Here we go. Smile.
It is really funny.
Yeah, it is.
That's awesome.
Rio, you haven't painted
a stitch.
I thought that I'd work
on my guitar skills instead,
and then I figured
I got a little time left,
I'll just paint the back,
so I started...
- Ooh.
- Ooh.
- Yeah.
- Wow.
This here is a brain,
and it's whistling this tune,
kind of creating the whole vibe
of this musician
who comes out of my mind.
Is there a reason why you
- picked the back
- instead of the front?
I strive to do
- everything opposite
- of what everyone else will do.
Hi, Sammie.
So you got the violin.
- I immediately
- thought classical,
- and then the movie Marie
- Antoinette popped in my head.
- What were the different
- techniques you used?
The stencil piece
here is with the airbrush,
- and then everything else
- is all pretty much hand-painted.
Got you.
And I have to say, my daughter
is gonna be so thrilled,
- because she watches you
- all the time, so...
That's awesome. Well, tell
her I said hello, okay?
I will for sure.
May I present to you
the royal princess
of the spirit of jazz.
Ooh.
And she would like
to play a little note for you.
Oh, wow, look at that.
Well, I love jazz, and I think
you really evoke jazz.
Thank you.
Okay, painters, thank you.
The judges have a lot to
discuss. We'll be back soon.
Thank you.
- Okay, guys,
- so what'd you think of the work?
I thought it was really cool
- that they really listened
- to what the challenge was,
- was to be inspired
- by the instrument.
- Which is really great,
- 'cause we all love music,
and it's interesting to see
how music or the idea of music
inspires the artist.
Absolutely.
- Okay, so what do you guys
- think about Rio?
- He used the back,
- and as soon
- as she turned around,
- it was incredible,
- and then there was
- so much detail, like.
He took a lot
on with the concept,
but he followed through,
and it actually worked.
Uh-huh,
and what about Aryn's maracas?
It definitely
had that fun feeling.
It had that energy, you know,
with the twirling skirt,
the flowiness and the movement,
and it felt alive,
- and the fact
- that she used both sides...
Right.
It wasn't just like a pattern
- or something fun
- she put on the back.
- Yeah, I would think that
- would have taken so much time.
She had too much time.
You know, Lana always
has a fantastic story to tell.
- You can't always
- understand all of it.
You can't understand
it, but I nod a lot, you know?
Not only did it fit
the body really nicely,
but it had a story,
- and you could tell
- she really went in deep
into what she was creating.
And I loved Cheryl Ann.
She did evoke New Orleans jazz
feeling.
- I thought it was beautiful.
- Mm-hmm.
I have no idea how
they can come--first of all,
- come up with the idea
- and then actually
create something of quality
on a body...
In two hours.
- In two hours.
- They came through.
Yep. Okay, so have you made
your decision?
- Yeah.
- I think so.
Painters, you've had two hours
to create your artwork.
The top three painters are...
- I had the advantage
- of the last challenge,
and I can't allow
another competitor
to use that advantage
against me.
I want this
so I can knock them out.
Painters, you've had two hours
to create your artwork.
The top three painters
are...
Aryn...
Rio...
- Ooh.
- Good job.
Good job, young man.
Lana.
Wow.
I am surprised
that I'm not in the top three.
I'm a little bit
shocked about that.
Aryn, your piece
was magnificent.
You covered back and front
in two hours.
It was brilliant.
Rio, your piece was beautiful.
- Like, literally, as soon
- as she turned around,
I was like, "Oh, gorgeous."
Well, all right, thank you.
Lana, I felt
like I was at Burning Man
looking at your piece.
It was magnificent.
Thank you.
Across the board,
your artwork was incredible,
and the winner
of this challenge is...
Rio.
- Congratulations, Rio.
- Good job.
I feel very honored like
I'm getting my mojo working now.
The groove is starting
to move in, no pun intended.
Congratulations.
- I wish I could put it
- on my body.
- I don't think my parents
- would be too happy about that.
Zendaya, it was so great
having you here today
and having your perspective
on these amazing artists.
- Thank you so much
- for joining us.
Absolutely. Thank you guys
so much, and good luck to you.
Bye.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
In your first challenge,
you each brought
an instrument to life.
Now in this concept challenge,
you will be creating
more of a duet,
because you're about to compete
in teams of two.
I had a feeling
that it was any moment they were
gonna do a teammate challenge.
I hope I get a good teammate.
Rio, because you
won the first challenge,
you get to pick the teams.
Oh.
And remember, Rio,
this is an opportunity
for you to really strategize.
If you choose a team that will
serve your own purpose,
that would be
a very wise thing to do.
Indeed, sir.
Yes, I do have power, and it
seems like a bigger upper hand
than all the other challenges,
and I'm going to shake up
the beehive a little bit.
So, Rio,
who's your teammate gonna be?
Eeny-meeny-miny-moe.
Avi.
Avi is very good technically
when it comes to painting,
so I feel great.
This is my challenge to win.
The next team is going
to be Dawn Marie and Cheryl Ann.
Okay.
Okay, Rio,
who's the next team?
Aryn and Fernello.
Oh, interesting.
- I'm a little apprehensive
- just because Fernello
has a penchant for being,
you know, kind of a-hole-ish,
- and he seems like he's, like,
- stubborn and stuff like that.
Who's next?
Um, it's gonna
be Kyle and Lana.
Yay. Yay.
So, Rachel and Sammie,
that means you're the last team.
Yay!
I definitely
have a greater speed
and skill set than Rachel,
so I just wish I had
a stronger painter to work with.
All right, we have our teams.
Now let's talk about
how the challenge will work.
Each team will get two models
and two different genres
of music
as a source of inspiration
to create a musical mash-up,
which will result
in one single cohesive design.
Each team will get
to pick one album
from speaker one and one album
from speaker two.
Rio and Avi,
come up and pick your genre.
So we're choosing
hair metal and reggae.
We definitely gonna kill it.
Okay, Dawn Marie
and Cheryl Ann.
Country and Western
is really easy for me.
To me, the perfect
pairing for that is pop--
a lot of crossover
between those two genres.
Okay, Aryn and Fernello.
We decide that punk rock
and hip-hop are the way
that we're gonna go.
Kyle and Lana.
- Lana is in charge
- of psychedelic rock,
and I got Latin, so I think
we're gonna be set to go.
And last but not least,
Rachel and Sammie.
I'm choosing new wave,
and then Sammie
knows a lot about Motown.
You will have five hours
to complete your work tomorrow,
and you'll have the rest
of the night to jam out a design
with your teammate.
- Whoo-hoo.
- Awesome.
So good luck,
and we'll see you then.
- We could have silhouettes
- of horses chasing the mustang.
Yeah.
- I'm just gonna let you keep
- sketching there,
and then I can just...
- I have the good fortune
- to have my own studio,
- so I have control,
- and with Dawn Marie,
I have no control
over how she's going to paint.
Then if it goes down
here more, that's fine.
- Sammie's very,
- very meticulous.
Her composition is excellent,
- and I'm just a little different,
- you know?
- I'm just quirky.
- I'm just different.
The main thing
is the artwork in the center.
- Rachel
- is a little bit more crazy
and kooky on the outside,
- so, yeah, I'm a little
- concerned about that.
What do punk rock
and hip-hop have in common?
Hmm. They're both edgy.
- No, no, no.
- The police.
Actually, I'm just like,
"Uh, okay, what?"
I like your rebellious thing,
but I don't know if we should
incorporate the cop thing.
I'm definitely nervous
about working with Aryn.
She's not feeling
any of my ideas, so tomorrow,
- we're in each other's face,
- and we're painting away.
You got to go and mentally
prepare for these things.
- Hurry. Hurry.
- Oh, we're over here.
Over here. Over here.
We have five hours
to paint musical mash-up of both
of these styles of music.
What the F?
- Hi.
- Hey, are you our models?
Red metallic or something.
- Do we have red metallic?
- Yes.
So we have punk rock and hip-hop
that we're mixing together.
- Let's just
- start painting 'cause
if we explain it...
- Well, okay.
- We're wasting time.
The two genres of music
that me and Avi
get are hair metal and reggae.
Okay, yeah.
The face was a lion because
it is a classic reggae symbol.
Jam on.
Is it gonna be
silver and gold together?
- Yes, and I'm gonna have
- the silver come around the top,
and I'm gonna blend the two in.
- And the faces
- have to be silver and gold, too.
It is extremely important
- that I am able to
- control my own fate.
- I can't be sure
- that someone else
is gonna paint their ass off.
That's what has been
putting me on top,
is that I just go in there.
I focus on me,
and I paint my ass off.
Well, just kind of put
the layout where it says.
- I can't without the two
- of them--
- you know what I'm saying--
- together.
In the past two
elimination challenges,
- she was very close
- to going home,
- so, yeah, I am kind of concerned
- about that.
I wanted to be paired
with a stronger partner.
I don't want to go home
over someone else's work.
- Just work on the top first.
- All right.
Today, we have five hours
to mash-up two musical genres
onto two models.
Trying to get this done quick.
And if you want to sketch
the car in, sketch it in in,
like, a light white
or the nude color.
- Are you gonna start
- jumping in on silver?
- No, no, I was just
- trying to get an outline of it
so you know where it's going.
No, no, no.
Don't do black yet.
Cheryl Ann
is being pretty bossy right now,
but we need to work together,
and I don't want to create
more tension by arguing,
- so I'm just gonna
- choose my battles
and do what needs to be done.
And the faces
have to be silver and gold, too.
- So you put water in this,
- and then you rub the brush in.
- Yeah.
- You don't wet this.
You don't wet that.
- I know that I'm inventive,
- and I'm creative.
That's my strongest point,
but technique-wise, Avi
is the best out of all of us.
I mean, I want to get closer
to understanding his skill,
and the only way to do that
was to get next to him.
Kabuki brush is fast.
It's fast, yeah.
- Good morning, painters.
- Good morning.
Well, we have our esteemed
judges, Craig and Robin,
- today, who can't wait
- to take a look at your work.
- Okay, so how's it going,
- you guys?
- Good.
- I see your little nod to Devo.
Ah, yes.
Was my very first vinyl record
I ever bought by myself.
- See? Perfect.
- Awesome!
The one main element
- that's gonna make our piece
- cohesive is a vinyl record.
Bringing the two together.
- Perfect circles are one
- of the hardest things to paint,
- and then to do it
- on a human body--extra hard.
For sure.
And you're doing one
on both sides. All right.
You know, hip-hop's known
for their gold chains.
Punk rock, they use a lot
of silver chains,
and that's
what links them together.
So you guys are both painting
the models separately...
Yeah.
And then is one of you
taking the lead?
Um...
I mean...
How are you guys
feeling on time?
- Eh...
- We actually...
- She's like...
- Well, I mean--
- I feel good about it,
- but you know...
You need to maybe make
- your partner feel
- a little bit more comfortable.
We wanted to kind of tell a
story of, like, life and death.
We're using death as rock,
and life as reggae.
And we actually
created our logo as a yin-yang.
Rio, are you gonna share
any of your tricks with Avi?
Anything he wants to know,
I'm free with sharing
- my information and knowledge
- as well.
I'm not stingy.
- And he's an amazing artist,
- so I know I'm gonna learn a lot.
- So tell us
- about your paintings.
His will be love story
between hippie girl,
and she's fell in love
with Latino hot guy
who is dancing salsa.
So this is a musical love story.
Correct.
You guys have a similar
look going on today.
- It was completely unplanned.
- Oh, come on.
But just like destiny,
our painting's gonna merge
together, just like we do.
Now, you guys
have pop and country.
- Pop and Country.
- Okay.
Well, thank you,
Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie.
- Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
Okay, painters,
judges are really excited
to see your final work tonight,
and one person
will be going home.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Okay, everybody,
we got one hour left.
This is looking so good.
- We definitely have this
- in the bag, though.
Feeling really confident
about this challenge,
and I hope we're gonna win
and not be on the bottom.
We are the dream team.
Yay.
- I think it's going great
- so far.
It's nice to work
with an assistant
who knows how to paint.
Wait a minute. Did she just
call me her assistant?
An assistant?
You know what I mean.
- Like, work with another artist
- who knows how to paint.
Freudian slip, totally.
Okay, you just dug
your hole even deeper,
'cause a Freudian slip is saying
something that you actually
believe accidentally.
So she actually believes
I'm there as her assistant.
- Can we put them together again,
- please?
Looking around the room to see
the train wreck that I perceived
is actually happening
with Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie,
and the rest
will just fall in line.
Superstar.
That works.
How you like me now?
Fernello's personality
is to be, you know,
- stubborn and kind of
- like, you know, "I don't care.
I do what I want."
It definitely takes a lot more
patience to work with him.
- No glitter, please.
- Nope.
We don't
have to get along really well.
We just need to make
our style come together
and create one cohesive piece.
What do you think?
You want to do both sides?
Well, I think you need
to keep your side of the record
in your style, though.
I want to talk to Sammie
while I'm painting,
but she's just
like, "Just do it."
I know, I'm just--
I want to communicate
with you about--
Just like, "Ah!"
I mean, what do you think
you would have time for?
I think we have time
for words.
Uh, we got five minutes.
We can do this.
Yay.
Okay, painters, time's up.
Tools down.
- Oh.
- Whoo!
- How you guys feeling?
- Cool.
- Pretty good.
- Awesome.
- Good job, everybody.
- I feel like a champion.
- Everybody, let's head
- over to the elimination stage.
All right, here we go.
- Going
- into the elimination stage,
you never know what's coming
or what to expect,
but I can trust myself
that I'm gonna do
exactly what I need to do.
Welcome, painters.
- How you all feeling
- about your work?
- Great.
- Good.
- Excellent.
- Really good.
Well, you had five hours
to create a musical mash-up
inspired by two musical genres.
You will be judged on design
concept and creativity,
technique,
and execution of the challenge.
In the end,
there will be one winning team
and one losing team.
There will also be one winner
and one person
who will be going home.
And we have a surprise.
The winner of this challenge
will also get
the ultimate airbrush studio kit
from Iwata Airbrush Company.
Wow.
That is awesome because
airbrushes are so expensive.
Let's welcome back
our revered judges.
Craig Tracy...
- Robin Slonina...
- Hi, everybody.
And RuPaul Charles.
Hey, music lovers.
Hey, RuPaul.
Okay, painters, it's time for
you to present your mash-ups.
Let's start the show.
Our models look
amazing together.
The lining just
makes our colors pop.
I'm feeling very confident
at this point.
I see my models walk out,
and they're selling it.
- They are definitely showing
- the essence
of punk rock and hip-hop,
and I'm so proud.
- Our piece ended up,
- like, cohesive,
but still really different,
and I thought our paint styles,
like, ended up working
really well together.
We don't deserve to go home.
I'm feeling confident,
- and some would probably say
- overconfident.
Ironically, me and Avi,
as a team, are yin and yang.
We work for each other
and not against each other.
I feel pretty amazing.
The story,
it's just so creative.
- It was totally different
- than other people.
We pulled off an amazing piece.
- I'm not seeing
- as much of myself in the models
as I'd like to.
I already knew that as we were
painting, so I'm not surprised,
but I hope the judges
don't notice.
I'm really
impressed with my painting.
I see the contrast.
I see the detail.
The colors are gorgeous.
It is really working the way
I wanted it to.
I think my work
is very original and very unique
and very different from the rest
of the painters.
Gonna be honest,
Rachel's line work
is a little bit off
'cause it's not
so crisp and clean.
It's really hard
to make a circle on a body,
but I did pretty well.
I'm pretty proud of myself.
- All right.
- Rock and roll.
Lana and Kyle, please step
down to the stage.
- I thought
- this was a gorgeous piece.
You know, when they walked out,
I immediately knew
that was the psychedelic one.
Wasn't quite sure
what the other was.
Craig, what do you think?
I think this piece
is filled with pure energy
that's full of risk-taking.
There's some posing going
on there that isn't safe,
and I like that.
Who's responsible for the faces?
It was even.
- When we talked about it,
- we really
wanted it to be both of us.
The faces, unfortunately,
are my least favorite part
of the work.
- Thanks, guys.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Rio and Avi.
I love this piece.
I love the face.
You've got the eyes
closed so that the faces
are sort of spooky.
You've got the lion
for reggae.
The face on the hair metal
model, what does that symbolize?
It's, like, a devil.
- It's supposed to be,
- like, evil.
- You guys have really
- done it all.
It's full circle.
And what a crazy success
you've painted.
You've got focal points
and color and humor,
which is always welcome.
Rio, you're responsible more
in general for the concept.
The concept,
the light to death, the skulls,
um, the symbol.
I feel like the skull leg is
so strongly done, technically,
and then the fire kind
of falls flat for me.
It's a little muddy, and I had
to really squint to be like,
"Oh, those are flames."
Who painted the flames?
- Me.
- You painted the flames?
Yes.
If the two of you
were on the top,
who should be the winner?
Me, okay?
Me.
Avi, are you just
gonna get pushed around?
No, wait...
- That was cool.
- I can't push you.
It's Skin Wars.
It's not Friend Wars.
We are here to win $100,000.
- Nobody's playing.
- It's not a game.
Fernello and Aryn, your turn.
Punk rock and hip-hop
are rebellion personified,
and this seemed like perfect
choices for the two of you guys.
It's really rocking my world.
I'm actually the most surprised
that you guys were able to get
it done, because I think of you
two as polar opposites.
- I thought I was gonna
- have some trouble with her...
Me too.
- And I thought she was gonna
- have some trouble with me.
- Why'd you think you were gonna
- have trouble with her?
- You know what, she looks
- like a ticking time bomb.
- What made you think
- she was a ticking time bomb?
I don't know, man.
I mean, women in general
are ticking time bombs.
- Oh!
- Whoa!
Oh!
- She looks like
- a ticking time bomb.
- I don't know
- what I'm getting with her.
- What made you think
- she was a ticking time bomb?
I don't know, man.
- I mean, women in general
- are ticking time bombs.
I'm just saying...
Oh, so this is a generalization.
- You know, you never
- know what you're gonna get.
- Fernello--I'm really not
- surprised at all.
I mean, that's just Fernello,
- and this is
- what I had to deal with.
- Aryn, why did you think you were
- gonna have trouble with him?
Uh,
because I don't like dumb ideas,
so he was gonna come up...
Oh, the **** done
just got real.
It just got real.
At the end of the day,
we may not like each other.
- I really don't like
- anybody here,
but we all have to get along
and do the project.
Oh, snap.
Okay, guys, thanks so much.
Okay, Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie.
I absolutely love this piece.
It's so gorgeous,
but it really rings
of more Cheryl Ann.
It feels like Cheryl Ann
is the dominant force here,
and that ribbon of musical notes
that are kind of reminiscent
of what you did yesterday,
Dawn Marie.
- Somewhat, yes.
- Yes.
It's a bit obvious.
I wanted more creativity.
I'm just not feeling enough
of the pop music.
It really is missing for me.
Ladies, how do you
think your piece stacks up
against everyone else's?
We were really
focused on clean painting,
so I was just really
hoping to be super strong
in my concept and my ideas
and bring forth.
Cheryl Ann is talking
about the piece
in a sole-ownership
kind of way.
The decisions
we made on the big parts
were both of our decisions.
Okay, so if you were to be
the winners tonight, Cheryl Ann,
which of you should win?
I think I should win.
The concept was mine.
- Dawn Marie,
- do you agree with that?
Um, honestly, not 100%, no.
A lot of the concept was mine.
- Of course she's gonna
- stick up for herself, you know?
- You don't back a cat
- into the corner
- and not expect
- to get scratched.
Okay, Sammie
and Rachel, your turn.
I wish I saw a little
bit more soul in this piece.
When I think of Motown,
it also reminds me of soul,
so I didn't feel
that it was a good cohesive move
in that regard.
Some of the colors in
the new wave section here are--
They're just a little
more earthy and not electric
as the new wave storyline goes.
The concept was blurry for me.
So you both did work on...
- On both.
- Yeah.
- Both.
- Right.
Sammie was really great.
She came up with the main idea
of the vinyl record
in the middle.
You're brave doing the record,
because trying
to do a perfect circle
on a human body
is almost impossible,
- but I think you've done
- a pretty good job with it.
Thank you very much.
Okay, painters,
you have given our judges a lot
to discuss,
so please
go back to the lounge,
and we'll bring you out shortly.
Oh, my God.
So many emotions.
That was a tough one.
I tend to let people
take credit for a lot of things
and don't speak up for myself.
I'm at that point
in the competition now
where I can't let other people
take credit for my contribution.
Yeah, well, I think you should
be proud of yourself for that.
- You should pat yourself
- on the back.
I mean, you had no problem
saying what you did
- and the reason
- why you should stay.
- But there's a way
- to do it with dignity, too.
Yeah.
Look, y'all,
we exist in a reality right now
that is called Skin Wars.
If you're in a situation
where it's me or you--
- this place could be burning down
- right now--
how many of you all are gonna
- pick the other one up
- and run out of here?
No, you're gonna run out of here
and save yourself first.
Instinct. Instinct.
Instinct.
Now, of course, Rio
had the choice
to pick whoever he wanted to,
and he chose Avi.
This was the perfect marriage
between creativity
and technical skills.
They, together,
really killed it.
Avi did the flames
up on that leg,
- and I was surprised
- that that came from him.
- I couldn't even really
- tell it was flames.
- Right, but I thought
- that was really, really clever
to put both those genres
together.
The blondes, Kyle and Lana.
I wish there was
more of a focal point.
I wish the technique
was just a little bit cleaner,
just a little bit stronger.
I have no idea
what Fernello's up to,
but he is absolutely here
to compete.
They definitely had two fronts
that were a snap
right away to identify.
I really,
really enjoyed their piece.
For me,
Dawn Marie's pop did not pop.
Right, well, the big news
here is that Cheryl Ann
is a fine-ass painter.
Unfortunately,
she relied too heavily on things
she's done in the past.
I think she's used
horses three times
out of six challenges?
Three times, yeah. Yeah.
- Okay, let's talk
- about Rachel and Sammie.
- I don't think
- they were very familiar
with Motown or new wave.
When I think of new wave,
I think of hot pink.
I think of dayglow green,
and those colors weren't there.
They were in her clothing.
- That's not a good sign
- when your clothes
say your genre
more than your painting.
Sammie came up with the
concept of the actual record,
so I've got
to give her some credit.
Painting circles
on human beings,
especially females,
is really tricky, so...
Well, because females
are ticking time bombs,
that's why it's so hard
to paint circles on them.
Welcome back, painters.
In this challenge,
you competed in teams,
but tonight there will be
only one winner,
and one painter
will be going home.
- Fernello...
- Yes.
Aryn...
Congratulations.
You're both safe.
Awesome.
You may head back
to the lounge.
The rest of you
represent the top two teams
and the bottom two teams,
- and one of you is going home
- tonight.
Lana and Kyle...
Rio and Avi...
You are the top two teams.
Please come forward.
One of you will be
tonight's winner.
Rio, Avi,
congratulations,
you're the winning team.
Lana, Kyle, you
are both safe for another week.
You may head back to the lounge.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Avi, the parts
you painted were so well-done.
Thank you.
But, Rio,
thematically, you were
the driving creative force,
so this is kind
of a hard decision for us.
The winner of this challenge
and the ultimate airbrush studio
kit from Iwata Airbrush Company
is...
Rio.
Congratulations,
you're tonight's winner.
Okay.
You know, it really came
down to who was the mastermind
between this brilliant piece,
and you played your hand
very well, Rio.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Thank you.
I think it's great, man.
I mean, every day that I win,
I get closer to 100 grand.
My man.
Avi, you should be
very proud also.
- Thank you.
- You may go back to the lounge.
Please come forward.
Cheryl Ann, Dawn Marie,
Rachel, and Sammie,
you are the bottom two teams,
and one of you
is going home tonight.
Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie,
- we've seen the music notes
- before,
and we've seen the horses
before,
and it felt a bit
like a rehash of some old work.
Rachel, Sammie,
it felt overwhelming
with too many ingredients,
but at the same time,
a bit underwhelming as well.
Just could have used
a little bit more soul.
Cheryl Ann and Dawn Marie...
You are safe, but the judges
expect you to amp up your work
with new elements and creativity
if you want to stay
in this competition.
It's Cheryl Ann's
painting skills
that kept you from being
the bottom team tonight.
Okay.
- You may head back
- to the lounge.
Rachel, Sammie,
the judges really
felt it could go either way,
but one of you was
the better technical painter.
Rachel, I'm sorry to say...
You're going home tonight.
I'm sorry.
We'll paint again.
Sammie, that means you survived.
Yeah.
Please go back
to the painter's lounge.
Good-bye, beautiful.
Rachel, your aloha spirit
really brightened these rooms.
You are an amazing,
wonderful, lovely person.
Thank you, RuPaul.
- I can't wait to see so
- much more of you,
and I know I will.
Rachel, please go wash
off your canvas.
Thank you so much.
I'm so grateful and humble.
- I feel that the most
- important thing
is that I'm happy with my work,
and I'm so happy with my work.
Aloha.
Aloha nui loa.
- It means, "You and I shall
- remain as one
until we meet again."
I've gained so much confidence
from being here on Skin Wars.
I'm definitely disappointed
to go home so early in the game,
- but, obviously, I'm supposed
- to be somewhere else right now.
I'm excited to see
what's gonna happen next.
Next time on Skin Wars...
These aren't
just ordinary male models.
They're not even ordinary males.
Oh, my God,
they're wearing heels.
We are painting drag queens.
I have no idea
what I'm getting myself into.
Listen to what they have to say,
or you will have hell to pay.
That's a lot of ass.
If it were up to me,
I would start over.
This is crazy.
- Is someone paying her
- to throw me under the bus?
I'm gonna shoot straight.
You do have an issue
with bullying.
Cheryl Ann has became a little
bit of the villain in the house.
Tonight was unlike anything
I've ever done.