Painted Ladies

The old masters worked on fine Belgian linen. Modern artists paint a more exquisite medium: the skin of a beautiful woman. We published pictures of our first painted ladies--nude models wearing paint instead of clothing--in the 1960s, when psychedelic body painting was a craze. But not until the arrival of the new millennium did these trompe I'oeils become a high-profile presence at Playboy Mansion parties. They became so popular that guests--Playmates and others--started showing up similarly undressed for the occasion. Artist Mark Frazier and his staff provide the latex-paint apparel that is so cleverly conceived and executed, the naked women appear to be fully clothed--unless you look very closely, which some guests are understandably inclined to do. The painted-ladies craze has recently spread across the country, prompting Sports Illustrated to publish a swimsuit-issue pictorial that features bathing beauties in nothing but paint. "I started out experimenting with paints that could stay on my hands for hours and not make them itch," says Frazier, who puts in a lot of prep time on the computer before he turns a model into a Goldfinger-worthy creation. "If I could open a school right now, I wouldn't have enough room to teach--it would be overflowing. Every single male, whether he's conservative or liberal, always looks at me and asks, 'Can I just come and hold your paintbrush?' "

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