Sports Illustrated Body Paint Model Bethany Dempsey: "You Don't Feel Naked" (PHOTO)

The 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition features wives and girlfriends, aka WAGS, of the world's best soccer players showing their support in painted replica jerseys and bikini bottoms.

The photo below shows Bethany Dempsey, the 26-year-old wife of U.S. Midfielder soccer player Clint Dempsey, upholding this time-honored SI tradition. (See some SI body paint trailblazers HERE.) Below, Dempsey answers our questions about her experience.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover featuring Brooklyn Decker was revealed Monday night.

Photo below by Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated. Issue date 2/12/10 and on sale now. For more WAGS visit SI.com/swimsuit.

Why did you decide to get body-painted for the Swimsuit Edition?
I had first known I was in consideration for the World Cup wives feature when they told me that it would be with body paint. I was a little unsure, but I looked at some of the past body paint features in SI and other work by Joanne Gair. Her work was really amazing so I decided to do it.

How long did it take?
I think it actually took around 15 hours (just the painting).

What did you do to stave off boredom while you were being painted?
Normally I am chasing around a one-year-old and doing a million things, so it was actually kind of nice to have nothing to do but sit still. We also listened to a lot of music and just chatted so it didn't seem boring.

Do you feel naked when the paint is on?
You don't feel naked, because you look in the mirror and it looks like you are wearing a swimsuit. The detailing is amazing.

How hard was it to get the paint off?
Getting it all off is a lot more work than just taking off a bikini. You have to scrub for a while.

Comments

[BlueZoo]

12:58 PM on 02/11/2010

Years ago, in Houston, TX, there was a very swank club called "Rembrandt's" and all of the girls were painted and naked. As a woman, I was loathe to go there but I did and I was very surprised at how beautiful these girls were and there wasn't a hint of nakedness to be found! The artist painted these girls as peacocks, cardinals, etc. and the art work, as well as the girls, was exquisite. In Paris, there is a nightclub, the CrazyHorse, where the girls are naked but covered in lighting suggesting harlequins and they also are quite gorgeous. If all you can see is the salacious aspect, I'd advise you not to attend, as you will be bitterly disappointed!

[Fudgefase]

12:26 PM on 02/11/2010

Terrible job some people have - but someone has to do it!

[robbor]

10:01 AM on 02/11/2010

Naked - It's a State of Mind

[AlaskanWannaB]

06:11 PM on 02/10/2010

Pretty amazing!!!

[ipastor01]

04:56 AM on 02/10/2010

So she got a Brazilian first...

[Larkinvos]

03:29 AM on 02/10/2010

How do you get the paint out of all
the nooks and crannies?

[SpinDown08]

10:41 AM on 02/10/2010

I think I know a couple ways ;)

[Camille21]

01:27 AM on 02/10/2010

You're naked whether you feel naked or not. And you sure were naked when you let some guy/gal paint your cha cha's and bugongagong.

[coastalcarla]

01:29 PM on 02/11/2010

Hung up much? What exactly is wrong with being naked?

[Kate Walsh]

11:34 PM on 02/09/2010

I was looking at the bikini thinking "wow, that's pretty good", and it took me a few seconds to realize the shirt was painted on too. Very impressive work! I wish I could paint half as good.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

11:01 PM on 02/09/2010

At the 2006 World Cup, the WAGS and the distracting media circus around them cost England very dearly.

My advice to all the teams going to South Africa is to leave the WAGS at home.

[Catothemuchyounger]

10:33 PM on 02/09/2010

What a beautiful woman.

[karela]

10:24 PM on 02/09/2010

I don't think that she looks naked either. It's really quite amazing.

[Trilby]

07:09 PM on 02/09/2010

You don't feel naked? Well isn't that special. You look pretty naked.

[Ashley Gleed]

05:32 PM on 02/12/2010

She never said it was special. They asked her a question and she answered.

[mamacat]

05:43 PM on 02/09/2010

Would it be legal to walk down the street "dressed" in this bikini?

[slightodds]

06:44 PM on 02/09/2010

yeah right Ill tell the police Ive got paint on my P e c k e r its ok.

[SkreetGil1]

04:44 PM on 02/09/2010

She looks like Marsha Brady.

[SaltyLassi]

07:05 PM on 02/09/2010

yes she does! good call!

[Deli]

03:51 PM on 02/09/2010

Why not just wear the friggin' bikiini?

[PETA Griffin]

05:41 PM on 02/09/2010

Yeah, I was all set to praise the genius of body painting from the headline...then I saw the pics...

You don't look naked, either.