Skin Wars (2014–…): Season 3, Episode 9 - Contort This! - full transcript
- In the intense world
- of competitive body painting,
you can either keep your cool
or turn up the heat.
- ♪ This ain't no illusion,
babe ♪
♪ Yeah, you're heaven made ♪
- It's a sizzling season three
of "Skin Wars."
The art of body painting
is more powerful than ever.
12 of the most talented artists
from around the world
will push themselves
week after week...
- You painted your heart out.
- [screams]
- Proving who is brilliant
- with a brush...
- Yeah!
- Just amazing.
- Loved it.
- I came here to win.
[all gasp]
- And who can't handle
- the pressure.
- I'm freaking out.
- Wow.
- What?
- [crying]
Not fair.
- How dare you disgrace
this competition
with your bull****?
- Do you want to leave
the competition?
It's the semifinals, and we're
down to the final four.
Only one will win
the $100,000 prize
and the ultimate title
of "Skin Wars" champion.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- Hello Painters.
Congratulations on making it
to the "Skin Wars" semifinals.
- I'm so stoked
to be here, right?
- Oh, my God.
We're in the semifinals.
I made it to top four.
- You guys are our last
- four painters.
And you've done amazingly well
to get this far.
- So true.
- And although you guys
- are still here,
one mistake
could send you home.
- It's time to connect
with your animal instincts.
Brace yourselves
for one wild entrance.
♪ ♪
- Wow.
- We have these crazy
acrobatic people
coming out like animals.
They're crawling
and flipping in ways
I can't even--I can't
bend that way.
- For this challenge,
you will create
animal paintings.
- This is something that
- I've always wanted to do.
I'm thinking, "Wow,
what animals can I make?"
- You'll be working with
these talented specialty models
that have the ability to bend
and contort their bodies
in unbelievable ways.
You will have three hours
to complete your paintings.
The winner will have
an important advantage
in the concept challenge.
- These aren't basic models.
You really have to think about
how to maximize
your model's flexibility
to come up
with an exciting piece.
- But don't play it safe
because things are not
getting any easier.
- Okay, painters.
Your time starts... now.
Good luck.
- Okay, go.
- Go.
Run, Ricky.
I've seen you run before.
- Whew.
♪ ♪
- Models.
Who's lucky to be with me?
- My name's Rick.
I'll be your painter for today.
I didn't think I was gonna
make it this far,
especially being the youngest.
And here I am still
with the big dogs.
Let's try something else.
- Hmm.
- If I come home with that win,
it's gonna be
a game-changer for sure.
- I want to help my mom
- get out of debt.
- Man, if my mom
- had never made that move
of taking me out
of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico,
I would probably be stuck
in drug trafficking.
Probably even
be dead, you know.
She made the right decision
to move us to the States,
and I wanted to make
my family so proud.
- Oh my gosh.
- So, I can like--
- I have put my models
in some compromising positions
before,
but I've never had the chance
of really working
with a contortionist.
Maybe bend forward.
I want this so bad right now.
- Everybody back home
- is counting on me.
My grandpa
is my biggest supporter
and he has cancer.
- What's driving me
- to win this right now,
- is that I want
- to make him proud.
That for me is
an overwhelming feeling.
- If I use your thighs
as the back legs.
- For this challenge
- I'm painting and committing.
Yeah, let's go with that.
We've got no time to waste.
The way the animal just adapts
to a background,
it's so amazing.
I have never painted
a contortionist,
so this should be interesting.
There's a lot of work to do.
- Hi there.
- What's your name?
- I'm Sarah.
- Sarah?
I'm Alison.
Nice to meet you.
- At this point
- in the competition
with only four of us,
any little, tiny detail
can move you from the middle
of the pack
to being eliminated.
I'm going this for my family.
I am the primary bread-winner,
- so if when the money's
- not coming in,
there's a lot of fear of
being evicted from our house.
Winning "Skin Wars" would be
such a game-changer.
I totally can smell
that $100,000 right now.
I'm gonna turn you
into a giraffe, I think.
- I'm going to have
- your leg be the neck
and your foot be the head.
- Life before "Skin Wars"
was difficult.
I am in New York City.
Rent is expensive.
I am in debt
from going to school,
so I need to make it
to the final three.
I really have to bring it
and not let anyone
get in the way.
- Alison?
- Yeah, dear?
- Do you know
- that there is an artist
that has done a giraffe
before with contortionists?
- No.
- No? Oh.
She used the leg as the neck.
- Oh, no.
- Really?
- I'm not sure if Michael is just
- trying to psych me out,
or if he's genuinely
just concerned
and trying to help me?
- Why?
- Is that what you're doing?
- Yeah.
- Oh.
- Alison is really easy
to get it--in her head.
- You could just say
- a little thing
and it's gonna drive her nuts.
- You see just Michael
- pushing her button.
♪ Da-da, da-da ♪
- Hopefully that doesn't affect
- judging or anything.
- Yeah, I hope not.
- He's always trying
- to psych me out.
- That was the first thing
- I didn't want to do.
Go off of something
that someone's already
really done well.
I'm painting an ostrich
and I really want
to make it come to life.
You can even,
"meep, meep, meep."
In the back of my mind,
I keep telling myself that
I'm gonna make it to the end.
That's what I have to do.
All right, girl,
your ostrich legs look legit.
- Oh, and can you do
that holding these?
I'm painting an antelope,
and I'm using my horns.
I have these super-cool horns
that I brought for good luck.
Oh, they are some
long-ass horns.
- Michael's model is holding
these big huge antelope horns
that he's made.
All of us in the workroom
have brought things from home
that help us feel comfortable,
but we are supposed to all have
access to the same tools
and materials.
I don't see how
this could possibly be fair.
- You're so beautiful.
- Wait, are you allowed
- to use things
that you made previously
not here in the workroom?
- Whoa.
- I wish I could have made
- my props ahead of time.
That doesn't seem fair.
- Drama in the workroom.
- Okay, Alison.
- Well, right?
- Are you feeling
- a little nervous
- because your piece
- was already created?
- Ooh, this is
when the claws come out.
- This challenge brought, like,
the whole inner-beast
from everybody.
- I look over at Brittney
- and we're just
like, "What do you do?"
You know?
I'm just gonna keep painting.
I ain't got time to be
part of this drama.
- You know how I am
- about the rules, Michael.
Anyone else feel like
that's not quite right?
- No.
- You have
- to push me pretty far
before I pack a punch,
but I feel like I'm getting
pushed to my breaking point.
So I had to tell on him.
- I didn't know
that you had your own props.
You're not allowed to use that.
- Hey, Alison.
- Yes, dear?
- I can't use the horns.
- Thanks.
- You feel good about that?
- No. How about just
- following the rules
- because they're the rules,
- and it's the right thing to do.
- I'm so turned off by this.
- Alison, is
- a very strong painter,
but I am creative and fearless
and she's not.
So I'm just not
worried about her.
This shouldn't hold me back.
- Oh, my God, you guys.
We have 15 minutes left!
- No!
- What happened
to all the white paint?
- I need to spend
- at least 15 minutes on this.
- **** man.
- Beep, boop, boop.
- No!
- All right, painters!
Time's up!
Put your tools down.
The judges and I can't wait
to look at your wild creations.
- Go ahead.
- Stomp your feet.
- Oh boy.
Look at that.
Oh my goodness.
That is gorgeous.
And I love you've put a jewel
for the eye,
- and actually,
- how the light catches it,
- it looks like
- it's winking at you.
- Amazing.
- You've got some beautiful
- technique going on.
Are we talking paint brush?
Airbrush?
- A combination of both.
I like the softness
of the airbrush.
- And then for texture
- and the feathers
with the brush on top.
- Great, thank you, Brittney.
- Thanks.
- So, Rick,
- you chose the chameleon.
- That's the first thing
that came to my head.
- Your colors are beautiful.
Your technique
looks really strong.
- How do you think yours
compares to the other painters?
- I wish I could have had
- more fun with it, you know,
actually use her body to do
all this weird stuff, but--
- You could of, but you didn't.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's nice knowing that Rick
is not good at everything.
- Thank you, Rick.
- All right.
- Rotate this foot
out just a tiny bit.
both: Oh, my God.
- Oh, wow.
- It's really wonderful.
Tell us about your technique.
What were you using?
- I based her all out
with the airbrush,
and then just hand-painted
all of the spots.
The hardest part was making
that face on the foot.
- Well,
- your colors are beautiful,
but this is
a very popular animal.
I've seen body-painted
in the past.
- Well, I hadn't ever
seen it before,
- and I didn't want
- to do something
that I'd already seen.
- Well, most books
- have been written.
It's just your way of doing it.
Now is this competition
getting fierce at this time?
- It kinda got a little tense
- in here today.
- In what way?
- This is kind
- of Michael's story, but...
Well, he had some antlers
that he made at home
- that he wanted
- to use on his piece,
and then he kind of
blamed me for like,
narcing on him.
- So, Michael?
- Yes?
- How do you feel about that?
- I didn't know
- that I couldn't use them.
- And so when I was told
- that I couldn't, I,
you know, just didn't use them.
- He's acting like
- he didn't complain about it
when it happened.
- Okay?
Thank you, Alison.
- Thank you.
- So, this is my piece.
It's an antelope.
- Oh, my goodness.
Look at that!
Wow!
- So for this piece, I wanted
to make something different.
- I knew everyone was gonna use
- the whole body
as the body of the animal...
- Mm-hmm.
- I wanted to just use the face
because I thought
of the, like, African masks.
- What was your biggest
- challenge here?
- Well, you know, that whole
- thing happened with Alison,
so that was a bit difficult.
- Oh, a little unnerving.
- At what point
in the process did that happen?
- I made a comment
on how another body-painter
has created a piece like hers.
And so I think there was
a comeback from that comment.
- A little tit-for-tat.
- I was not trying
to be a jerk at all.
- I know you don't believe me
- and you think
there was some aggression
there, but it wasn't.
- Well, that happened.
- Wow.
- What did you think?
- Crazy good.
Crazy good.
- Cra-ray-ray-ray.
- Crazy good.
- Alison's giraffe just
took my breath away.
I love the leaf in the mouth.
- She even did the little braid
for the tail.
But the giraffe
is almost to the tee
what I've seen in the past.
- But you got to give it
- to Alison
for utilizing
the contortionist.
That was the most difficult
of the poses.
- What did you think
- about Rick?
- It's an impressive painting
- for sure.
- Sure.
- It was a beautiful painting.
- But it didn't have
the transition
and the flexibility
that I wanted to see.
- That was a very comfortable
- position
for the contortionist to be in.
- When I got up close,
it was gorgeous.
Best use of color.
Regardless of all of that,
I still want to see
competitive Rick.
- What did you think
- about Brittney?
- Right on the money.
- The fine hairs
that she put
on there were exquisite.
- The only negative,
I just wish she could have
pulled in a little more color.
- What about Michael?
- Hmm.
- Talk about creativity.
He really bites off
a big chunk.
He always does.
- He used his model
beautifully.
- I'm glad he didn't use
those fake antlers.
- Oh.
- He created this illusion
- on her arms.
- And they looked like horns.
- Yes.
- And he took advantage
of his model's abilities.
- Yes, he did.
The only thing is so much
of her was painted black.
- So have you made
your decision?
- both: Yes.
- Okay.
Let's go tell 'em.
Painters.
You had three hours
to complete your single-body
contortion paintings.
The judges have decided
who their top two painters are.
- After my fight
with Alison,
winning would be the best
feeling ever.
♪ ♪
- Painters,
you had three hours
to complete your single-body
contortion paintings.
Brittney. Alison.
You are the two two painters.
- Now that we're
- just down to four,
every challenge
affects the game.
- This advantage
- could be one step
closer to the $100,000.
- Brittney.
- Wow.
I loved everything
about this piece.
I loved that arm
as the ostrich's neck
and head.
Gorgeous work.
- Thank you.
- Alison, you know
- the devil's in the details.
I loved the leaves
in your giraffe's mouth.
The double legs up front.
That was breathtaking.
- Thanks.
- Great work, painters,
but there was one painting
that drove the judges
the most wild.
♪ ♪
- Yay!
- Congratulations, Brittney!
You're the winner!
- This is the best feeling
knowing that I'm gonna
have an advantage over
all these other people here.
- Because right now, we're down
- to the final four
and I need it.
- For your next challenge,
you'll be working with five
flexible contortionist models.
- Oh, my God.
How in the world are we going
to paint five models?
- You will come up
with your own creative
multi-body illusion concept.
- You guys should be
- thinking bigger
than you've ever thought before
- and really push
- your creativity.
You may or may not include
movements and transitions,
but that one final pose
is what will be judged.
- Only three of you will complete
- in the finale
and move one step closer
to winning
the $100,000 grand prize.
And one of you will be
going home.
You'll have six hours
to complete your paintings,
and I know that doesn't sound
like a lot of time,
but to help you get
this challenge done,
we've enlisted the help
of a few familiar faces.
- Oh, my God!
[all cheering]
- Wow.
I didn't expect
to see them ever again.
I couldn't be any happier.
I mean, this is
like a family reunion.
- Painters.
- You will each have
- the assistance
- of one of
- your former competitors
- to help you
- with this challenge.
And, Brittney, since you won
the first challenge,
- you get to pick
- your helper first.
And you also get to assign
your competitors' partners.
- This is a huge advantage.
My strategy is
to weaken my competition.
- Being paired up
- with the wrong person
can totally throw you
off your game.
Wow.
That is definitely
my main goal.
- I would love to be with Otto,
because he's a monster
with the airbrush
and he's so upbeat
and positive.
He's the ideal partner.
- Brittney,
who will be your partner?
- I'm gonna take Otto.
- Oh.
- Damn.
- And now for your
competitors' partners.
- Alison, you get Luis.
- Brittney's thinking
- is gonna throw me off
- because there's
- some friction between us.
- Otto's gone as well.
- No!
- How the hell
- did they choose your piece
over his piece today?
- Rick.
I've got to give you a lady.
- Of course.
- You get Tiffany.
- Great.
- [laughter]
- Tiffany is definitely
- a leader,
but in this challenge, I hope
she doesn't step on me,
you know what I'm saying?
- And for Michael?
- You are connected back
with your love, Kyera.
- Yay!
- Helpers, will you stand
by your painters please?
- Yay.
- Oh, my God.
[indistinct chatter]
- Now that you all
- have your helpers,
- we are gonna give you
- 30 minutes
to sketch your ideas,
- and we will then send in
- your models
so you can practice your poses.
Judges, any advice?
- Maximize all the resources
you have.
You have five models,
talented assistants.
Be smart.
Be creative.
- This is one of the most
difficult challenges possible.
It requires great collaboration
and you have to have
such a strong
and cohesive concept.
- And your time starts--now.
- Good luck everyone!
- Good night.
See you tomorrow.
- I'm so happy
- because I get partnered up
- with Kyera.
I have so much love for her
and it's nice to have her back.
- Hi, guys!
- Hi!
- This challenge
- will determine
- who is going
- to the final three.
It's a huge deal.
We're gonna have you guys
show us your tricks
- and then we're gonna take
- pictures of that
so that we can go home and,
- like, sketch based on that.
- Okay.
- Which one
of you guys can do handstands?
- I like this so much.
- The snake.
Look at the eyes.
This is exciting, guys.
- I want the colorful bird.
I want it to have
something like this.
- A peacock.
- Yeah, but does a peacock
- make sense with this idea?
- No.
- It's gonna
be interesting to see
- if me and Tiffany
- could work together.
- Like that.
- What would the hands be?
- A beak, honey.
- Tiffany is the only painter
that made it very far
in this competition.
She's such a strong painter
that if she actually
gives it her best,
this piece
is gonna look amazing.
- We're gonna make you
- like a peacock.
- That looks really good.
- So here's what I'm thinking.
- We're gonna make
- a flower bloom.
It's gotta read really,
- really well.
- Right.
- I am so excited
to be working with Otto.
He just--he puts off
such a positive attitude.
- Ahh.
[chuckles]
- Having him next
to me is a huge advantage.
- Move right.
- What do you have in mind?
- So, this is what keeps
popping into my mind.
- Uh-huh.
- Is one of the Hindu gods
- with all the arms.
- Has it been done before?
- I've never seen it.
Well, Luis is not
the best painter.
- The thing right here...
- Yeah, yeah.
- And then, look,
- they have the hands
- that you want.
- So I'm hoping that he's
good at being my assistant.
- I'm just here to help.
- You guys,
- it's time to go home.
- Okay.
- Get some rest.
- I guess you won't know
- what we're kind of doing.
We don't either.
Time's up and what we have
- is a lot of photos
- of the models
in the different positions.
- I just want to, like,
- sit in my room and sketch.
Come up with an idea.
- This is the challenge
- that will determine
who will be the top three,
so it has to be perfect.
♪ ♪
- Come on. Come on.
- Okay.
- Okay, why won't this work?
- That'll work.
- Okay, Otto.
- Hello, dear.
- Nice to have you
- back in my station today.
- Yeah.
- Here they come.
Hey there.
- Good morning.
- Yay.
- All right, dude.
- We totally
- figured everything out.
My concept today is to convey
a closed-up flower
that blossoms to life
right in front of your eyes.
Your bald caps are looking
way better than mine right now.
- No.
- We're gonna do a dragon.
- Yeah!
- We decide
- that we're gonna do a dragon
- because it's a very powerful
- and strong image.
- We're gonna glue
- your hands together
and then we're gonna
put teeth on you.
In the past challenges,
- my pieces were
- the craziest things
I've ever made in my life,
and here I am.
A semifinalist.
So I'm going
to use fabric and then,
like, all these teeth with,
like, amazing drop-shadows.
It's gonna be amazing.
That's good.
You can do that?
- My grandmother
- grew up in India,
so I have always had posters
of all these deities.
I love a good Hindu god.
I love the different deities,
and Ganesh is my favorite.
- Okay, so this is done.
- Okay, great.
- My concept is the peacock.
That looks good.
The peacock represents me
with confidence.
Your hands,
just stay like that.
But Tiffany, her head
is still somewhere else.
Perfect.
- I was eliminated
and now I'm back
and it's just, like,
"Uh, **** this."
I don't care about Rick
or this challenge, period.
It's so funny
when you just don't care.
- That's not good.
♪ ♪
- We have six hours
to paint five models.
That's just over an hour
per model.
That's insane.
- Where'd that dark, dark
- blue go?
That I just had.
- In your hand.
- You know what?
- Thank you.
- Are your legs okay?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Is this good for the feathers?
- Do you want to use
the stencil I made?
- Not for the inside of it.
- I'm a bit nervous
- because Tiff is doing
- her own thing.
- How's that look?
- Hmm, that's a little bit
too dark.
- Let's try, like,
- a brighter green.
- I want metallic in it.
- She doesn't understand
- that this is my project
and you're gonna be
my assistant.
- I told you,
- you need to cut the feathers.
- Yeah, but that-that's gonna
- go on the back.
- I'm talking about the eyes.
- Look at that.
- My work's really
- not looking good
because she's not really good
at adapting to my style.
- Let me see.
- I just do that.
- What she's painting
right now, it's not good
- and I wish
- I could just tell Tiff
to go take a seat, you know,
let me do this **** myself.
♪ ♪
- Oh, my God, Otto.
We have two hours.
- You guys,
- we only have two hours!
- Holy monkey!
- Okay. We gotta paint fast.
- No, we don't.
- The you're gonna have
this gap right here.
- Right.
- I am kind of bummed
- that I got,
- you know, eliminated,
but I respect this competition.
- And I'm not gonna hold
- a grudge working with Alison.
- That negative energy
- destroys you.
- So this is good?
- I think so.
Start filling it into here
and then let's see where
that line needs to fall.
- You got it, dude.
- Luis is, like,
the best freakin' partner.
- I'm coming.
- I'm coming.
- My piece is really
- starting to come together.
- You haven't helped me
- with any of the painting
- besides the base coat
- of the pink.
- Dude, I'm about to start
- on the mouth.
- Like, we need to get
this **** done faster.
I'm starting to feel nervous
because I realized
Kyera was eliminated
before any of the other people
that came back.
- First of all,
- there's a huge smudge here.
And I can tell that she's
struggling to paint
at our level.
You want, like, sharp.
See, like, that's way too runny.
- I think Michael
- is definitely at that point
where he's stressed out.
- Why is that **** there?
- Here.
- All right.
- Get the **** out of the way.
- I think he's having
so much pressure right now
that he is freaking out.
- You have to fix all
of this ****.
- I was thinking about
you should just airbrush it.
- I just look at Mike and I'm
like, "Really, Michael?
- Really?
- Props again?"
- How is working
- with Alison, Luis?
- I'm pretty much doing
- what pretty much she's
- telling me to do, you know.
- You're her bitch.
- Damn. Okay.
- [laughing]
I know I have some extremely
tough competition today.
- Did you already do the mouth?
- Babe, have you seen
- me do that?
- I don't--I've been, look,
- doing other thing--no? Okay?
- No.
- That's all I need.
Nope.
- I look over just
to kind of get a peek
and see what was going on
with my team member situation
that I set up,
and Michael and Kyera
were not getting along.
- The details, I need you to do
the mouth--inside of the mouth.
- I know what you can do,
hold on. Listen, Kyera.
- So we need some teamwork
- up in here.
- Somebody talking to me?
- Rick and Tiffany?
They're just--there's still no
communication going on at all.
- I think you need some detail
- on there.
- On what?
- I'm sacrificing my hands
- for you, Alison.
- But Alison and Luis
are getting along way better
than I was anticipating, so,
you know, that's one
down the toilet.
- Oh, that looks awesome.
- So you start working
on water drops.
I'm just gonna airbrush
the **** out of you.
- I'm gonna get you wet.
- This is the biggest task
- I've ever been through.
Especially going
into the finale.
Fortunately, Otto
is an extremely skilled
airbrush painter.
It's-it's heaven on earth.
- The face right here,
- but it'll sit like that.
- We can do that.
- It feels great to be back.
- It feels great to be
- painting with Brittney.
I smell what you're cooking.
It's an absolute honor
to be able to help
another artist out.
- I'm just geeking out.
- I love it.
I'm just a happy camper.
Dragonfly's all done.
- So you mean something
- like that?
- No, no, no.
- It's, like,
have you seen a bird before?
- Hold out your arms for me.
I look over at Michael's piece
and I'm like,
"He painted a sleeping bag."
- Kyera,
- we have a broken tooth.
I don't know what to do.
- Alison?
- Yes, dear.
- I have a deep feeling
- you're gonna go to the final.
- Me too.
- We've got one minute left!
- All right, one minute!
- One minute!
- Come see me.
- Looking good.
♪ ♪
- Okay, times up!
Tools down!
- Mm.
- Guess what.
It's time to say good-bye
to your helpers.
- Oh, no!
- They're not standing
- with us on stage?
- No, sorry.
Good-bye's are hard.
- We can't even
- watch the judging?
- I wish you the best.
- Luis was super helpful.
I think this was a backfire
on Brittney's part,
and this could just skyrocket
me straight to the finale.
- Tiffany is not
- a good partner.
Her being in a bad mood
and not giving her best
really **** me up,
so this is not my best work.
I have a really big feeling
I'm going home.
- Okay, painters.
You and your models will be
following me to the stage.
The judges can't wait
to see your final pieces.
- Team! Whoo!
- Love you. Thank you.
- Good luck.
- Go kill it.
- I look around the room,
and no one else
used fabric for this,
so here I go again
with a bunch of props.
Did I just sabotage myself?
Maybe.
Maybe I'm screwed.
- Bye!
♪ ♪
- Hello, painters.
all: Hi.
- For this challenge,
- you created
- a multi-body illusion painting
with five very flexible models.
The three painters remaining
after tonight's elimination
will move on
to the "Skin Wars" finale
and one step closer
to the $100,000 grand prize.
And one of you will be
going home.
Now, let's welcome back
our esteemed judges.
Craig Tracy.
- Hello, painters.
- Robin Slonina.
- Hi, everybody.
- RuPaul Charles.
- Ruh-roah.
- [laughter]
- And our special guest judge.
Gold medal winning gymnast
and "Dancing With The Stars"
champion,
Shawn Johnson.
- Hey, guys.
- Oh, my God.
I love Shawn Johnson.
- This girl has been
- all over the place
and knows how to turn her body.
- Painters.
Please step to the side.
Okay. Let's see your
multi-body illusions.
♪ ♪
- The dragon symbolizes power,
strength, vitality;
- and it stands out
- from the distance.
It's bold.
I realize the mouth
is overtaking the visual.
The teeth are kind of wonky.
They're falling apart.
But I do like how
it's bright pink in there.
It's really theatrical and fun.
I took a risk
- when I added the fabric
- for the mouth,
but it looks really good.
♪ ♪
- Watching my piece come
to life on stage feels amazing.
It's a really strong piece.
The colors are beautiful.
The water on the petals
looks realistic.
I feel like I'm on
a good old winning streak.
♪ ♪
- My models come out,
and it looks so beautiful.
Ganesh's face looks awesome.
The lotus at the very bottom
is radiant and beautiful.
The legs really look like arms.
It's just so cool.
I'm so proud of my piece
that I know whatever happens,
I've painted
the best freaking thing
I have ever made in my life.
♪ ♪
- Seeing my models,
- I'm so excited.
The colors look amazing.
The head and the body
of the peacock look sharp.
I did it without putting
any props, just paint
and I hope that the judges will
recognize what I was going for.
- Okay, painters.
The judges
- want to talk to you
- about your work.
Brittney, we start with you.
- All right.
Making it to the final four,
I really feel like my career
as an artist has blossomed.
I wanted to bring that vision
and that emotion of mine
to life.
- It is lovely.
I love the colors.
I love how soft
and loving it is.
- Did you intentionally
incorporate
your top model's dreadlocks?
- I did.
- Like,
the top of the stamen
is the hair.
So his hair is pollinating.
- Yes.
- I don't know if it's just me,
but it's really kind of erotic.
- Little bit.
- Is that a big stamen
- in your flower,
- or are you just happy
- to see me?
[laughter]
- I love the additional
- creative element
of the dragonfly.
I love the motion
that you've incorporated
by having those
water droplets happen.
I think it got a little dark
in the center
for such a beautiful flower.
It does add drama though.
- For me,
being a former gymnast,
- I love how you used
- their bodies
- in their positions
- and the back bends--
even though they're painful.
- I think it's
- absolutely beautiful.
- Great. Thank you, Brittney.
- Thank you.
- Okay, Rick.
Your turn.
- My concept was trying to make
the illusion of a peacock
without using any props.
- Because I feel
- when I do it,
these types of projects,
I mean, using props
is just like an easy way out.
- I love the colors.
Um, you know, technically, I
wish maybe it wasn't so sparse.
- When you think
- of a peacock's tail,
it's so full and vibrant
and beautiful.
- Rick.
Proud as a peacock.
You've got one of the most
beautiful animals in the world.
I loved when those feathers
first came out.
It's a beautiful piece,
but this is not your best work.
- I think there's
- about ten different ways
- that this could
- have been better.
- Yeah, I mean, it was hard
to work with Tiffany.
She did all the feathers.
It was like, that's not the way
I wanted the feathers to look.
- But who's responsible
for that?
- I don't want to leave
- "Skin Wars"
for Tiffany's fault.
- It looks like this bird
got plucked.
- Rick,
this is not your best work.
Looks like this bird
got plucked.
- It takes a little bit
more of an imagination
to kind of see the actual bird.
- I love the detail
- and colors though.
- It's still
- incredibly impressive.
- Thank you, Rick.
- Thank you.
- Okay, Alison.
Tell us about your painting.
- I wanted to create
a Hindu deity.
Ganesh here is a protector
and a remover of obstacles.
And I figured what better guy
to have with me here
on this journey.
- I can't stop looking at it.
I love the colors.
I love the detail.
- I would like to take a snapshot
- and take it home.
- Alison.
I am not a fan of artists
creating images like this.
♪ ♪
It leaves me so little
to critique.
It's gorgeous.
The trunk could have popped off
a little bit more,
but then you've got
so many smart elements in there.
- Thank you.
- It is so ornate.
I love the colors.
- I love the lotus flower
- at the bottom.
- I was a little confused
towards the base.
But the crown
is just magnificent.
Like, you definitely
have a lot of reverence
for your subject matter,
and it really showed.
- Thank you, Alison.
- Thank you.
- Okay, Michael.
You're up next.
- When I started
- this challenge,
I was just, like, overwhelmed
with everyone's power.
And then I realized
that I wanted to represent
that power in my painting
- and so I came up
- with a dragon
which symbolizes
that in many cultures.
- You certainly lived up
to your reputation as
"Mr. Showmanship."
My God!
I was wowed.
And I just love
those yellow eyes.
- I feel that this piece
is crazy and ambitious.
And that is very reflective
of the painter that created it.
It's an amazing, creative,
and impactful piece,
but is half of this piece
painted on fabric?
- It's a good question.
A lot of it is fabric.
- A whole bunch of it.
- For me, it was the easiest
- to see.
- It was a dragon
- and not people.
The visual aspects
- and the movement
- of it was really fun.
- Thank you, Michael.
Okay, painters,
this is gonna be extremely
difficult for the judges.
- You've given them
- a lot to consider.
- Please head back
- to the painters' lounge
and we'll call you
back shortly.
- So, judges, what did you think
- about the work tonight?
- Tonight's work
was highly impressive.
These artists brought it.
- I can't believe the variety
that we saw onstage.
I feel like each piece
was as individual
as the artist that created it.
- Well, we are here to decide
who will be in the final three.
- I would say my favorite pose
today was definitely Alison.
- I think, just with the limbs
- and the legs,
it gave a great feel.
- I loved the opulence
of Alison's piece,
but I loved the zest for life
- that Brittney gave
- to her piece.
- I think she did such
a beautiful job really
capturing that magic of nature.
- For me it took a little
- more effort
to see Brittney's image
and effort for the flower.
- I would love
- to have seen
- more vibrant colors
- in that flower.
But I felt that Alison
had the edge
because she did something
that was more powerful
and it had such a huge impact.
- I actually found a little bit
more technical problems
with Alison.
I didn't get the lotus
and I also felt like that trunk
needed to pop more
off the body.
- So who was less
successful tonight?
- There was a lot of fabric
in Michael's work.
And he's done it before.
- But what was painted
was beautifully painted.
I had more issue, though,
with Rick's painting.
I've seen peacocks.
This one didn't impress me
that much.
- He did do a great job
- on the head.
I thought that was a really
sweet, central focal point.
- I would say the body
- on Rick's work
was probably my favorite.
- When you looked at it,
- it was a peacock body.
- He seemed to know
- that his piece
- was not his best work.
- No, you're right.
- He did know that. He knew that.
- I think Rick was even
throwing Michael a little bit
of shade on the stage
where he said, "I didn't rely
on any of this extra prop
- and waste my time
- on that stuff."
- It was a total jab.
- You know, it was.
And Rick was being
very earnest.
- So have you made
- your decision?
- That's the $100,000 question.
- Yeah.
- Yup.
- Painters.
You made some incredible
multi-body illusions.
The judges had
a nearly impossible task,
- but they have made
- their decision
to send three painters
to the finale
and one artist back home.
Brittney.
Alison.
- You're the top
- two painters tonight.
Congratulations.
- You are in
- the "Skin Wars" finale.
- Yay!
- I'm going to the finale.
I'm in the frickin' finale.
- Brittney,
your piece was dramatic,
but also really poetic.
- Thank you.
- And how did you feel
about Alison's painting?
- Overall,
it was my favorite pose tonight,
and it was completely stunning.
- I loved it.
- Thanks.
- This was so close,
the judges were torn.
But there can be
only one winner.
- I was pretty confident
- that I would make it
- to the final three.
I've kicked ass on so many
of the challenges.
Now I really want to win
"Skin Wars," and I deserve it.
- The winner
of this challenge is...
[dramatic music]
- Brittney.
Alison.
♪ ♪
This was so close,
- but there can be
- only one winner.
♪ ♪
Alison?
You're the winner!
- Aah!
- Congratulations!
- Yeah!
Cool!
I am pinching myself.
Now I'm that much closer
to winning $100,000
for my family.
This is awesome.
- Holy moly.
You turned it out.
[laughter]
- You did an incredible job.
- The colors.
It was bold; it was unique;
it was different.
- I loved it.
- We all loved it.
- Thank you so much.
- Great job, Alison!
You and Brittney are in
the "Skin Wars" finale.
Congratulations.
- You may go back
- to the painters' lounge.
- Thanks, you guys.
- Namaste.
[laughter]
♪ ♪
- Michael.
Rick.
You were the bottom two.
One of you will be packing
up your brushes tonight.
- Michael.
Even though your painting
was creative and impactful,
half of your painting
was fabric.
And you spent too much time
on the theatrics.
And this is
a body-painting competition.
- Rick, you gave us a lot
of depth and a great
focal point,
and we appreciate that.
The only thing is that it was
missing that wow factor.
- My dream was to get
out of my city
and be known as a artist.
Now that I'm this close
to being on top,
I don't want to go home.
- The judges had a very hard
- decision to make
because this is the semifinals
of "Skin Wars"
and only the best
of the best can move forward.
Rick.
♪ ♪
You are safe.
And you will be moving on
to the "Skin Wars" finale.
Congratulations.
- Damn.
Sorry, bud.
- It's okay.
- Congratulations.
- Congratulations, Rick.
You may go back to the lounge.
- Thank you.
- Yo, congratulations.
- Michael, I'm sorry.
- That means you'll
- be going home.
- Michael, you're one
of the best painters
to have ever been
a part of "Skin Wars."
Your creativity is bigger
than our stage is sometimes.
- It's just the beginning
- for you, kiddo.
- It's the truth,
- and you know it.
From where we're sitting,
they sky's the limit for you.
- I feel like making it
to the semifinalist is huge,
- and I'm so thankful
- for everything.
- I'm going to miss you so much.
- Aw, man.
- Michael, it's time
to go was off your canvas.
- Do I shower with the models?
- [laughs]
- All right, bye, guys.
- Bye, Michael.
- I am disappointed
- that I am going home.
I really wanted to make it
to the final cut.
- This is it.
- This is our last group hug.
- "Skin Wars" really pushed me
to become a better artist.
I didn't play it safe.
I painted with all of my heart.
- It's just the beginning
- of a new chapter for me.
- Better watch out
- because Michael Mejia
is going to make
some crazy work.
- Next time on "Skin Wars"...
Welcome to the "Skin Wars"
finale.
Congratulations!
- I didn't think
- I was gonna make it this far.
- This is where you have
to pull out all the stops.
- One of you is gonna
be a $100,000 richer.
- Oh, my God!
- This is it.
This is the grand finale.
- ****
- Are you in trouble, Alison?
- I'm just trying not to panic.
- This is some real-world stuff
- we're asking you to do.
- I have to win.
I have so much support
back at home.
- The winner of the $100,000
grand prize is--
- of competitive body painting,
you can either keep your cool
or turn up the heat.
- ♪ This ain't no illusion,
babe ♪
♪ Yeah, you're heaven made ♪
- It's a sizzling season three
of "Skin Wars."
The art of body painting
is more powerful than ever.
12 of the most talented artists
from around the world
will push themselves
week after week...
- You painted your heart out.
- [screams]
- Proving who is brilliant
- with a brush...
- Yeah!
- Just amazing.
- Loved it.
- I came here to win.
[all gasp]
- And who can't handle
- the pressure.
- I'm freaking out.
- Wow.
- What?
- [crying]
Not fair.
- How dare you disgrace
this competition
with your bull****?
- Do you want to leave
the competition?
It's the semifinals, and we're
down to the final four.
Only one will win
the $100,000 prize
and the ultimate title
of "Skin Wars" champion.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- Hello Painters.
Congratulations on making it
to the "Skin Wars" semifinals.
- I'm so stoked
to be here, right?
- Oh, my God.
We're in the semifinals.
I made it to top four.
- You guys are our last
- four painters.
And you've done amazingly well
to get this far.
- So true.
- And although you guys
- are still here,
one mistake
could send you home.
- It's time to connect
with your animal instincts.
Brace yourselves
for one wild entrance.
♪ ♪
- Wow.
- We have these crazy
acrobatic people
coming out like animals.
They're crawling
and flipping in ways
I can't even--I can't
bend that way.
- For this challenge,
you will create
animal paintings.
- This is something that
- I've always wanted to do.
I'm thinking, "Wow,
what animals can I make?"
- You'll be working with
these talented specialty models
that have the ability to bend
and contort their bodies
in unbelievable ways.
You will have three hours
to complete your paintings.
The winner will have
an important advantage
in the concept challenge.
- These aren't basic models.
You really have to think about
how to maximize
your model's flexibility
to come up
with an exciting piece.
- But don't play it safe
because things are not
getting any easier.
- Okay, painters.
Your time starts... now.
Good luck.
- Okay, go.
- Go.
Run, Ricky.
I've seen you run before.
- Whew.
♪ ♪
- Models.
Who's lucky to be with me?
- My name's Rick.
I'll be your painter for today.
I didn't think I was gonna
make it this far,
especially being the youngest.
And here I am still
with the big dogs.
Let's try something else.
- Hmm.
- If I come home with that win,
it's gonna be
a game-changer for sure.
- I want to help my mom
- get out of debt.
- Man, if my mom
- had never made that move
of taking me out
of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico,
I would probably be stuck
in drug trafficking.
Probably even
be dead, you know.
She made the right decision
to move us to the States,
and I wanted to make
my family so proud.
- Oh my gosh.
- So, I can like--
- I have put my models
in some compromising positions
before,
but I've never had the chance
of really working
with a contortionist.
Maybe bend forward.
I want this so bad right now.
- Everybody back home
- is counting on me.
My grandpa
is my biggest supporter
and he has cancer.
- What's driving me
- to win this right now,
- is that I want
- to make him proud.
That for me is
an overwhelming feeling.
- If I use your thighs
as the back legs.
- For this challenge
- I'm painting and committing.
Yeah, let's go with that.
We've got no time to waste.
The way the animal just adapts
to a background,
it's so amazing.
I have never painted
a contortionist,
so this should be interesting.
There's a lot of work to do.
- Hi there.
- What's your name?
- I'm Sarah.
- Sarah?
I'm Alison.
Nice to meet you.
- At this point
- in the competition
with only four of us,
any little, tiny detail
can move you from the middle
of the pack
to being eliminated.
I'm going this for my family.
I am the primary bread-winner,
- so if when the money's
- not coming in,
there's a lot of fear of
being evicted from our house.
Winning "Skin Wars" would be
such a game-changer.
I totally can smell
that $100,000 right now.
I'm gonna turn you
into a giraffe, I think.
- I'm going to have
- your leg be the neck
and your foot be the head.
- Life before "Skin Wars"
was difficult.
I am in New York City.
Rent is expensive.
I am in debt
from going to school,
so I need to make it
to the final three.
I really have to bring it
and not let anyone
get in the way.
- Alison?
- Yeah, dear?
- Do you know
- that there is an artist
that has done a giraffe
before with contortionists?
- No.
- No? Oh.
She used the leg as the neck.
- Oh, no.
- Really?
- I'm not sure if Michael is just
- trying to psych me out,
or if he's genuinely
just concerned
and trying to help me?
- Why?
- Is that what you're doing?
- Yeah.
- Oh.
- Alison is really easy
to get it--in her head.
- You could just say
- a little thing
and it's gonna drive her nuts.
- You see just Michael
- pushing her button.
♪ Da-da, da-da ♪
- Hopefully that doesn't affect
- judging or anything.
- Yeah, I hope not.
- He's always trying
- to psych me out.
- That was the first thing
- I didn't want to do.
Go off of something
that someone's already
really done well.
I'm painting an ostrich
and I really want
to make it come to life.
You can even,
"meep, meep, meep."
In the back of my mind,
I keep telling myself that
I'm gonna make it to the end.
That's what I have to do.
All right, girl,
your ostrich legs look legit.
- Oh, and can you do
that holding these?
I'm painting an antelope,
and I'm using my horns.
I have these super-cool horns
that I brought for good luck.
Oh, they are some
long-ass horns.
- Michael's model is holding
these big huge antelope horns
that he's made.
All of us in the workroom
have brought things from home
that help us feel comfortable,
but we are supposed to all have
access to the same tools
and materials.
I don't see how
this could possibly be fair.
- You're so beautiful.
- Wait, are you allowed
- to use things
that you made previously
not here in the workroom?
- Whoa.
- I wish I could have made
- my props ahead of time.
That doesn't seem fair.
- Drama in the workroom.
- Okay, Alison.
- Well, right?
- Are you feeling
- a little nervous
- because your piece
- was already created?
- Ooh, this is
when the claws come out.
- This challenge brought, like,
the whole inner-beast
from everybody.
- I look over at Brittney
- and we're just
like, "What do you do?"
You know?
I'm just gonna keep painting.
I ain't got time to be
part of this drama.
- You know how I am
- about the rules, Michael.
Anyone else feel like
that's not quite right?
- No.
- You have
- to push me pretty far
before I pack a punch,
but I feel like I'm getting
pushed to my breaking point.
So I had to tell on him.
- I didn't know
that you had your own props.
You're not allowed to use that.
- Hey, Alison.
- Yes, dear?
- I can't use the horns.
- Thanks.
- You feel good about that?
- No. How about just
- following the rules
- because they're the rules,
- and it's the right thing to do.
- I'm so turned off by this.
- Alison, is
- a very strong painter,
but I am creative and fearless
and she's not.
So I'm just not
worried about her.
This shouldn't hold me back.
- Oh, my God, you guys.
We have 15 minutes left!
- No!
- What happened
to all the white paint?
- I need to spend
- at least 15 minutes on this.
- **** man.
- Beep, boop, boop.
- No!
- All right, painters!
Time's up!
Put your tools down.
The judges and I can't wait
to look at your wild creations.
- Go ahead.
- Stomp your feet.
- Oh boy.
Look at that.
Oh my goodness.
That is gorgeous.
And I love you've put a jewel
for the eye,
- and actually,
- how the light catches it,
- it looks like
- it's winking at you.
- Amazing.
- You've got some beautiful
- technique going on.
Are we talking paint brush?
Airbrush?
- A combination of both.
I like the softness
of the airbrush.
- And then for texture
- and the feathers
with the brush on top.
- Great, thank you, Brittney.
- Thanks.
- So, Rick,
- you chose the chameleon.
- That's the first thing
that came to my head.
- Your colors are beautiful.
Your technique
looks really strong.
- How do you think yours
compares to the other painters?
- I wish I could have had
- more fun with it, you know,
actually use her body to do
all this weird stuff, but--
- You could of, but you didn't.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's nice knowing that Rick
is not good at everything.
- Thank you, Rick.
- All right.
- Rotate this foot
out just a tiny bit.
both: Oh, my God.
- Oh, wow.
- It's really wonderful.
Tell us about your technique.
What were you using?
- I based her all out
with the airbrush,
and then just hand-painted
all of the spots.
The hardest part was making
that face on the foot.
- Well,
- your colors are beautiful,
but this is
a very popular animal.
I've seen body-painted
in the past.
- Well, I hadn't ever
seen it before,
- and I didn't want
- to do something
that I'd already seen.
- Well, most books
- have been written.
It's just your way of doing it.
Now is this competition
getting fierce at this time?
- It kinda got a little tense
- in here today.
- In what way?
- This is kind
- of Michael's story, but...
Well, he had some antlers
that he made at home
- that he wanted
- to use on his piece,
and then he kind of
blamed me for like,
narcing on him.
- So, Michael?
- Yes?
- How do you feel about that?
- I didn't know
- that I couldn't use them.
- And so when I was told
- that I couldn't, I,
you know, just didn't use them.
- He's acting like
- he didn't complain about it
when it happened.
- Okay?
Thank you, Alison.
- Thank you.
- So, this is my piece.
It's an antelope.
- Oh, my goodness.
Look at that!
Wow!
- So for this piece, I wanted
to make something different.
- I knew everyone was gonna use
- the whole body
as the body of the animal...
- Mm-hmm.
- I wanted to just use the face
because I thought
of the, like, African masks.
- What was your biggest
- challenge here?
- Well, you know, that whole
- thing happened with Alison,
so that was a bit difficult.
- Oh, a little unnerving.
- At what point
in the process did that happen?
- I made a comment
on how another body-painter
has created a piece like hers.
And so I think there was
a comeback from that comment.
- A little tit-for-tat.
- I was not trying
to be a jerk at all.
- I know you don't believe me
- and you think
there was some aggression
there, but it wasn't.
- Well, that happened.
- Wow.
- What did you think?
- Crazy good.
Crazy good.
- Cra-ray-ray-ray.
- Crazy good.
- Alison's giraffe just
took my breath away.
I love the leaf in the mouth.
- She even did the little braid
for the tail.
But the giraffe
is almost to the tee
what I've seen in the past.
- But you got to give it
- to Alison
for utilizing
the contortionist.
That was the most difficult
of the poses.
- What did you think
- about Rick?
- It's an impressive painting
- for sure.
- Sure.
- It was a beautiful painting.
- But it didn't have
the transition
and the flexibility
that I wanted to see.
- That was a very comfortable
- position
for the contortionist to be in.
- When I got up close,
it was gorgeous.
Best use of color.
Regardless of all of that,
I still want to see
competitive Rick.
- What did you think
- about Brittney?
- Right on the money.
- The fine hairs
that she put
on there were exquisite.
- The only negative,
I just wish she could have
pulled in a little more color.
- What about Michael?
- Hmm.
- Talk about creativity.
He really bites off
a big chunk.
He always does.
- He used his model
beautifully.
- I'm glad he didn't use
those fake antlers.
- Oh.
- He created this illusion
- on her arms.
- And they looked like horns.
- Yes.
- And he took advantage
of his model's abilities.
- Yes, he did.
The only thing is so much
of her was painted black.
- So have you made
your decision?
- both: Yes.
- Okay.
Let's go tell 'em.
Painters.
You had three hours
to complete your single-body
contortion paintings.
The judges have decided
who their top two painters are.
- After my fight
with Alison,
winning would be the best
feeling ever.
♪ ♪
- Painters,
you had three hours
to complete your single-body
contortion paintings.
Brittney. Alison.
You are the two two painters.
- Now that we're
- just down to four,
every challenge
affects the game.
- This advantage
- could be one step
closer to the $100,000.
- Brittney.
- Wow.
I loved everything
about this piece.
I loved that arm
as the ostrich's neck
and head.
Gorgeous work.
- Thank you.
- Alison, you know
- the devil's in the details.
I loved the leaves
in your giraffe's mouth.
The double legs up front.
That was breathtaking.
- Thanks.
- Great work, painters,
but there was one painting
that drove the judges
the most wild.
♪ ♪
- Yay!
- Congratulations, Brittney!
You're the winner!
- This is the best feeling
knowing that I'm gonna
have an advantage over
all these other people here.
- Because right now, we're down
- to the final four
and I need it.
- For your next challenge,
you'll be working with five
flexible contortionist models.
- Oh, my God.
How in the world are we going
to paint five models?
- You will come up
with your own creative
multi-body illusion concept.
- You guys should be
- thinking bigger
than you've ever thought before
- and really push
- your creativity.
You may or may not include
movements and transitions,
but that one final pose
is what will be judged.
- Only three of you will complete
- in the finale
and move one step closer
to winning
the $100,000 grand prize.
And one of you will be
going home.
You'll have six hours
to complete your paintings,
and I know that doesn't sound
like a lot of time,
but to help you get
this challenge done,
we've enlisted the help
of a few familiar faces.
- Oh, my God!
[all cheering]
- Wow.
I didn't expect
to see them ever again.
I couldn't be any happier.
I mean, this is
like a family reunion.
- Painters.
- You will each have
- the assistance
- of one of
- your former competitors
- to help you
- with this challenge.
And, Brittney, since you won
the first challenge,
- you get to pick
- your helper first.
And you also get to assign
your competitors' partners.
- This is a huge advantage.
My strategy is
to weaken my competition.
- Being paired up
- with the wrong person
can totally throw you
off your game.
Wow.
That is definitely
my main goal.
- I would love to be with Otto,
because he's a monster
with the airbrush
and he's so upbeat
and positive.
He's the ideal partner.
- Brittney,
who will be your partner?
- I'm gonna take Otto.
- Oh.
- Damn.
- And now for your
competitors' partners.
- Alison, you get Luis.
- Brittney's thinking
- is gonna throw me off
- because there's
- some friction between us.
- Otto's gone as well.
- No!
- How the hell
- did they choose your piece
over his piece today?
- Rick.
I've got to give you a lady.
- Of course.
- You get Tiffany.
- Great.
- [laughter]
- Tiffany is definitely
- a leader,
but in this challenge, I hope
she doesn't step on me,
you know what I'm saying?
- And for Michael?
- You are connected back
with your love, Kyera.
- Yay!
- Helpers, will you stand
by your painters please?
- Yay.
- Oh, my God.
[indistinct chatter]
- Now that you all
- have your helpers,
- we are gonna give you
- 30 minutes
to sketch your ideas,
- and we will then send in
- your models
so you can practice your poses.
Judges, any advice?
- Maximize all the resources
you have.
You have five models,
talented assistants.
Be smart.
Be creative.
- This is one of the most
difficult challenges possible.
It requires great collaboration
and you have to have
such a strong
and cohesive concept.
- And your time starts--now.
- Good luck everyone!
- Good night.
See you tomorrow.
- I'm so happy
- because I get partnered up
- with Kyera.
I have so much love for her
and it's nice to have her back.
- Hi, guys!
- Hi!
- This challenge
- will determine
- who is going
- to the final three.
It's a huge deal.
We're gonna have you guys
show us your tricks
- and then we're gonna take
- pictures of that
so that we can go home and,
- like, sketch based on that.
- Okay.
- Which one
of you guys can do handstands?
- I like this so much.
- The snake.
Look at the eyes.
This is exciting, guys.
- I want the colorful bird.
I want it to have
something like this.
- A peacock.
- Yeah, but does a peacock
- make sense with this idea?
- No.
- It's gonna
be interesting to see
- if me and Tiffany
- could work together.
- Like that.
- What would the hands be?
- A beak, honey.
- Tiffany is the only painter
that made it very far
in this competition.
She's such a strong painter
that if she actually
gives it her best,
this piece
is gonna look amazing.
- We're gonna make you
- like a peacock.
- That looks really good.
- So here's what I'm thinking.
- We're gonna make
- a flower bloom.
It's gotta read really,
- really well.
- Right.
- I am so excited
to be working with Otto.
He just--he puts off
such a positive attitude.
- Ahh.
[chuckles]
- Having him next
to me is a huge advantage.
- Move right.
- What do you have in mind?
- So, this is what keeps
popping into my mind.
- Uh-huh.
- Is one of the Hindu gods
- with all the arms.
- Has it been done before?
- I've never seen it.
Well, Luis is not
the best painter.
- The thing right here...
- Yeah, yeah.
- And then, look,
- they have the hands
- that you want.
- So I'm hoping that he's
good at being my assistant.
- I'm just here to help.
- You guys,
- it's time to go home.
- Okay.
- Get some rest.
- I guess you won't know
- what we're kind of doing.
We don't either.
Time's up and what we have
- is a lot of photos
- of the models
in the different positions.
- I just want to, like,
- sit in my room and sketch.
Come up with an idea.
- This is the challenge
- that will determine
who will be the top three,
so it has to be perfect.
♪ ♪
- Come on. Come on.
- Okay.
- Okay, why won't this work?
- That'll work.
- Okay, Otto.
- Hello, dear.
- Nice to have you
- back in my station today.
- Yeah.
- Here they come.
Hey there.
- Good morning.
- Yay.
- All right, dude.
- We totally
- figured everything out.
My concept today is to convey
a closed-up flower
that blossoms to life
right in front of your eyes.
Your bald caps are looking
way better than mine right now.
- No.
- We're gonna do a dragon.
- Yeah!
- We decide
- that we're gonna do a dragon
- because it's a very powerful
- and strong image.
- We're gonna glue
- your hands together
and then we're gonna
put teeth on you.
In the past challenges,
- my pieces were
- the craziest things
I've ever made in my life,
and here I am.
A semifinalist.
So I'm going
to use fabric and then,
like, all these teeth with,
like, amazing drop-shadows.
It's gonna be amazing.
That's good.
You can do that?
- My grandmother
- grew up in India,
so I have always had posters
of all these deities.
I love a good Hindu god.
I love the different deities,
and Ganesh is my favorite.
- Okay, so this is done.
- Okay, great.
- My concept is the peacock.
That looks good.
The peacock represents me
with confidence.
Your hands,
just stay like that.
But Tiffany, her head
is still somewhere else.
Perfect.
- I was eliminated
and now I'm back
and it's just, like,
"Uh, **** this."
I don't care about Rick
or this challenge, period.
It's so funny
when you just don't care.
- That's not good.
♪ ♪
- We have six hours
to paint five models.
That's just over an hour
per model.
That's insane.
- Where'd that dark, dark
- blue go?
That I just had.
- In your hand.
- You know what?
- Thank you.
- Are your legs okay?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Is this good for the feathers?
- Do you want to use
the stencil I made?
- Not for the inside of it.
- I'm a bit nervous
- because Tiff is doing
- her own thing.
- How's that look?
- Hmm, that's a little bit
too dark.
- Let's try, like,
- a brighter green.
- I want metallic in it.
- She doesn't understand
- that this is my project
and you're gonna be
my assistant.
- I told you,
- you need to cut the feathers.
- Yeah, but that-that's gonna
- go on the back.
- I'm talking about the eyes.
- Look at that.
- My work's really
- not looking good
because she's not really good
at adapting to my style.
- Let me see.
- I just do that.
- What she's painting
right now, it's not good
- and I wish
- I could just tell Tiff
to go take a seat, you know,
let me do this **** myself.
♪ ♪
- Oh, my God, Otto.
We have two hours.
- You guys,
- we only have two hours!
- Holy monkey!
- Okay. We gotta paint fast.
- No, we don't.
- The you're gonna have
this gap right here.
- Right.
- I am kind of bummed
- that I got,
- you know, eliminated,
but I respect this competition.
- And I'm not gonna hold
- a grudge working with Alison.
- That negative energy
- destroys you.
- So this is good?
- I think so.
Start filling it into here
and then let's see where
that line needs to fall.
- You got it, dude.
- Luis is, like,
the best freakin' partner.
- I'm coming.
- I'm coming.
- My piece is really
- starting to come together.
- You haven't helped me
- with any of the painting
- besides the base coat
- of the pink.
- Dude, I'm about to start
- on the mouth.
- Like, we need to get
this **** done faster.
I'm starting to feel nervous
because I realized
Kyera was eliminated
before any of the other people
that came back.
- First of all,
- there's a huge smudge here.
And I can tell that she's
struggling to paint
at our level.
You want, like, sharp.
See, like, that's way too runny.
- I think Michael
- is definitely at that point
where he's stressed out.
- Why is that **** there?
- Here.
- All right.
- Get the **** out of the way.
- I think he's having
so much pressure right now
that he is freaking out.
- You have to fix all
of this ****.
- I was thinking about
you should just airbrush it.
- I just look at Mike and I'm
like, "Really, Michael?
- Really?
- Props again?"
- How is working
- with Alison, Luis?
- I'm pretty much doing
- what pretty much she's
- telling me to do, you know.
- You're her bitch.
- Damn. Okay.
- [laughing]
I know I have some extremely
tough competition today.
- Did you already do the mouth?
- Babe, have you seen
- me do that?
- I don't--I've been, look,
- doing other thing--no? Okay?
- No.
- That's all I need.
Nope.
- I look over just
to kind of get a peek
and see what was going on
with my team member situation
that I set up,
and Michael and Kyera
were not getting along.
- The details, I need you to do
the mouth--inside of the mouth.
- I know what you can do,
hold on. Listen, Kyera.
- So we need some teamwork
- up in here.
- Somebody talking to me?
- Rick and Tiffany?
They're just--there's still no
communication going on at all.
- I think you need some detail
- on there.
- On what?
- I'm sacrificing my hands
- for you, Alison.
- But Alison and Luis
are getting along way better
than I was anticipating, so,
you know, that's one
down the toilet.
- Oh, that looks awesome.
- So you start working
on water drops.
I'm just gonna airbrush
the **** out of you.
- I'm gonna get you wet.
- This is the biggest task
- I've ever been through.
Especially going
into the finale.
Fortunately, Otto
is an extremely skilled
airbrush painter.
It's-it's heaven on earth.
- The face right here,
- but it'll sit like that.
- We can do that.
- It feels great to be back.
- It feels great to be
- painting with Brittney.
I smell what you're cooking.
It's an absolute honor
to be able to help
another artist out.
- I'm just geeking out.
- I love it.
I'm just a happy camper.
Dragonfly's all done.
- So you mean something
- like that?
- No, no, no.
- It's, like,
have you seen a bird before?
- Hold out your arms for me.
I look over at Michael's piece
and I'm like,
"He painted a sleeping bag."
- Kyera,
- we have a broken tooth.
I don't know what to do.
- Alison?
- Yes, dear.
- I have a deep feeling
- you're gonna go to the final.
- Me too.
- We've got one minute left!
- All right, one minute!
- One minute!
- Come see me.
- Looking good.
♪ ♪
- Okay, times up!
Tools down!
- Mm.
- Guess what.
It's time to say good-bye
to your helpers.
- Oh, no!
- They're not standing
- with us on stage?
- No, sorry.
Good-bye's are hard.
- We can't even
- watch the judging?
- I wish you the best.
- Luis was super helpful.
I think this was a backfire
on Brittney's part,
and this could just skyrocket
me straight to the finale.
- Tiffany is not
- a good partner.
Her being in a bad mood
and not giving her best
really **** me up,
so this is not my best work.
I have a really big feeling
I'm going home.
- Okay, painters.
You and your models will be
following me to the stage.
The judges can't wait
to see your final pieces.
- Team! Whoo!
- Love you. Thank you.
- Good luck.
- Go kill it.
- I look around the room,
and no one else
used fabric for this,
so here I go again
with a bunch of props.
Did I just sabotage myself?
Maybe.
Maybe I'm screwed.
- Bye!
♪ ♪
- Hello, painters.
all: Hi.
- For this challenge,
- you created
- a multi-body illusion painting
with five very flexible models.
The three painters remaining
after tonight's elimination
will move on
to the "Skin Wars" finale
and one step closer
to the $100,000 grand prize.
And one of you will be
going home.
Now, let's welcome back
our esteemed judges.
Craig Tracy.
- Hello, painters.
- Robin Slonina.
- Hi, everybody.
- RuPaul Charles.
- Ruh-roah.
- [laughter]
- And our special guest judge.
Gold medal winning gymnast
and "Dancing With The Stars"
champion,
Shawn Johnson.
- Hey, guys.
- Oh, my God.
I love Shawn Johnson.
- This girl has been
- all over the place
and knows how to turn her body.
- Painters.
Please step to the side.
Okay. Let's see your
multi-body illusions.
♪ ♪
- The dragon symbolizes power,
strength, vitality;
- and it stands out
- from the distance.
It's bold.
I realize the mouth
is overtaking the visual.
The teeth are kind of wonky.
They're falling apart.
But I do like how
it's bright pink in there.
It's really theatrical and fun.
I took a risk
- when I added the fabric
- for the mouth,
but it looks really good.
♪ ♪
- Watching my piece come
to life on stage feels amazing.
It's a really strong piece.
The colors are beautiful.
The water on the petals
looks realistic.
I feel like I'm on
a good old winning streak.
♪ ♪
- My models come out,
and it looks so beautiful.
Ganesh's face looks awesome.
The lotus at the very bottom
is radiant and beautiful.
The legs really look like arms.
It's just so cool.
I'm so proud of my piece
that I know whatever happens,
I've painted
the best freaking thing
I have ever made in my life.
♪ ♪
- Seeing my models,
- I'm so excited.
The colors look amazing.
The head and the body
of the peacock look sharp.
I did it without putting
any props, just paint
and I hope that the judges will
recognize what I was going for.
- Okay, painters.
The judges
- want to talk to you
- about your work.
Brittney, we start with you.
- All right.
Making it to the final four,
I really feel like my career
as an artist has blossomed.
I wanted to bring that vision
and that emotion of mine
to life.
- It is lovely.
I love the colors.
I love how soft
and loving it is.
- Did you intentionally
incorporate
your top model's dreadlocks?
- I did.
- Like,
the top of the stamen
is the hair.
So his hair is pollinating.
- Yes.
- I don't know if it's just me,
but it's really kind of erotic.
- Little bit.
- Is that a big stamen
- in your flower,
- or are you just happy
- to see me?
[laughter]
- I love the additional
- creative element
of the dragonfly.
I love the motion
that you've incorporated
by having those
water droplets happen.
I think it got a little dark
in the center
for such a beautiful flower.
It does add drama though.
- For me,
being a former gymnast,
- I love how you used
- their bodies
- in their positions
- and the back bends--
even though they're painful.
- I think it's
- absolutely beautiful.
- Great. Thank you, Brittney.
- Thank you.
- Okay, Rick.
Your turn.
- My concept was trying to make
the illusion of a peacock
without using any props.
- Because I feel
- when I do it,
these types of projects,
I mean, using props
is just like an easy way out.
- I love the colors.
Um, you know, technically, I
wish maybe it wasn't so sparse.
- When you think
- of a peacock's tail,
it's so full and vibrant
and beautiful.
- Rick.
Proud as a peacock.
You've got one of the most
beautiful animals in the world.
I loved when those feathers
first came out.
It's a beautiful piece,
but this is not your best work.
- I think there's
- about ten different ways
- that this could
- have been better.
- Yeah, I mean, it was hard
to work with Tiffany.
She did all the feathers.
It was like, that's not the way
I wanted the feathers to look.
- But who's responsible
for that?
- I don't want to leave
- "Skin Wars"
for Tiffany's fault.
- It looks like this bird
got plucked.
- Rick,
this is not your best work.
Looks like this bird
got plucked.
- It takes a little bit
more of an imagination
to kind of see the actual bird.
- I love the detail
- and colors though.
- It's still
- incredibly impressive.
- Thank you, Rick.
- Thank you.
- Okay, Alison.
Tell us about your painting.
- I wanted to create
a Hindu deity.
Ganesh here is a protector
and a remover of obstacles.
And I figured what better guy
to have with me here
on this journey.
- I can't stop looking at it.
I love the colors.
I love the detail.
- I would like to take a snapshot
- and take it home.
- Alison.
I am not a fan of artists
creating images like this.
♪ ♪
It leaves me so little
to critique.
It's gorgeous.
The trunk could have popped off
a little bit more,
but then you've got
so many smart elements in there.
- Thank you.
- It is so ornate.
I love the colors.
- I love the lotus flower
- at the bottom.
- I was a little confused
towards the base.
But the crown
is just magnificent.
Like, you definitely
have a lot of reverence
for your subject matter,
and it really showed.
- Thank you, Alison.
- Thank you.
- Okay, Michael.
You're up next.
- When I started
- this challenge,
I was just, like, overwhelmed
with everyone's power.
And then I realized
that I wanted to represent
that power in my painting
- and so I came up
- with a dragon
which symbolizes
that in many cultures.
- You certainly lived up
to your reputation as
"Mr. Showmanship."
My God!
I was wowed.
And I just love
those yellow eyes.
- I feel that this piece
is crazy and ambitious.
And that is very reflective
of the painter that created it.
It's an amazing, creative,
and impactful piece,
but is half of this piece
painted on fabric?
- It's a good question.
A lot of it is fabric.
- A whole bunch of it.
- For me, it was the easiest
- to see.
- It was a dragon
- and not people.
The visual aspects
- and the movement
- of it was really fun.
- Thank you, Michael.
Okay, painters,
this is gonna be extremely
difficult for the judges.
- You've given them
- a lot to consider.
- Please head back
- to the painters' lounge
and we'll call you
back shortly.
- So, judges, what did you think
- about the work tonight?
- Tonight's work
was highly impressive.
These artists brought it.
- I can't believe the variety
that we saw onstage.
I feel like each piece
was as individual
as the artist that created it.
- Well, we are here to decide
who will be in the final three.
- I would say my favorite pose
today was definitely Alison.
- I think, just with the limbs
- and the legs,
it gave a great feel.
- I loved the opulence
of Alison's piece,
but I loved the zest for life
- that Brittney gave
- to her piece.
- I think she did such
a beautiful job really
capturing that magic of nature.
- For me it took a little
- more effort
to see Brittney's image
and effort for the flower.
- I would love
- to have seen
- more vibrant colors
- in that flower.
But I felt that Alison
had the edge
because she did something
that was more powerful
and it had such a huge impact.
- I actually found a little bit
more technical problems
with Alison.
I didn't get the lotus
and I also felt like that trunk
needed to pop more
off the body.
- So who was less
successful tonight?
- There was a lot of fabric
in Michael's work.
And he's done it before.
- But what was painted
was beautifully painted.
I had more issue, though,
with Rick's painting.
I've seen peacocks.
This one didn't impress me
that much.
- He did do a great job
- on the head.
I thought that was a really
sweet, central focal point.
- I would say the body
- on Rick's work
was probably my favorite.
- When you looked at it,
- it was a peacock body.
- He seemed to know
- that his piece
- was not his best work.
- No, you're right.
- He did know that. He knew that.
- I think Rick was even
throwing Michael a little bit
of shade on the stage
where he said, "I didn't rely
on any of this extra prop
- and waste my time
- on that stuff."
- It was a total jab.
- You know, it was.
And Rick was being
very earnest.
- So have you made
- your decision?
- That's the $100,000 question.
- Yeah.
- Yup.
- Painters.
You made some incredible
multi-body illusions.
The judges had
a nearly impossible task,
- but they have made
- their decision
to send three painters
to the finale
and one artist back home.
Brittney.
Alison.
- You're the top
- two painters tonight.
Congratulations.
- You are in
- the "Skin Wars" finale.
- Yay!
- I'm going to the finale.
I'm in the frickin' finale.
- Brittney,
your piece was dramatic,
but also really poetic.
- Thank you.
- And how did you feel
about Alison's painting?
- Overall,
it was my favorite pose tonight,
and it was completely stunning.
- I loved it.
- Thanks.
- This was so close,
the judges were torn.
But there can be
only one winner.
- I was pretty confident
- that I would make it
- to the final three.
I've kicked ass on so many
of the challenges.
Now I really want to win
"Skin Wars," and I deserve it.
- The winner
of this challenge is...
[dramatic music]
- Brittney.
Alison.
♪ ♪
This was so close,
- but there can be
- only one winner.
♪ ♪
Alison?
You're the winner!
- Aah!
- Congratulations!
- Yeah!
Cool!
I am pinching myself.
Now I'm that much closer
to winning $100,000
for my family.
This is awesome.
- Holy moly.
You turned it out.
[laughter]
- You did an incredible job.
- The colors.
It was bold; it was unique;
it was different.
- I loved it.
- We all loved it.
- Thank you so much.
- Great job, Alison!
You and Brittney are in
the "Skin Wars" finale.
Congratulations.
- You may go back
- to the painters' lounge.
- Thanks, you guys.
- Namaste.
[laughter]
♪ ♪
- Michael.
Rick.
You were the bottom two.
One of you will be packing
up your brushes tonight.
- Michael.
Even though your painting
was creative and impactful,
half of your painting
was fabric.
And you spent too much time
on the theatrics.
And this is
a body-painting competition.
- Rick, you gave us a lot
of depth and a great
focal point,
and we appreciate that.
The only thing is that it was
missing that wow factor.
- My dream was to get
out of my city
and be known as a artist.
Now that I'm this close
to being on top,
I don't want to go home.
- The judges had a very hard
- decision to make
because this is the semifinals
of "Skin Wars"
and only the best
of the best can move forward.
Rick.
♪ ♪
You are safe.
And you will be moving on
to the "Skin Wars" finale.
Congratulations.
- Damn.
Sorry, bud.
- It's okay.
- Congratulations.
- Congratulations, Rick.
You may go back to the lounge.
- Thank you.
- Yo, congratulations.
- Michael, I'm sorry.
- That means you'll
- be going home.
- Michael, you're one
of the best painters
to have ever been
a part of "Skin Wars."
Your creativity is bigger
than our stage is sometimes.
- It's just the beginning
- for you, kiddo.
- It's the truth,
- and you know it.
From where we're sitting,
they sky's the limit for you.
- I feel like making it
to the semifinalist is huge,
- and I'm so thankful
- for everything.
- I'm going to miss you so much.
- Aw, man.
- Michael, it's time
to go was off your canvas.
- Do I shower with the models?
- [laughs]
- All right, bye, guys.
- Bye, Michael.
- I am disappointed
- that I am going home.
I really wanted to make it
to the final cut.
- This is it.
- This is our last group hug.
- "Skin Wars" really pushed me
to become a better artist.
I didn't play it safe.
I painted with all of my heart.
- It's just the beginning
- of a new chapter for me.
- Better watch out
- because Michael Mejia
is going to make
some crazy work.
- Next time on "Skin Wars"...
Welcome to the "Skin Wars"
finale.
Congratulations!
- I didn't think
- I was gonna make it this far.
- This is where you have
to pull out all the stops.
- One of you is gonna
be a $100,000 richer.
- Oh, my God!
- This is it.
This is the grand finale.
- ****
- Are you in trouble, Alison?
- I'm just trying not to panic.
- This is some real-world stuff
- we're asking you to do.
- I have to win.
I have so much support
back at home.
- The winner of the $100,000
grand prize is--