Paul is a Chicago born artist that has been living in Rhode Island since 2004. He has been drawing for most of his life and currently works as an airbrush artist, an illustrator and a body artist. He paints t-shirts, surfboards and, most passionately - people.
And it all started at the local library.

Roustan: When I was in 6th and 7th grade my mother would drop me off at the local library so she could go to night classes. I would grab books that had anything to do with drawing, especially drawing people. Eventually I found biology books that had pictures of nude people and I would copy them.

Ryan: So how do you like living in Rhode Island?

Roustan: I like it. I learned to surf and fell in love with the ocean. A mid western boy learning to surf is not an easy reality, but I learned how. And now that I am out here I've learned that people actually surf in lake Michigan. I was just never aware of it. But I love New England. It is a beautiful place.

Ryan: Did you attend college for art or are you self taught?

Roustan: I spent a semester at the university of Miami but I didn't like it so I went back to Chicago and did a semester at community college. Ultimately I transferred to the Art Institute of Chicago which is a pretty famous school.

Above and Below left:
Model: Asphyxia / Photographer: Ashraf ElGhamry

(click images for a larger view)

I later asked myself why I left Chicago when I had one of the best art schools in the country right here.

Ryan: Well, you ended up back there so I guess it worked out, right?

Roustan: Yeah, I got my Bachelors degree in 2002 and then I went to work at Six Flags doing caricatures for the theme park for two summers. Which was one of the best jobs I have had in my life.

Ryan: Actually, on your website I saw a documentary on Gary Fasen, who was also a caricature artist. Were you involved with putting that film together?

Roustan: I made that documentary. Gary was a very important artist who affected so many people. He was very instrumental in the lives of many, many, many artists.

 Ryan: Would you say that Gary Fasen was a mentor to you after college?

Roustan: Oh yeah. He was the person that introduced me to airbrushing and caricature. And then eventually I was learning from everyone I worked with. It was a really great environment. It wasn't competitive. I feel I was really lucky to be there and to have learned from so many people. I think that without those two summers at Six Flags I wouldn't be who I am today.

Ryan: Whenever I see caricature artists I am always impressed with the speed at which they draw.

Roustan: It comes with experience. You have to draw with a pencil as if you are drawing with a pen. You don't want to waste time erasing. You think about the line you are putting down and you put it down and that is it; It's final. If you mess it up you have to make it work somehow. Which was one of the best things I learned. I have sort of adapted that speed into my body paintings.

Ryan: How long have you been painting?

Above and Below left:
Model: Asphyxia / Photographer: Ashraf ElGhamry

Roustan: I started airbrushing in 2002 after college. I did my first body painting in 2005 with a magazine out of Boston. I was doing illustrations for the magazine and I threw out the idea, because it was an adult magazine, to paint one of the models for a photo spread. At that point I had never done it before. I just presented it. I had no idea what the hell I was doing.

Ryan: So you just threw it out there; spontaneously?

Roustan: Yeah. They liked the idea so we tried it and it turned out very successful. And after that it just stuck.

Ryan: When I was reviewing your work I was wondering if you sketch out your ideas on paper first or do you work completely from your head and just go with it as it happens?

Roustan: Lately I've been sketching. When I first started I would wing it. Especially when doing something abstract. I just like to let it flow out of me. Now I am more conceptual. I have an idea of what I want and I just do a loose sketch to compose where things are going to go. This gives me an idea of what is going to work. Then I get at it.

Ryan: What about the backgrounds? Do you ever sketch those out?

Roustan: Well, it's kind of like an evolution. When I first started body painting it was all about technique. I was just learning the curves, learning the body, the way lines rest on shapes and I would also be superimposing backgrounds for different effects. Since I started I've done a couple of gallery shows and the most common question is: 'Is this photoshopped or did you really paint the models?'
My answer is that it is real but some of the backgrounds are
photoshopped. So as of January of this year I've decided not to photoshop backgrounds anymore. I am trying to keep it as pure as possible.

Above and Below:
Model: Asphyxia / Photographer: Roustan

Ryan: OK. You walk into the studio. The model is there. Just briefly, start to finish, what is your process? How does it go down?

Roustan: I have really become very serious about it. I am currently compiling my work for a book of approximately one hundred paintings. Right now I have about seventy. I have an entire data base of models and the way I approach it is: Who is this model? What are they about? I want to apply the paint to the personality of the model. I want the paint to represent who that person is.
After I pick the model I get all the paints prepared prior to us getting together. Once we are in the studio I usually start painting around the chest unless I haven't quite figured out the idea completely, in which case I usually start on the back. This allows me to work out how the overall idea is going to look. The front of the painting is almost always more interesting than the back so the back is a good place to practice.
once I've started I just work my way around the body. The joints and collar bone have to be left until the end. This prevents the paint from chipping off or flaking as the model moves.

Ryan: Is that something that you learned the hard way?

Below:
Model: Sarula / Photographer: M.Prophet

Roustan: I definitely learned that the hard way. Sometimes I get so focused that I forget and I start painting the collar bone area. Which is the worst spot because the model is always looking down to see what I am doing. Now with more experience I have learned to work with as little paint as possible to reduce flaking so I don't worry about it as much. Plus a little flaking shows that it's painted.

Ryan: Do you play music in the studio to help create a certain atmosphere?

Roustan: I used to. Now it's usually pretty quite. I try to talk to the model. I figure I'm there with them for three or four hours I might as well say a few words.

Ryan: So would you say that the joints are the hardest part of body painting or is there something else that's more challenging?

Roustan: The joints aren't the most challenging part. The most challenging thing is the arms

because there is so little canvas and you have to move around so much. It's like a yoga exercise. I've had to develop a whole procedure to get the arms done. It's because of this that I usually just paint accents to the overall piece on the arms.

Ryan: So the average body painting takes about three to four hours?

Roustan: Yeah. Sometimes if the work is really intricate I will just paint the front of the model to save time.

Ryan: How long does the painting usually stay on the model?

Roustan: Usually another three hours. It would last all day but they generally wash it off right after the photo shoot.

Ryan: Is that hard for you? Kind of like watching your work wash down the drain.

Roustan: No. Not at all. It goes back to caricature. You do a drawing and it goes away with the buyer.

Ryan: Well, at least you get the photos.

Roustan: Right. If I did the whole body painting and washed it off without documenting it - that would suck.

Above:
Model: Sarah R. Thomas / Photographer: Roustan
Below:
Model: Roxanne Scheffer / Photographer: Roustan

Ryan: I know you've done some paintings for events but beyond that what is the ultimate goal for your body paintings?

Roustan: The events are part of the commission work that I do. It's kind of the tacky stuff that I don't really care to show. My conceptual stuff, which is all the stuff on my website, is what I really care about. This is the kind of stuff that I will have in my book. I am really pushing to include the models personality in the concept. I want it to mean something. I don't want it to be something that someone would look at and get aroused because the model is nude. The nudity is just part of the purity. I don't like painting people with underwear on because it cheapens it. It shows a lack of bravery. It is critical in my work that the model be nude. Because that is the person in their purest form.

Ryan: Is there one particular painting that really stands out to you? When you look through your portfolio which piece makes you go -"wow" on this day, at this particular time I really got my best effort in and it just came out perfect.

Roustan: One of my personal favorites is one of this girl Roxanne. (below) I just feel like I nailed every part of the painting. The background the foreground - just everything.

Above:
Model: Roxanne Scheffer / Photographer: Roustan

Roxanne is a poet and the meaning of the painting is: From her heart I painted a blossoming tree growing toward her limbs. From her limbs and around the rest of her body I painted a thorn bush that is growing toward her heart. Sort of preventing the love from growing.

Ryan: Well, you've talked about how you view the nudity in your work. Prior to hearing your view I was wondering if there is sometimes a lot of sexual tension during one of your sessions. Can it be hard to remain professional?

Roustan: For me it's not. I get so focused that I have tunnel vision and I just get down to business. Until a model actually asked me that same question I never considered what the model feels when I am painting them. It never crossed my mind that they might be experiencing something sexual. I guess the chances are that some of them do.

Ryan: I would guess that some do.

Roustan: When I do my studio work it is very professional. We just talk. It is very relaxed.

Ryan: So what is Paul Roustan doing on the daily? Is art an everyday thing?

Roustan: Well, during the day I am daddy day care. My wife has a regular 9-5 job and I stay home and watch my daughter. At night and on the weekends I paint. Then every free moment I have I go surfing.

Ryan: So art is your full time income?

Roustan: Yeah. I draw. I paint. And I do relatively well.

Ryan: That's cool that you are able to do that.

Roustan: This is something that I think I got from my experience at Six Flags with Gary Fasen. Pretty much every artist that worked under Gary are all doing the same thing. He taught us two things. How to create art that people want to buy and how to never want to work for someone else.

Ryan: I've always thought that if you're the type of person who can make your own way then you should do it. It is a better quality of life. You usually have to make some sacrifices along the way but the rewards make it worth it.

Roustan: The most important thing to me is living life the way I like to, and I am doing that.

Above:
Model: Soleil / Photographer: Roustan

Above:
Model: Ela Darling / Photograhper: Roustan

To see more of Pauls work

visit his website:

www.paulroustan.com

Also remember that Paul is putting together a book of his work.

He can be contacted through his website.