Best of Bodypaint 2013

Andy Gray | May 19, 2013

Nina Agdal and Ariel Meredith :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Since its inception in 1999, the body painting has always been a stable of the SI Swimsuit has been arguably the most popular section of the magazine. The photos are the brainchild of Joanne Gair, a new Zealand-born makeup artist who has worked with SI for all its body paint shoots. It's not easy work, as Gair explained to New York Magazine in a February interview : "A lot of the shoots take place at dusk, so the photographer can have that magic end-of-day light. I usually try to deliver the model around 2:30 in the afternoon. The whole process takes about twelve hours, plus breaks for lunch and so forth, so I usually start around 1 a.m."  Is it worth all the trouble? These photos from the 2013 issue make a compelling case.

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Chrissy Teigen / Walter Iooss Jr.

Chrissy Teigen :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Alyssa Miller :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Anne V :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Nina Agdal and Ariel Meredith :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Alyssa Miller :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Kate Upton :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Anne V :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Nina Agdal and Ariel Meredith :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Chrissy Teigen / Walter Iooss Jr.

Chrissy Teigen :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Ariel Meredith :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Chrissy Teigen :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Kate Upton :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Kate Upton :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Nina Agdal :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Kate Upton :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Alyssa Miller :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Anne V :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Nina Agdal and Ariel Meredith :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Alyssa Miller :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Chrissy Teigen / Walter Iooss Jr.

Chrissy Teigen :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Anne V :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Kate Upton :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Nina Agdal :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Anne V :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Chrissy Teigen / Walter Iooss Jr.

Chrissy Teigen :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Kate Upton :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Ariel Meredith :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Nina Agdal :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Chrissy Teigen :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Chrissy Teigen :: Walter Iooss Jr./SI