Brazil's best job? Paint nude Carnival models

Spiegel · 02-25-2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

RIO DE JANEIRO - Betto Almeida is the Mr. Lucky of Rio's Carnival.

The 36-year-old artist awakes at 8 a.m. Has a little breakfast. Survives a commute through the city's tough traffic. Arrives at the office by 11.

Then he spends hours painting the bodies of gorgeous women — and earning as much as $2,000 a day.

"You wouldn't believe how many applications I get for an assistant," Almeida deadpanned, never taking his eyes from his work as he brushed bright orange paint on the stomach of a model in his glass-enclosed studio under the grandstands at the Sambadrome, where Rio's Carnival parades ended Tuesday at dawn.

"But it's hard work, man. I take my job seriously."

Slight, soft-spoken and unassuming, Almeida devotes his art to a sideshow of the samba parades: models who earn about $250 a night to mingle, clad only in paint, with high-rollers in the luxury boxes.

Wearing plaid pants, a green shirt with a red phoenix on it and a denim-and-camouflage hat, Almeida goes about his work with a nonchalant air as the party-crazed hordes outside press their noses to the glass and snap photos.

Day job on TV soaps
His day job is art director on television soap operas, but for the past 12 years he has been brushing, dripping and spraying paint on some of the most beautiful bodies Brazil's Carnival has to display.

Michele Peres, a 28-year-old model wearing tiny black shorts, snakeskin stilettos and a watch, said the quality of Almeida's work was vital to her professional success.

"I've been doing this for nine years, for Carnival and other events," she said as Almeida painted a jaguar on her breasts. "He is the best body painter I've come across and his work draws more attention to me. It is good for him, it is good for me."

A gentleman tapped on the studio window and, as gingerly as a drunk Carnival reveler could, requested that Peres turn toward the growing crowd. With a barely perceptible sigh, she complied, not hesitating to light up a smile once the cameras started popping.

Luana Minini, a 22-year-old actress, was making her first appearance as a Carnival body paint model and she took a slightly more timid stance: She had Almeida paint critical areas of her body in a back room before agreeing to have a red parrot with green wings covering her chest completed under the public's gaze.

'Paint acts as a cover'
"I've always worked in theater and dance. This is a bit more free-spirited. But I've learned to control my nervousness. The paint acts as a cover, it makes me feel protected," she said, motioning toward the jungle foliage in which the parrot on her breast resided.

Both women said some men — mostly foreigners — get a little frisky in the box seats, where the models mingle for 15 minutes before taking a champagne break for 15 minutes in a glassed-front room next to Almeida's work space.

"It gets a little rowdy. Not too many men grab us or anything, but there is always one or two who get a little confused," Minini said. "Brazilians understand the ambiance of Carnival and they come here prepared to see this."

As the models answered questions, Almeida kept working. On his knees behind Peres, he dipped his brush into one of a dozen plastic water bottles cut in half to hold his paint, carefully painting jaguar spots on the back of the model's thighs.

Sweat on his brow, he said the hard work is worth it. A modeling agency that employs the women pays him $1,000 for the roughly two hours it takes to paint each model. During the samba parades, he paints two women a night. And in a typical year will paint a minimum of 50 women for various events.

"I started doing it for theater and one of the samba parade officials asked if I would do it for Carnival models. How could I say no?" he asked, diving into a cheeseburger after finishing up with Peres. "A lot of guys are jealous of my job."

Give me a paint brush, a nude chick, and call me Pablo Picasso

Hurricane Chronicles · 02-25-2009, 11:18 PM

I would love to help those Rio bitches sweat off that paint on a summer night.
Gives me goosebumps thinking bout the shit, that reminds me i still aint fucked a spanish chick yet lol.

Sevi · 02-26-2009, 10:20 AM

Holy hell
Doesn't top this though:

Quote:

In Guam, there are men whose full-time job is to travel the countryside and deflower young virgins. These men are paid by the virgin or by her family. Under Guam law, it is expressly forbidden for virgins to marry.

seanizzzle · 02-26-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sevi

Holy hell
Doesn't top this though:

Definitely..wow..ppl actually get paid for that?..geez..God bless Guam

I know where i'm movin next!!...haha

Gamr1469 · 02-26-2009, 07:22 PM

where do i sign up???

kluang · 02-26-2009, 07:35 PM

Where DO I SIGN UP????

catilena1890 · 03-02-2009, 11:33 AM

Holy crap......nuff said...

02-25-2009, 11:18 PM	#2
Hurricane Chronicles Hunter-Nin Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,019 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts	Re: Brazil's best job? Paint nude Carnival models I would love to help those Rio bitches sweat off that paint on a summer night. Gives me goosebumps thinking bout the shit, that reminds me i still aint fucked a spanish chick yet lol. __________________

02-26-2009, 07:22 PM	#5
Gamr1469 Chuunin Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Village hidden in Chicago (lol) Age: 22 Posts: 346 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Brazil's best job? Paint nude Carnival models where do i sign up??? __________________ No, i didnt make tht picture, nor am i dumb enough to claim i did it can from http://ladytsunade.deviantart.com/art/Naruto-Pokemon-Crossover-14906513 If you are one of the 100% of people who hate Naruto Fillers. Put this in your tag 99.99 percent of the time fillers 1) make no sense 2) contridict the canon material 3) make my head hurt Myspace---------> www.myspace.com/gamr1469 (ps if u r goin to add me plz tell me u added me through the forum)

02-26-2009, 07:35 PM	#6
kluang One Punch Man Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 6,420 Thanks: 3,186 Thanked 4,670 Times in 2,102 Posts	Re: Brazil's best job? Paint nude Carnival models Where DO I SIGN UP???? __________________ To err is human, to forgive, divine. Humans aren't machines... they have souls, feelings. They live, they die, they love, they hate... And yes, they even make mistakes..... When kluang finds you creepy and wrong then you are beyond horrible. He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you. Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Being Malaysian is about driving in a German car to an Indian restaurant for an Indonesian food, then travelling home, grabbing a Pakistani kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV. Because we have no originality.

03-02-2009, 11:33 AM	#7
catilena1890 I ran outta fucks to give Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Why do you need to know? Age: 21 Posts: 277 Thanks: 38 Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts	Re: Brazil's best job? Paint nude Carnival models Holy crap......nuff said... __________________ meh Best Thing ever V

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