Skin Wars (2014–…): Season 2, Episode 7 - Episode #2.7 - 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.
- Right in front of me
- is a circus tent.
Everybody knows
I'm an aerial ice skater.
- Being an aerial ice skater
- can be
totally connected with circus,
so I'm excited.
Hello, painters.
Hi.
We started with 12
in this competition,
and there are now just 6
of you left.
We are down
to the nitty-gritty right now.
We riding the horses
neck and neck, like, now
to the finish line,
to the finals.
Let's welcome
our world-renowned judges.
Craig Tracy...
Hey, good to see you all.
And RuPaul Charles.
- Whoo-hoo!
- Yeah.
For this challenge,
you will create a body painting
inspired by the classic
big top circus
and present it in front
of this circus-themed backdrop.
This is not
a front-and-back challenge,
so choose your pose carefully.
The winner of this challenge
will receive $5,000 worth
of body paint and accessories
from Silly Farm Supplies.
Whoa.
- That's amazing.
- Wow.
You have two hours to complete
this challenge.
And your time starts...
now.
Good luck!
I've made it to the top six,
and I can smell the money.
I've been wanting to do a circus
challenge since we got here.
- Models.
- Hi!
So I'm gonna make, like,
a daredevil
for our circus character.
My idea is to make it look like
there's a cannon down
at my model's feet,
and it shot out a person,
- and it's almost coming out
- towards you.
Hopefully this works.
It looks pretty cute.
I definitely want to get
the bald cap on first,
- just to make sure that's out
- of the way, and it's working,
- because that's a really
- important element.
- Hello.
- Hi.
So we're gonna make you
the lizard woman.
Okay.
I'm gonna create
a regular person
that's gonna look
like a lizard.
And I'm actually gonna build
a tattoo machine from scratch.
And she's gonna tattoo herself.
This is going to be
the elephant
- right here,
- and the ear.
I love the circus,
and the elephants were
my favorite thing.
So I choose
the balancing elephant.
- It's gonna be a hard pose
- to hold.
But I think I can get points
for creativity.
I'm trying to take
the judges' critiques
into consideration.
And they really want to push me
and see how far deep I can go.
I'm painting a story
about traveling circus
and sword swallowing.
More angle like this.
Okay, you're going to relax.
- You're gonna be a cute clown.
- I'm making it girly.
My concept is the big top
- and the clowns that are involved
- with it.
Need to give you
a pink glittery lip.
- I really want to focus
- on the face
and make sure it's seamless
and then go into the body paint.
I got a lot of paint to do.
That might work.
My concept is the strongest man
in the world.
Her back will solely be the
bodybuilder's head and body.
- It did cross my mind
- that they may think,
"Oh, he used the back again."
It's a big risk,
but I'm willing to take it.
- Guess what?
- We're down to an hour.
Hope you guys aren't in
the shoes I'm in.
- Why do you think
- you're so behind?
- Probably 'cause I focused
- on the face.
Whenever I'm next to Kyle,
- I'm, like, looking over at him,
- and I'm like,
"That's all?
- That's all you have done
- right now?"
Oh, God.
- Yeah, Kyle,
- you need to catch up.
- As I start looking
- around the room,
I noticed that I definitely
have a creative edge.
Okay, it's coming out fine,
coming out fine.
Drawing weird things,
drawing weird things.
This idea of using her
full arm as the bar--
genius.
- I'm frustrated
- because Rio is only doing
this little piece,
and I'm doing the whole body,
and mine's a tall model.
I'm here to win
and to show that I don't choose
the easiest route.
Is Avi already finished?
Almost.
It's fine. Avi just made
a whole snake person.
Avi's speed is sickening.
Hey, guys.
We have 30 minutes.
I don't know about you,
but I'm done.
You work like turtles.
- Turtle won the race,
- the last I heard.
The painting is done
30 minutes before.
- And now I have time
- to go around
- and check what
- other people doing.
- Uh-huh.
- You see?
Yeah.
- He's stealing ideas.
- Kinda cute.
Ooh.
That's very cool.
Are you finished early, Avi?
Avi, I think,
played it a little safe.
There's no "done early."
There's always something
more to do.
You guys,
we only have one minute.
- Ooh!
- All right.
That's scary as hell.
Time's up.
Tools down, painters!
All right.
You finished!
- I was, like, sweating bullets
- on that one.
- Well, the judges can't wait
- to walk around
and take a look
at your circus creations.
Okay, Avi, you're up.
She's the lizard woman,
but because I wanted
to go more old-school,
so she actually tattooing
herself.
Oh, I see.
Oh, my goodness,
that dental work is...
Wow.
Quite extraordinary.
The only thing is the
uncomfortableness of this pose.
- I don't know that any human
- being would want
to be in that particular pose
- while they're tattooing
- their leg.
- Great.
- Thank you, Avi.
Thank you very much.
Okay, Kyle,
you're next.
Tell us about your clown.
- As soon
- as you guys said, "circus,"
I immediately thought
the clown and the ringmaster.
Kyle, how did you do with time?
Well...
I spent way too much time
on the face.
And when it came down to it,
you know, my time disappeared.
I think I did the body
in 40 minutes.
All right.
Thank you, Kyle.
Thank you.
Okay, Aryn.
Shot out of a cannon.
- Yep, I just really wanted
- to make sure you could see
- the motion and that you could
- tell she was, like,
going through the sky.
Cool.
- I love this piece
- because it looks like
it's really telling a story.
You really get the beginning,
middle, and end.
- It's a perfect use
- of a bald cap.
- I really wanted
- to use the bald cap,
- because I was like--I really
- wanted her to have that, like,
- helmet to give her, like, kind
- of that classic feel.
- It does.
- Great.
- Thank you, Aryn.
- Yeah, thank you so much.
Okay, Rio.
- Step right up.
- Step right up, people.
And witness Balcazar the Mighty.
Watch as he holds the...
10,000 pounds of black balls
with one arm!
His feats of strength
are simply amazing.
- Wow.
- Wow.
- Balcazar.
- Balcazar.
This is such a unique piece
because you've chosen a specific
smaller part of the body,
and you've done it brilliantly.
- Great.
- Strong piece.
No pun intended.
Oh.
Okay. Cheryl Ann.
So today I had
the balancing elephant.
Well, Cheryl Ann,
I think the whole bottom
of this piece is amazing.
I love the way you've positioned
the model's foot.
I love the trainer and being
able to fit that
in such a narrow space.
I love the silvery part of it;
gives it this real regal,
elegant.
He's a show elephant.
- I'm so impressed
- with the fact
that you did use the whole body.
- Thank you.
- You know...
There's just so much going on.
Really enjoy that.
- Great.
- Well, thank you, Cheryl Ann.
Thank you so much.
Lana, your turn.
Here's a traveling circus,
and we're performing
sword swallower.
We also stand on a balancing
construction
holded by two trained tigers.
Lana, I love the colors
you chose on this.
They just seem perfect.
- They look like
- very sweet tigers.
They're really well-trained.
Thank you, Lana.
You're welcome.
- All right,
- you've given the judges
a lot to discuss.
We will be back shortly.
All righty, righty.
Okay, guys.
Talk about Aryn.
- The bald cap...
- Yeah.
- That was, like,
- a perfect use of a bald cap.
It was perfect,
and I felt happy looking at it.
The colors, the proportions--
everything about it
made me feel really,
really good.
So let's talk about Cheryl Ann.
It was a wonderful design--
definitely one of my favorites.
Right.
I love the fact that Cheryl Ann
used the whole body
to display that elephant.
Just beautiful.
- And that sheen of that silver,
- I loved it.
Okay, well,
let's talk about Rio.
- He only painted half
- of the body,
and everybody else was giving us
a whole lot more.
But he gave us half of a body
really well.
- Yeah, he did. There was
- a lot of production there.
- And that pose.
- That pose was really gorgeous.
All right. Lana.
What's great about her things--
it's always from the voice
of a child.
It's like a child's storybook.
There was something missing.
I had some technical issues.
Those tigers--I--
what are they, kittens?
- They did look
- like domestic cats.
They were very stylized.
Let's talk about Kyle.
It was a very simple piece.
The bad news there is
the simplicity wasn't charming,
it was just simple.
- Yeah.
- Very well done.
- But no real magic.
- Right.
Avi.
I wish there was more color.
- Right, because lizards
- have an iridescence
to them that--
- He could have brought
- in some yellow.
He could have done some things.
Because it really was the same
from the top
all the way to the mid-leg.
- I think he played it
- a little safe.
It's a tough one.
- Yeah.
- It is a tough one.
It's not--We're in, like,
amazing land now.
So have you made your decision?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah.
- Great.
- Let's go.
Cool.
Painters, this was
a seriously tricky challenge
to judge.
The top three painters are...
Aryn...
Cheryl Ann...
Rio.
Oh, baby.
I'm not in the top three.
This is bull.
Aryn, I love that painting
from head to toe.
It felt like your model
was just gonna launch
right off of the playbill.
- Awesome.
- Thank you so much.
Cheryl Ann,
your elephant was majestic.
Thank you so much.
Rio,
your strongman knocked me out.
It was my favorite pose by far.
Thank you.
The winner of this challenge
is...
All of you created truly
entertaining circus paintings.
But there can be only
one winner.
The winner of
this challenge is...
- Aryn!
- All right.
- Congratulations!
Oh, my gosh.
Aryn, congratulations.
You win $5,000 worth
of body paint and accessories
from Silly Farm Supplies.
That is so exciting!
- Like,
- it's just so cool.
Painters, are you ready
- to hear what
- the next challenge is?
Yes.
Follow us.
In your first challenge,
you created a playbill
inspired by the big top circus.
For your next challenge,
it's time to take it up a notch
or three
with a modern-day interpretation
of the circus.
Ooh.
- Oh.
- They're beautiful.
Please welcome the performers
of the world-renowned
avant-garde performance troupe,
Lucent Dossier Experience.
Ah!
This is the best day ever.
- Wow.
- Oh, yes, girl.
- Whoo.
- Whoa.
- Oh.
- Oh, wow.
It's amazing.
All right, painters.
- You will be divided into teams
- of two.
Each team must create
a head-to-toe,
front-and-back design
for each performer
that gives all three
a cohesive look.
I'm very excited to get a chance
to paint them.
It's gonna show
our craft as artists
and show their craft as artists.
It's just gonna be amazing
for everybody.
- Now it's time
- to find out
who you'll be teamed up with.
So the last time I was
in a pair in a team,
- I ended up amongst
- the bottom two.
It is always a little
nerve-racking,
and you don't know if you can
fully trust your partner.
Our first team is
Aryn and Avi.
- Hey, all right.
- Whoo.
Lana and Rio.
- Hey, hey, babe.
- Hey.
I think Lana
is a creative powerhouse.
It will be interesting
seeing what both of us
will come up with.
That means Kyle and Cheryl Ann,
you are our last team.
Shotgun.
- There's pros and cons
- being paired up with Cheryl Ann.
- She's a great painter,
- but, also,
she likes to take charge and
never let anybody on her team
be the one on top,
- so I'm nervous about
- that right now.
Now that we have our teams,
you will also need to include
one more illuminating element.
Ultraviolet paint.
- Yes!
- Whoo!
Personally, I don't have
too much experience with UV.
I'm the fastest person.
We're gonna totally kill it.
- Craig, any tricks you can tell
- them about UV paint?
Absolutely.
Working successfully
with UV paint
is a serious challenge.
And, remember, it's not just
about the art you create,
but how it flows
with their movement.
And, of course,
having these fabulous performers
and this gorgeous paint,
we're gonna be expecting
something spectacular.
You will have six hours
to create your work tomorrow
and the rest of the night to
create your high-flying designs.
Good luck, painters.
And good night.
- Thank you.
- Bye.
- You really kill it
- with ideas,
like the hear no evil,
see no evil, speak no evil.
We need an idea like that.
- If there's anything
- I learned from this competition
with Cheryl Ann:
Cheryl Ann's a great person,
but when it comes to painting,
she cannot work with anybody.
- So I'm just gonna have
- to make sure
- that I always stand my ground
- on this one.
I need to prove to the judges
everything I can do.
But whatever idea we have,
- we have to just knock
- it out of the park..
They haven't been
in the bottom at all.
I know. They're gonna be
our major competition.
- Well, one of the good things
- is that they--
airbrush paint is not
that strong.
- So Avi's gonna have
- to use brush paint,
and he's not that strong
at brush paint.
- I've done UV, but I haven't
- done, like, a lot, though.
But it's not gonna be an issue.
- What do you think
- about Rio and Lana?
I think Rio and Lana
might have a really hard time
working together.
- 'Cause Rio--
- when he have his idea...
Yeah.
- He's very specific, and he'll
- really want to grow it,
- and Lana--she's totally creating
- a story,
and she have her own ideas.
- So it's might gonna be
- a little bit battle.
These are the two things I have
been thinking about.
Electric circus
and alien circus.
- This just popped in my head,
- you know.
I'm a little bit nervous
at this point,
'cause I never worked
with Rio before.
We both have
really creative brains,
but I got judges' critique
saying, "Keep it simple."
This time it's performers.
- Like, why you need a story
- about this?
It will be speaking for itself.
- You think so?
- I think. Yes.
Lana's a little annoying
from time to time.
But it's what I'm willing
to take for the team--whatever.
Whoo!
- Yeah, here.
- Ooh.
Look at all these paints.
- Look.
- Ooh.
We have big boxes
with a black light,
- so we actually can see
- what we doing,
- can see what actually
- popping more.
That's definitely brighter.
- Andorra, right?
- The Andorra blue, yeah.
Okay, so Andorra--
way better.
Neither of us have very much
UV experience at all.
But I'm not intimidated by it.
We came up with a solid concept,
and I think six hours to paint
three models is enough time.
Yay.
- I'm Cheryl Ann.
- Henry.
Nice to meet you, Henry.
I do lyra, so.
You do lyra?
I know exactly.
Going into this challenge today,
I'm feeling very confident.
- I want to make sure
- that Cheryl Ann
doesn't step all over me.
The overall story and concept
was my idea.
It's air, fire, and water.
- This is for fire.
- Oh, my God, that--
I think it will
be really big challenge
to work in a team with Rio.
It's really hard
to control him.
But I need to try.
- This glows pretty good--
- real good.
That blue?
'Cause you're not just
working by yourself.
- You're relying
- on your partner,
and you never know
what your partner can do.
- This is without the white.
- This is with the white.
Uh-huh.
So either way, it works.
- Okay.
- And that's all I need to know.
So Amen, and let's get it going.
But let's go with white for here
for chest for sure.
- So it will be more popping off
- picture.
Nice. So that doesn't
even have to be super thick.
We decided to go with a circle
of life sort of theme.
- We have a birth character,
- a life character,
and a death character.
- Oh, yeah.
- That's really bright.
Yeah.
The only problem
with UV airbrush paint,
it's not too bright.
So I mostly using paintbrush.
I do paintbrush here and there,
but not much.
- But hopefully
- it's gonna be fine.
Kyle, this comes down
on her cheeks.
- Should I cut that
- or just glue it?
- I'll do it.
- Here, you want to help him?
Okay.
Kyle is a performer.
He does aerial ice skating.
And I decide to trust him.
- Should I base-coat
- the legs first
- before we start doing
- the puzzle pieces and things?
Yeah, any big pieces,
I would definitely do,
just so it's stark coloring.
- We're working
- with three models today,
- and we only have
- five hours left.
If Cheryl Ann keeps asking me
what colors to use
- and what not--
- we're not
- gonna have time
- to get this done.
So the challenge is to
paint three models in six hours
with UV colors.
The paint have to complement
the performers' movement.
I'm not worried.
I'm sorry. I'm a fast painter.
- Yeah.
- All right.
Painters, please welcome
our judges,
Robin Slonina...
Hi, everybody.
- Hi.
- Good morning.
- No one knows more
- about spectacular performances
than our guest judge.
- He's best known
- as the choreographer
for Beyoncé.
Whoo!
He's worked with everyone
from Rihanna
to Michael Jackson.
Welcome Frank Gatson.
- Thank you, guys,
- for having me.
Thank you very much.
- One of my personal
- favorite projects
that you were involved with:
the Smooth Criminal video.
- Ooh!
- Ah!
- If you look at the video,
- I do get a nice close-up
- when Michael walks
- through the door.
- I'm underneath the stairs,
- and I crack my fingers,
and I look at him.
So look at that, okay.
Frank Gatson has worked
with so many famous performers.
So to have him be a guest judge
on this performance challenge
is so cool.
- The judges can't wait
- to find out
what you guys are working on.
Avi and Aryn.
- Is there a concept
- that you're working on?
So our first model
is birth.
And she does the Cyr wheel.
Our second model is life,
and she does aerial.
- And our third model
- is death,
who is a fire-breather.
- This young man--seems like you
- have more work to do.
- Yeah.
- Oh, yeah.
We said I'm gonna sketch
everything quick.
She's gonna base them.
- And then we're gonna go
- into the really small detail.
Are you worried about time?
No.
I don't think I've ever
seen Avi not feel confident.
I don't think Avi knows
what fear is.
Kyle and Cheryl Ann.
He hit on the note
the twilight zone.
And as soon as he hit on that,
I was like, dimensions,
so the aerial hoop
is the past,
because he's spinning
in, like, a circle.
The fire hoop
is the present,
because she's on fire.
And then the future is juggling
the possibilities of the future.
So we've got dimensions of time:
the past, the present,
and the future.
I'm excited to really see
our work come...
- To life.
- To life.
And how are you gonna make
this trio cohesive?
Well, on the backs
of their heads,
- they're gonna have doors
- of perception.
It's going to be an hourglass.
I feel like maybe
there's too many concepts.
I have to admit, we have so many
different ideas.
But they're really great ideas,
so I'm not too worried.
Hi, Rio and Lana.
We have fire,
- water, and then
- we're gonna have air.
They all have this sign.
It's how they all getting
together.
Okay, so this is how you make
the piece cohesive.
- Yes.
- Okay.
- That's a lot to do.
- Yes.
So I'll give you this advice:
keep it simple.
Right, right.
I just want to warn you that
everything shows
with the black light.
- Just making sure
- that you give yourself
enough time to give us
a clean, precise,
beautifully painted work.
- Okay.
- Good luck, everyone.
- See you later.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- Yeah, thank you.
We only have three--
four hours.
- Oh, my God.
- Mm-hmm.
Rio, if you can,
could you brush
different colors here
so it will be glowing?
I was working,
like, mostly on two,
like, air and fire model,
'cause Rio was busy working
on the water model.
You put orange, but you didn't
put any main color.
- Could you add
- the yellow right now,
and I will put the outline.
Like, "Rio, come here."
Like, "Please help with ours."
This is teamwork.
- Rio, here.
- Hm?
Lana stopped me to tell me,
"You need to do this, Rio.
You need to do this."
Lana is being a boss.
I never stopped her to
tell her what she needed to do.
- Do you want me to wait
- to outline in yellow,
- the hourglasses,
- until you do it in black?
- Or do you want me
- to just paint in black?
- You want me to outline
- his Roman numerals and stuff
before you do--
No, don't do any
of the highlights.
- I didn't expect her to be like,
- "Is this the right color?
Am I doing it right?"
She kind of lets me
take charge right now,
- and if I have to take the lead
- on this one,
I will bring the most game
to the table.
Cheryl Ann and Kyle--
all of the models have doors
on their head,
and all of the models
have the hourglass.
If they're gonna look the same,
they might gonna be in trouble.
Okay, guys, we only have
two hours to go.
I hope you got your game on.
Oh, man.
I feel like we still
have so much to do.
Avi is still working on life.
And death and birth still need
so many more details.
It's just not looking finished
no matter how much more
we add to it.
- It feels like
- it's all falling apart.
I wish we had red
in the **** airbrush.
Yeah, right?
I totally know how to paint
using paintbrush and sponges,
but it didn't expect it
to be so slow.
- Oh, my God.
- It's gonna take forever.
Avi's a little flustered.
He may have underestimated
this particular challenge.
Hey, you guys,
we have 15 minutes left.
- Spread 'em.
- There you go.
Time's up!
Tools down.
Wow.
- It looks good.
- That was intense.
This is gonna be amazing.
Well, it's time to show
the judges all your hard work.
We cannot wait to see
your UV come to life.
Follow me.
- After I look
- at everyone else's piece,
I realize that birth still needs
so many more details.
I think that there
is a really good chance
that we're gonna be
on the bottom.
Welcome, painters.
Hi.
Each team had six hours
to create a UV paint design
for three performers.
One team will win,
and one team will lose.
And one person
will be sent home.
Now let's say hello
to our esteemed judges.
Craig Tracy...
Hello, painters.
- Robin Slonina...
- Hi, everybody.
- RuPaul Charles...
- Word up.
Hi.
And our special
guest judge Frank Gatson.
Hey, everybody.
What's up?
Okay, painters, it's time
to present your paintings.
- Yes.
- Yay!
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Our concept is the elements.
Aerialist will be air
in representation of a bird.
The fire spinner would be fire.
The aquarium-like man
would be the element of water.
You know, just seeing
ours come alive,
I think it's just speechless.
We did really good with
this white base under color
so they will glowing
really bright.
All the fish are glowing
in his aquarium-like body.
And you can just see the glowing
buds of all the areas
that I left exposed.
My heart stops.
It's really amazing moment.
Our concept is
the twilight zone,
representing the doors
of dimensions
into the past, the present,
and the future.
With our challenge,
- we're taking the past
- as the aerialist,
and then we're taking the future
as the juggler,
and the present as the fire.
Looking at our models,
the hourglass was Kyle's idea
on time,
and to have the hourglass
on the back
with people in the hourglass
to be the one main
unifying aspect.
The painting was clean.
It looks precise.
I am so proud.
Whoo!
Whoo!
We get to watch these
performers do this amazing act.
It was like being first row
at the circus--
closer than the first row.
You're almost in the circus.
They were all really bright,
really dynamic
with the things
that they did onstage.
Oh!
- We wanted to bring more
- illustration
and shadows and depth
into the body painting--
something that
usually you don't see.
It looks so bright.
And it looks so 3-D.
But we didn't get enough detail
on the birth model.
It's look a little bit muddy,
- That's what I get,
- being so cocky.
Me and Aryn a little bit
concerned now.
Life and death
looked pretty awesome.
And birth looks
like a piece of crap.
And I'm freaking out now.
Oh!
Okay.
Rio and Lana.
You two made
some pretty babies.
Give me some.
All right, baby.
I'm just living
for this color palette.
I feel like this is taking me
back to psychedelic '60s,
very otherworldly creatures.
The water model--
it was something about
that just made him pop.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
I did a lot of antacid
in the '70s,
so this is really bringing me
back there.
- A lot of--
- You had a lot of stomachaches.
Yeah.
I feel like I'm seeing more
of Lana's design work
in these pieces
than Rio's design work.
- I said maybe we can do it
a little bit simply
and more colorful this time.
Yeah, you kept story
really simple on this,
and you're just kind
of letting the work talk.
Am I right?
Very well done.
Thank you.
Thank you.
- Avi and Aryn,
- your turn.
- When I saw you earlier
- today,
I was really afraid
for all the other teams.
Because I thought that
was such a remarkable picture.
Thank you.
That flower girl is just blowing
me away.
- You can see, like, on the
- UV when the UV lights,
- you can see they're
- three-dimensional.
- Now, of course,
- I used a lot of shades of black.
I think I based them all,
and he detailed them.
Who's responsible
for the designs?
I guess it was more my idea.
It was definitely a team effort,
and Avi made it sound
like he did most of it.
If we are on the bottom-bottom,
I am going home.
- Who's responsible
- for the designs?
I guess it was more my idea.
The initial design concept
- for the circle of life
- was mine.
Since we know that he's quick
at adding the detail work
and stuff like that,
we thought it would be best
for him to do the mid piece,
the centerpieces.
Even though my work
is more background,
it's still a big--
a strong part of every piece.
Creatively, you know, you had
a very simple, clear concept.
You know, whether
if it was creative enough,
you know,
that I'm not as sure of.
Having seen it onstage,
- what would have have done
- differently?
Maybe just added more details
to our birth one.
I think the things that I did
just weren't as obvious
or were more supportive roles
in general.
- And the things that they were
- the most impressed with
were things that he did.
This could be really bad.
Kyle and Cheryl Ann.
Well, our concept is
the twilight zone.
So may we present to you
the doors of perception,
where we have painted a doorway
to a different entrance of time,
represented
by the hourglasses...
And then we moved forward
into, like, basically,
the matrix time period.
It is the rat race
that is the M.C. Escher painting
that's a maze.
Overall, very cohesive work.
In some ways,
a little too cohesive.
Can we have you guys turn
around a little bit?
That is just very similar backs.
- Like, I want them
- to fit together,
but I don't want them
to look like triplets.
We've got past, present,
future, twilight zone,
doors of perception, a matrix,
a rat race.
I mean, it's a lot to take in.
Who emerged as the dominant
force in your team?
I would say me, actually.
Yeah.
- This is my first time actually
- not being humble.
And for once,
I'm really proud of my art.
- Thank you, Cheryl Ann
- and Kyle.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- All right, painters,
- please head back to the lounge,
- and we'll bring you back out
- shortly.
Thank you.
Okay, guys, what do you think?
Wow.
Mind blown.
The painters might have a job
with me.
- These painters would love
- to have that opportunity.
They would love that.
- I like Rio and Lana's
- group a lot,
because it just felt like
I was in that world.
- For me, I think it was
- the strong,
bold, black line work
that really set the paint off.
- Black is one of the
- most powerful techniques
that you can use in UV painting,
and a lot of people
forget about that.
Because it's the contrast
between those intense colors
and the black
that really sells it.
And how about Lana
really reeling it in...
- Yeah!
- Yeah, that's new.
To not overwhelm us
with another story.
This morning, you know,
I told them to keep it simple.
Mm-hmm.
So you're responsible for it?
I-I-I--A little bit, I think.
Avi and Aryn.
- The problem that I had
- with that team
is that I feel like Avi
really focused on
the life performer,
and he did a gorgeous job
painting that face,
those flowers.
It was, you know, perfect.
If all three of their pieces
were at the quality
of the life painting,
they would have blown us away.
- Oh, my goodness.
- I agree.
I just feel like they
didn't give any love to birth.
It didn't as
to hold the three together.
I think Aryn's talent
was diminished
by being with Avi.
I felt her lines
weren't distinct enough.
I could tell the difference
between Avi's brush
and Aryn's brush.
Cheryl Ann and Kyle.
There was a lot going on there.
Listen, I could follow it,
but that's just me.
I'm glad you could.
- It was twilight zone.
- Past, present, future.
- The rat race.
- Yes.
- Back doors of perception.
- The eye.
- The eye, that's right.
- Mm-hmm.
The matrix.
Binary code, yeah.
- There's more.
- Right.
- I could go on.
- Right.
We all love
this narrative body painting,
but I think this challenge
called for creating characters
that are gonna end up onstage.
You know, when we
announced this challenge,
Kyle knew that
this was his territory.
So he really took
the lead in this.
A leader's only effective
- if you're going
- in the right direction.
Exactly.
Someone's got to go home
tonight,
and someone's gonna win.
So have you made you decision?
- Mm-hmm.
- Yes.
Okay.
Welcome back, painters.
Tonight, you really showed us
why you are the final six.
- All of your UV performances
- tonight
brought the art to life.
Job well done.
As incredible
as all of your work was,
one of you will be
tonight's winner,
and one of you is going home.
Rio,
Lana...
Congratulations,
you're the winning team.
Please come forward.
Rio and Lana,
- the winner of this challenge
- is...
Rio and Lana,
together you both created
a brilliant piece,
but in the end,
there can be only one winner.
Lana, Rio, we loved
the psychedelic color palette.
It was designed perfectly
for a performance.
- The winner
- of this challenge is...
Lana.
Congratulations.
You're tonight's winner.
Thank you.
It really came down to the fact
that you were
in the driver's seat today,
and this was
your overall vision.
It's on you, girl.
Congratulations.
You may head back to the lounge.
Yes.
I'm on the clouds.
I love this challenge so much.
This is my day.
Cheryl Ann, Kyle,
Avi,
Aryn,
one of you will be
tonight's losing team.
And from that team,
one of you will be going home.
Kyle, Cheryl Ann,
your piece was cohesive,
but maybe a little too cohesive.
Avi, Aryn,
this is technically one
of the most sophisticated pieces
we have ever seen.
But the birth piece felt like
you threw the baby out
with the bathwater.
As a whole, I didn't feel you
executed as a team.
Avi,
Aryn...
You are safe.
Congratulations.
Please go back to the lounge.
I love you guys.
Cheryl Ann, Kyle,
overall, the judges felt
you had too many elements,
and they weren't executed well.
Kyle, you really stepped up
to lead your team.
Unfortunately, you took the team
in the wrong direction.
And for that reason,
- I'm sorry,
- but you're going home.
- It's okay.
- Cheryl Ann,
- you're gonna have
- to step up your work
if want to remain
in this competition.
Please go back to the lounge.
Thank you.
Kyle, you went out tonight
with a really strong piece,
- and you should be very proud
- of it.
Thank you.
Kyle, it's time
to wash off your canvas.
Okay.
Thank you, guys, so much.
I don't want to say
good-bye to anyone here.
- Hey, I went out with a bang,
- right?
Honestly, we've all kind
of grown close.
So I'll see you guys soon.
Keep the house clean.
It's hard to pack up your
bag after being here so long.
- But then again,
- I'm excited,
'cause now I get to really take
what I've learned from this
- and make myself
- so much stronger for the future.
Next time on Skin Wars...
We're bringing out the big guns.
Holy ****.
These guys are huge.
Muscles, yay.
Bleh.
We got this.
I see no robot.
I see Smokey the Bear.
- I was like, "What the hell
- is she doing?"
Obviously my painting style
is intimidating enough
to unsettle him so much.
Oh, yes.
Pump me up.
I warned you about symmetry.
We can't forgive these things.
I got respect for y'all,
but this is B.S.
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.
- Right in front of me
- is a circus tent.
Everybody knows
I'm an aerial ice skater.
- Being an aerial ice skater
- can be
totally connected with circus,
so I'm excited.
Hello, painters.
Hi.
We started with 12
in this competition,
and there are now just 6
of you left.
We are down
to the nitty-gritty right now.
We riding the horses
neck and neck, like, now
to the finish line,
to the finals.
Let's welcome
our world-renowned judges.
Craig Tracy...
Hey, good to see you all.
And RuPaul Charles.
- Whoo-hoo!
- Yeah.
For this challenge,
you will create a body painting
inspired by the classic
big top circus
and present it in front
of this circus-themed backdrop.
This is not
a front-and-back challenge,
so choose your pose carefully.
The winner of this challenge
will receive $5,000 worth
of body paint and accessories
from Silly Farm Supplies.
Whoa.
- That's amazing.
- Wow.
You have two hours to complete
this challenge.
And your time starts...
now.
Good luck!
I've made it to the top six,
and I can smell the money.
I've been wanting to do a circus
challenge since we got here.
- Models.
- Hi!
So I'm gonna make, like,
a daredevil
for our circus character.
My idea is to make it look like
there's a cannon down
at my model's feet,
and it shot out a person,
- and it's almost coming out
- towards you.
Hopefully this works.
It looks pretty cute.
I definitely want to get
the bald cap on first,
- just to make sure that's out
- of the way, and it's working,
- because that's a really
- important element.
- Hello.
- Hi.
So we're gonna make you
the lizard woman.
Okay.
I'm gonna create
a regular person
that's gonna look
like a lizard.
And I'm actually gonna build
a tattoo machine from scratch.
And she's gonna tattoo herself.
This is going to be
the elephant
- right here,
- and the ear.
I love the circus,
and the elephants were
my favorite thing.
So I choose
the balancing elephant.
- It's gonna be a hard pose
- to hold.
But I think I can get points
for creativity.
I'm trying to take
the judges' critiques
into consideration.
And they really want to push me
and see how far deep I can go.
I'm painting a story
about traveling circus
and sword swallowing.
More angle like this.
Okay, you're going to relax.
- You're gonna be a cute clown.
- I'm making it girly.
My concept is the big top
- and the clowns that are involved
- with it.
Need to give you
a pink glittery lip.
- I really want to focus
- on the face
and make sure it's seamless
and then go into the body paint.
I got a lot of paint to do.
That might work.
My concept is the strongest man
in the world.
Her back will solely be the
bodybuilder's head and body.
- It did cross my mind
- that they may think,
"Oh, he used the back again."
It's a big risk,
but I'm willing to take it.
- Guess what?
- We're down to an hour.
Hope you guys aren't in
the shoes I'm in.
- Why do you think
- you're so behind?
- Probably 'cause I focused
- on the face.
Whenever I'm next to Kyle,
- I'm, like, looking over at him,
- and I'm like,
"That's all?
- That's all you have done
- right now?"
Oh, God.
- Yeah, Kyle,
- you need to catch up.
- As I start looking
- around the room,
I noticed that I definitely
have a creative edge.
Okay, it's coming out fine,
coming out fine.
Drawing weird things,
drawing weird things.
This idea of using her
full arm as the bar--
genius.
- I'm frustrated
- because Rio is only doing
this little piece,
and I'm doing the whole body,
and mine's a tall model.
I'm here to win
and to show that I don't choose
the easiest route.
Is Avi already finished?
Almost.
It's fine. Avi just made
a whole snake person.
Avi's speed is sickening.
Hey, guys.
We have 30 minutes.
I don't know about you,
but I'm done.
You work like turtles.
- Turtle won the race,
- the last I heard.
The painting is done
30 minutes before.
- And now I have time
- to go around
- and check what
- other people doing.
- Uh-huh.
- You see?
Yeah.
- He's stealing ideas.
- Kinda cute.
Ooh.
That's very cool.
Are you finished early, Avi?
Avi, I think,
played it a little safe.
There's no "done early."
There's always something
more to do.
You guys,
we only have one minute.
- Ooh!
- All right.
That's scary as hell.
Time's up.
Tools down, painters!
All right.
You finished!
- I was, like, sweating bullets
- on that one.
- Well, the judges can't wait
- to walk around
and take a look
at your circus creations.
Okay, Avi, you're up.
She's the lizard woman,
but because I wanted
to go more old-school,
so she actually tattooing
herself.
Oh, I see.
Oh, my goodness,
that dental work is...
Wow.
Quite extraordinary.
The only thing is the
uncomfortableness of this pose.
- I don't know that any human
- being would want
to be in that particular pose
- while they're tattooing
- their leg.
- Great.
- Thank you, Avi.
Thank you very much.
Okay, Kyle,
you're next.
Tell us about your clown.
- As soon
- as you guys said, "circus,"
I immediately thought
the clown and the ringmaster.
Kyle, how did you do with time?
Well...
I spent way too much time
on the face.
And when it came down to it,
you know, my time disappeared.
I think I did the body
in 40 minutes.
All right.
Thank you, Kyle.
Thank you.
Okay, Aryn.
Shot out of a cannon.
- Yep, I just really wanted
- to make sure you could see
- the motion and that you could
- tell she was, like,
going through the sky.
Cool.
- I love this piece
- because it looks like
it's really telling a story.
You really get the beginning,
middle, and end.
- It's a perfect use
- of a bald cap.
- I really wanted
- to use the bald cap,
- because I was like--I really
- wanted her to have that, like,
- helmet to give her, like, kind
- of that classic feel.
- It does.
- Great.
- Thank you, Aryn.
- Yeah, thank you so much.
Okay, Rio.
- Step right up.
- Step right up, people.
And witness Balcazar the Mighty.
Watch as he holds the...
10,000 pounds of black balls
with one arm!
His feats of strength
are simply amazing.
- Wow.
- Wow.
- Balcazar.
- Balcazar.
This is such a unique piece
because you've chosen a specific
smaller part of the body,
and you've done it brilliantly.
- Great.
- Strong piece.
No pun intended.
Oh.
Okay. Cheryl Ann.
So today I had
the balancing elephant.
Well, Cheryl Ann,
I think the whole bottom
of this piece is amazing.
I love the way you've positioned
the model's foot.
I love the trainer and being
able to fit that
in such a narrow space.
I love the silvery part of it;
gives it this real regal,
elegant.
He's a show elephant.
- I'm so impressed
- with the fact
that you did use the whole body.
- Thank you.
- You know...
There's just so much going on.
Really enjoy that.
- Great.
- Well, thank you, Cheryl Ann.
Thank you so much.
Lana, your turn.
Here's a traveling circus,
and we're performing
sword swallower.
We also stand on a balancing
construction
holded by two trained tigers.
Lana, I love the colors
you chose on this.
They just seem perfect.
- They look like
- very sweet tigers.
They're really well-trained.
Thank you, Lana.
You're welcome.
- All right,
- you've given the judges
a lot to discuss.
We will be back shortly.
All righty, righty.
Okay, guys.
Talk about Aryn.
- The bald cap...
- Yeah.
- That was, like,
- a perfect use of a bald cap.
It was perfect,
and I felt happy looking at it.
The colors, the proportions--
everything about it
made me feel really,
really good.
So let's talk about Cheryl Ann.
It was a wonderful design--
definitely one of my favorites.
Right.
I love the fact that Cheryl Ann
used the whole body
to display that elephant.
Just beautiful.
- And that sheen of that silver,
- I loved it.
Okay, well,
let's talk about Rio.
- He only painted half
- of the body,
and everybody else was giving us
a whole lot more.
But he gave us half of a body
really well.
- Yeah, he did. There was
- a lot of production there.
- And that pose.
- That pose was really gorgeous.
All right. Lana.
What's great about her things--
it's always from the voice
of a child.
It's like a child's storybook.
There was something missing.
I had some technical issues.
Those tigers--I--
what are they, kittens?
- They did look
- like domestic cats.
They were very stylized.
Let's talk about Kyle.
It was a very simple piece.
The bad news there is
the simplicity wasn't charming,
it was just simple.
- Yeah.
- Very well done.
- But no real magic.
- Right.
Avi.
I wish there was more color.
- Right, because lizards
- have an iridescence
to them that--
- He could have brought
- in some yellow.
He could have done some things.
Because it really was the same
from the top
all the way to the mid-leg.
- I think he played it
- a little safe.
It's a tough one.
- Yeah.
- It is a tough one.
It's not--We're in, like,
amazing land now.
So have you made your decision?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah.
- Great.
- Let's go.
Cool.
Painters, this was
a seriously tricky challenge
to judge.
The top three painters are...
Aryn...
Cheryl Ann...
Rio.
Oh, baby.
I'm not in the top three.
This is bull.
Aryn, I love that painting
from head to toe.
It felt like your model
was just gonna launch
right off of the playbill.
- Awesome.
- Thank you so much.
Cheryl Ann,
your elephant was majestic.
Thank you so much.
Rio,
your strongman knocked me out.
It was my favorite pose by far.
Thank you.
The winner of this challenge
is...
All of you created truly
entertaining circus paintings.
But there can be only
one winner.
The winner of
this challenge is...
- Aryn!
- All right.
- Congratulations!
Oh, my gosh.
Aryn, congratulations.
You win $5,000 worth
of body paint and accessories
from Silly Farm Supplies.
That is so exciting!
- Like,
- it's just so cool.
Painters, are you ready
- to hear what
- the next challenge is?
Yes.
Follow us.
In your first challenge,
you created a playbill
inspired by the big top circus.
For your next challenge,
it's time to take it up a notch
or three
with a modern-day interpretation
of the circus.
Ooh.
- Oh.
- They're beautiful.
Please welcome the performers
of the world-renowned
avant-garde performance troupe,
Lucent Dossier Experience.
Ah!
This is the best day ever.
- Wow.
- Oh, yes, girl.
- Whoo.
- Whoa.
- Oh.
- Oh, wow.
It's amazing.
All right, painters.
- You will be divided into teams
- of two.
Each team must create
a head-to-toe,
front-and-back design
for each performer
that gives all three
a cohesive look.
I'm very excited to get a chance
to paint them.
It's gonna show
our craft as artists
and show their craft as artists.
It's just gonna be amazing
for everybody.
- Now it's time
- to find out
who you'll be teamed up with.
So the last time I was
in a pair in a team,
- I ended up amongst
- the bottom two.
It is always a little
nerve-racking,
and you don't know if you can
fully trust your partner.
Our first team is
Aryn and Avi.
- Hey, all right.
- Whoo.
Lana and Rio.
- Hey, hey, babe.
- Hey.
I think Lana
is a creative powerhouse.
It will be interesting
seeing what both of us
will come up with.
That means Kyle and Cheryl Ann,
you are our last team.
Shotgun.
- There's pros and cons
- being paired up with Cheryl Ann.
- She's a great painter,
- but, also,
she likes to take charge and
never let anybody on her team
be the one on top,
- so I'm nervous about
- that right now.
Now that we have our teams,
you will also need to include
one more illuminating element.
Ultraviolet paint.
- Yes!
- Whoo!
Personally, I don't have
too much experience with UV.
I'm the fastest person.
We're gonna totally kill it.
- Craig, any tricks you can tell
- them about UV paint?
Absolutely.
Working successfully
with UV paint
is a serious challenge.
And, remember, it's not just
about the art you create,
but how it flows
with their movement.
And, of course,
having these fabulous performers
and this gorgeous paint,
we're gonna be expecting
something spectacular.
You will have six hours
to create your work tomorrow
and the rest of the night to
create your high-flying designs.
Good luck, painters.
And good night.
- Thank you.
- Bye.
- You really kill it
- with ideas,
like the hear no evil,
see no evil, speak no evil.
We need an idea like that.
- If there's anything
- I learned from this competition
with Cheryl Ann:
Cheryl Ann's a great person,
but when it comes to painting,
she cannot work with anybody.
- So I'm just gonna have
- to make sure
- that I always stand my ground
- on this one.
I need to prove to the judges
everything I can do.
But whatever idea we have,
- we have to just knock
- it out of the park..
They haven't been
in the bottom at all.
I know. They're gonna be
our major competition.
- Well, one of the good things
- is that they--
airbrush paint is not
that strong.
- So Avi's gonna have
- to use brush paint,
and he's not that strong
at brush paint.
- I've done UV, but I haven't
- done, like, a lot, though.
But it's not gonna be an issue.
- What do you think
- about Rio and Lana?
I think Rio and Lana
might have a really hard time
working together.
- 'Cause Rio--
- when he have his idea...
Yeah.
- He's very specific, and he'll
- really want to grow it,
- and Lana--she's totally creating
- a story,
and she have her own ideas.
- So it's might gonna be
- a little bit battle.
These are the two things I have
been thinking about.
Electric circus
and alien circus.
- This just popped in my head,
- you know.
I'm a little bit nervous
at this point,
'cause I never worked
with Rio before.
We both have
really creative brains,
but I got judges' critique
saying, "Keep it simple."
This time it's performers.
- Like, why you need a story
- about this?
It will be speaking for itself.
- You think so?
- I think. Yes.
Lana's a little annoying
from time to time.
But it's what I'm willing
to take for the team--whatever.
Whoo!
- Yeah, here.
- Ooh.
Look at all these paints.
- Look.
- Ooh.
We have big boxes
with a black light,
- so we actually can see
- what we doing,
- can see what actually
- popping more.
That's definitely brighter.
- Andorra, right?
- The Andorra blue, yeah.
Okay, so Andorra--
way better.
Neither of us have very much
UV experience at all.
But I'm not intimidated by it.
We came up with a solid concept,
and I think six hours to paint
three models is enough time.
Yay.
- I'm Cheryl Ann.
- Henry.
Nice to meet you, Henry.
I do lyra, so.
You do lyra?
I know exactly.
Going into this challenge today,
I'm feeling very confident.
- I want to make sure
- that Cheryl Ann
doesn't step all over me.
The overall story and concept
was my idea.
It's air, fire, and water.
- This is for fire.
- Oh, my God, that--
I think it will
be really big challenge
to work in a team with Rio.
It's really hard
to control him.
But I need to try.
- This glows pretty good--
- real good.
That blue?
'Cause you're not just
working by yourself.
- You're relying
- on your partner,
and you never know
what your partner can do.
- This is without the white.
- This is with the white.
Uh-huh.
So either way, it works.
- Okay.
- And that's all I need to know.
So Amen, and let's get it going.
But let's go with white for here
for chest for sure.
- So it will be more popping off
- picture.
Nice. So that doesn't
even have to be super thick.
We decided to go with a circle
of life sort of theme.
- We have a birth character,
- a life character,
and a death character.
- Oh, yeah.
- That's really bright.
Yeah.
The only problem
with UV airbrush paint,
it's not too bright.
So I mostly using paintbrush.
I do paintbrush here and there,
but not much.
- But hopefully
- it's gonna be fine.
Kyle, this comes down
on her cheeks.
- Should I cut that
- or just glue it?
- I'll do it.
- Here, you want to help him?
Okay.
Kyle is a performer.
He does aerial ice skating.
And I decide to trust him.
- Should I base-coat
- the legs first
- before we start doing
- the puzzle pieces and things?
Yeah, any big pieces,
I would definitely do,
just so it's stark coloring.
- We're working
- with three models today,
- and we only have
- five hours left.
If Cheryl Ann keeps asking me
what colors to use
- and what not--
- we're not
- gonna have time
- to get this done.
So the challenge is to
paint three models in six hours
with UV colors.
The paint have to complement
the performers' movement.
I'm not worried.
I'm sorry. I'm a fast painter.
- Yeah.
- All right.
Painters, please welcome
our judges,
Robin Slonina...
Hi, everybody.
- Hi.
- Good morning.
- No one knows more
- about spectacular performances
than our guest judge.
- He's best known
- as the choreographer
for Beyoncé.
Whoo!
He's worked with everyone
from Rihanna
to Michael Jackson.
Welcome Frank Gatson.
- Thank you, guys,
- for having me.
Thank you very much.
- One of my personal
- favorite projects
that you were involved with:
the Smooth Criminal video.
- Ooh!
- Ah!
- If you look at the video,
- I do get a nice close-up
- when Michael walks
- through the door.
- I'm underneath the stairs,
- and I crack my fingers,
and I look at him.
So look at that, okay.
Frank Gatson has worked
with so many famous performers.
So to have him be a guest judge
on this performance challenge
is so cool.
- The judges can't wait
- to find out
what you guys are working on.
Avi and Aryn.
- Is there a concept
- that you're working on?
So our first model
is birth.
And she does the Cyr wheel.
Our second model is life,
and she does aerial.
- And our third model
- is death,
who is a fire-breather.
- This young man--seems like you
- have more work to do.
- Yeah.
- Oh, yeah.
We said I'm gonna sketch
everything quick.
She's gonna base them.
- And then we're gonna go
- into the really small detail.
Are you worried about time?
No.
I don't think I've ever
seen Avi not feel confident.
I don't think Avi knows
what fear is.
Kyle and Cheryl Ann.
He hit on the note
the twilight zone.
And as soon as he hit on that,
I was like, dimensions,
so the aerial hoop
is the past,
because he's spinning
in, like, a circle.
The fire hoop
is the present,
because she's on fire.
And then the future is juggling
the possibilities of the future.
So we've got dimensions of time:
the past, the present,
and the future.
I'm excited to really see
our work come...
- To life.
- To life.
And how are you gonna make
this trio cohesive?
Well, on the backs
of their heads,
- they're gonna have doors
- of perception.
It's going to be an hourglass.
I feel like maybe
there's too many concepts.
I have to admit, we have so many
different ideas.
But they're really great ideas,
so I'm not too worried.
Hi, Rio and Lana.
We have fire,
- water, and then
- we're gonna have air.
They all have this sign.
It's how they all getting
together.
Okay, so this is how you make
the piece cohesive.
- Yes.
- Okay.
- That's a lot to do.
- Yes.
So I'll give you this advice:
keep it simple.
Right, right.
I just want to warn you that
everything shows
with the black light.
- Just making sure
- that you give yourself
enough time to give us
a clean, precise,
beautifully painted work.
- Okay.
- Good luck, everyone.
- See you later.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- Yeah, thank you.
We only have three--
four hours.
- Oh, my God.
- Mm-hmm.
Rio, if you can,
could you brush
different colors here
so it will be glowing?
I was working,
like, mostly on two,
like, air and fire model,
'cause Rio was busy working
on the water model.
You put orange, but you didn't
put any main color.
- Could you add
- the yellow right now,
and I will put the outline.
Like, "Rio, come here."
Like, "Please help with ours."
This is teamwork.
- Rio, here.
- Hm?
Lana stopped me to tell me,
"You need to do this, Rio.
You need to do this."
Lana is being a boss.
I never stopped her to
tell her what she needed to do.
- Do you want me to wait
- to outline in yellow,
- the hourglasses,
- until you do it in black?
- Or do you want me
- to just paint in black?
- You want me to outline
- his Roman numerals and stuff
before you do--
No, don't do any
of the highlights.
- I didn't expect her to be like,
- "Is this the right color?
Am I doing it right?"
She kind of lets me
take charge right now,
- and if I have to take the lead
- on this one,
I will bring the most game
to the table.
Cheryl Ann and Kyle--
all of the models have doors
on their head,
and all of the models
have the hourglass.
If they're gonna look the same,
they might gonna be in trouble.
Okay, guys, we only have
two hours to go.
I hope you got your game on.
Oh, man.
I feel like we still
have so much to do.
Avi is still working on life.
And death and birth still need
so many more details.
It's just not looking finished
no matter how much more
we add to it.
- It feels like
- it's all falling apart.
I wish we had red
in the **** airbrush.
Yeah, right?
I totally know how to paint
using paintbrush and sponges,
but it didn't expect it
to be so slow.
- Oh, my God.
- It's gonna take forever.
Avi's a little flustered.
He may have underestimated
this particular challenge.
Hey, you guys,
we have 15 minutes left.
- Spread 'em.
- There you go.
Time's up!
Tools down.
Wow.
- It looks good.
- That was intense.
This is gonna be amazing.
Well, it's time to show
the judges all your hard work.
We cannot wait to see
your UV come to life.
Follow me.
- After I look
- at everyone else's piece,
I realize that birth still needs
so many more details.
I think that there
is a really good chance
that we're gonna be
on the bottom.
Welcome, painters.
Hi.
Each team had six hours
to create a UV paint design
for three performers.
One team will win,
and one team will lose.
And one person
will be sent home.
Now let's say hello
to our esteemed judges.
Craig Tracy...
Hello, painters.
- Robin Slonina...
- Hi, everybody.
- RuPaul Charles...
- Word up.
Hi.
And our special
guest judge Frank Gatson.
Hey, everybody.
What's up?
Okay, painters, it's time
to present your paintings.
- Yes.
- Yay!
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Our concept is the elements.
Aerialist will be air
in representation of a bird.
The fire spinner would be fire.
The aquarium-like man
would be the element of water.
You know, just seeing
ours come alive,
I think it's just speechless.
We did really good with
this white base under color
so they will glowing
really bright.
All the fish are glowing
in his aquarium-like body.
And you can just see the glowing
buds of all the areas
that I left exposed.
My heart stops.
It's really amazing moment.
Our concept is
the twilight zone,
representing the doors
of dimensions
into the past, the present,
and the future.
With our challenge,
- we're taking the past
- as the aerialist,
and then we're taking the future
as the juggler,
and the present as the fire.
Looking at our models,
the hourglass was Kyle's idea
on time,
and to have the hourglass
on the back
with people in the hourglass
to be the one main
unifying aspect.
The painting was clean.
It looks precise.
I am so proud.
Whoo!
Whoo!
We get to watch these
performers do this amazing act.
It was like being first row
at the circus--
closer than the first row.
You're almost in the circus.
They were all really bright,
really dynamic
with the things
that they did onstage.
Oh!
- We wanted to bring more
- illustration
and shadows and depth
into the body painting--
something that
usually you don't see.
It looks so bright.
And it looks so 3-D.
But we didn't get enough detail
on the birth model.
It's look a little bit muddy,
- That's what I get,
- being so cocky.
Me and Aryn a little bit
concerned now.
Life and death
looked pretty awesome.
And birth looks
like a piece of crap.
And I'm freaking out now.
Oh!
Okay.
Rio and Lana.
You two made
some pretty babies.
Give me some.
All right, baby.
I'm just living
for this color palette.
I feel like this is taking me
back to psychedelic '60s,
very otherworldly creatures.
The water model--
it was something about
that just made him pop.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
I did a lot of antacid
in the '70s,
so this is really bringing me
back there.
- A lot of--
- You had a lot of stomachaches.
Yeah.
I feel like I'm seeing more
of Lana's design work
in these pieces
than Rio's design work.
- I said maybe we can do it
a little bit simply
and more colorful this time.
Yeah, you kept story
really simple on this,
and you're just kind
of letting the work talk.
Am I right?
Very well done.
Thank you.
Thank you.
- Avi and Aryn,
- your turn.
- When I saw you earlier
- today,
I was really afraid
for all the other teams.
Because I thought that
was such a remarkable picture.
Thank you.
That flower girl is just blowing
me away.
- You can see, like, on the
- UV when the UV lights,
- you can see they're
- three-dimensional.
- Now, of course,
- I used a lot of shades of black.
I think I based them all,
and he detailed them.
Who's responsible
for the designs?
I guess it was more my idea.
It was definitely a team effort,
and Avi made it sound
like he did most of it.
If we are on the bottom-bottom,
I am going home.
- Who's responsible
- for the designs?
I guess it was more my idea.
The initial design concept
- for the circle of life
- was mine.
Since we know that he's quick
at adding the detail work
and stuff like that,
we thought it would be best
for him to do the mid piece,
the centerpieces.
Even though my work
is more background,
it's still a big--
a strong part of every piece.
Creatively, you know, you had
a very simple, clear concept.
You know, whether
if it was creative enough,
you know,
that I'm not as sure of.
Having seen it onstage,
- what would have have done
- differently?
Maybe just added more details
to our birth one.
I think the things that I did
just weren't as obvious
or were more supportive roles
in general.
- And the things that they were
- the most impressed with
were things that he did.
This could be really bad.
Kyle and Cheryl Ann.
Well, our concept is
the twilight zone.
So may we present to you
the doors of perception,
where we have painted a doorway
to a different entrance of time,
represented
by the hourglasses...
And then we moved forward
into, like, basically,
the matrix time period.
It is the rat race
that is the M.C. Escher painting
that's a maze.
Overall, very cohesive work.
In some ways,
a little too cohesive.
Can we have you guys turn
around a little bit?
That is just very similar backs.
- Like, I want them
- to fit together,
but I don't want them
to look like triplets.
We've got past, present,
future, twilight zone,
doors of perception, a matrix,
a rat race.
I mean, it's a lot to take in.
Who emerged as the dominant
force in your team?
I would say me, actually.
Yeah.
- This is my first time actually
- not being humble.
And for once,
I'm really proud of my art.
- Thank you, Cheryl Ann
- and Kyle.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- All right, painters,
- please head back to the lounge,
- and we'll bring you back out
- shortly.
Thank you.
Okay, guys, what do you think?
Wow.
Mind blown.
The painters might have a job
with me.
- These painters would love
- to have that opportunity.
They would love that.
- I like Rio and Lana's
- group a lot,
because it just felt like
I was in that world.
- For me, I think it was
- the strong,
bold, black line work
that really set the paint off.
- Black is one of the
- most powerful techniques
that you can use in UV painting,
and a lot of people
forget about that.
Because it's the contrast
between those intense colors
and the black
that really sells it.
And how about Lana
really reeling it in...
- Yeah!
- Yeah, that's new.
To not overwhelm us
with another story.
This morning, you know,
I told them to keep it simple.
Mm-hmm.
So you're responsible for it?
I-I-I--A little bit, I think.
Avi and Aryn.
- The problem that I had
- with that team
is that I feel like Avi
really focused on
the life performer,
and he did a gorgeous job
painting that face,
those flowers.
It was, you know, perfect.
If all three of their pieces
were at the quality
of the life painting,
they would have blown us away.
- Oh, my goodness.
- I agree.
I just feel like they
didn't give any love to birth.
It didn't as
to hold the three together.
I think Aryn's talent
was diminished
by being with Avi.
I felt her lines
weren't distinct enough.
I could tell the difference
between Avi's brush
and Aryn's brush.
Cheryl Ann and Kyle.
There was a lot going on there.
Listen, I could follow it,
but that's just me.
I'm glad you could.
- It was twilight zone.
- Past, present, future.
- The rat race.
- Yes.
- Back doors of perception.
- The eye.
- The eye, that's right.
- Mm-hmm.
The matrix.
Binary code, yeah.
- There's more.
- Right.
- I could go on.
- Right.
We all love
this narrative body painting,
but I think this challenge
called for creating characters
that are gonna end up onstage.
You know, when we
announced this challenge,
Kyle knew that
this was his territory.
So he really took
the lead in this.
A leader's only effective
- if you're going
- in the right direction.
Exactly.
Someone's got to go home
tonight,
and someone's gonna win.
So have you made you decision?
- Mm-hmm.
- Yes.
Okay.
Welcome back, painters.
Tonight, you really showed us
why you are the final six.
- All of your UV performances
- tonight
brought the art to life.
Job well done.
As incredible
as all of your work was,
one of you will be
tonight's winner,
and one of you is going home.
Rio,
Lana...
Congratulations,
you're the winning team.
Please come forward.
Rio and Lana,
- the winner of this challenge
- is...
Rio and Lana,
together you both created
a brilliant piece,
but in the end,
there can be only one winner.
Lana, Rio, we loved
the psychedelic color palette.
It was designed perfectly
for a performance.
- The winner
- of this challenge is...
Lana.
Congratulations.
You're tonight's winner.
Thank you.
It really came down to the fact
that you were
in the driver's seat today,
and this was
your overall vision.
It's on you, girl.
Congratulations.
You may head back to the lounge.
Yes.
I'm on the clouds.
I love this challenge so much.
This is my day.
Cheryl Ann, Kyle,
Avi,
Aryn,
one of you will be
tonight's losing team.
And from that team,
one of you will be going home.
Kyle, Cheryl Ann,
your piece was cohesive,
but maybe a little too cohesive.
Avi, Aryn,
this is technically one
of the most sophisticated pieces
we have ever seen.
But the birth piece felt like
you threw the baby out
with the bathwater.
As a whole, I didn't feel you
executed as a team.
Avi,
Aryn...
You are safe.
Congratulations.
Please go back to the lounge.
I love you guys.
Cheryl Ann, Kyle,
overall, the judges felt
you had too many elements,
and they weren't executed well.
Kyle, you really stepped up
to lead your team.
Unfortunately, you took the team
in the wrong direction.
And for that reason,
- I'm sorry,
- but you're going home.
- It's okay.
- Cheryl Ann,
- you're gonna have
- to step up your work
if want to remain
in this competition.
Please go back to the lounge.
Thank you.
Kyle, you went out tonight
with a really strong piece,
- and you should be very proud
- of it.
Thank you.
Kyle, it's time
to wash off your canvas.
Okay.
Thank you, guys, so much.
I don't want to say
good-bye to anyone here.
- Hey, I went out with a bang,
- right?
Honestly, we've all kind
of grown close.
So I'll see you guys soon.
Keep the house clean.
It's hard to pack up your
bag after being here so long.
- But then again,
- I'm excited,
'cause now I get to really take
what I've learned from this
- and make myself
- so much stronger for the future.
Next time on Skin Wars...
We're bringing out the big guns.
Holy ****.
These guys are huge.
Muscles, yay.
Bleh.
We got this.
I see no robot.
I see Smokey the Bear.
- I was like, "What the hell
- is she doing?"
Obviously my painting style
is intimidating enough
to unsettle him so much.
Oh, yes.
Pump me up.
I warned you about symmetry.
We can't forgive these things.
I got respect for y'all,
but this is B.S.