Ep 1. Skintastic Celebration

In the premiere episode of Skin Wars season 3, titled "Skintastic Celebration," 12 artists begin their journey towards becoming the next champion of body painting. The episode kicks off with a celebration as the contestants get to know each other and showcase their initial body painting skills.

Hosted by Rebecca Romijn, the competition is judged by industry experts RuPaul Charles, Craig Tracy, and Robin Slonina. Each week, the contestants are tasked with creating masterful works of art on the human canvas.

The theme for the first episode is "Icons and Influencers," and the contestants are challenged to depict their chosen icon or influencer using body paint. The artists have only six hours to transform their models into famous faces, and the pressure is on as they compete for a cash prize and the title of Skin Wars champion.

The diversity of the artists is apparent from the very start, with a range of ages, backgrounds and styles represented. There's a former tattoo artist, a special effects makeup artist, a performance artist, and even a street artist amongst the group.

As the clock counts down, tensions start to build as the artists struggle to bring their visions to life. Some artists take on ambitious projects, such as creating a multi-layered illusion or going for a completely different interpretation of their icon. Others struggle with the technicalities and detail work of body painting.

Once the six hours are up, the judges inspect each model up close, evaluating both the technical execution of the painting as well as its overall creativity and impact. Some judges are more lenient than others, with Craig Tracy proving to be one of the toughest critics of the night.

In the end, one artist is declared the winner of the challenge, earning immunity from the first elimination round. The other artists are left to face the judges' judgement, and one unlucky contestant is sent home.

Overall, the Skintastic Celebration is an exciting and visually stunning start to the third season of Skin Wars. With new challenges, new artists, and new judges, this season promises to be an unforgettable journey through the world of body painting.