The world bodypainting festival in Austria is earth's biggest art show in the bodypaiting theme. Since its inception in 1998, visitors have flocked to the event to admire the wild works of artists from over 40 nations worldwide. Tens of thousands of visitors attended the 2011 event in Pörtschach along Lake Wörthersee near the state capital Klagenfurt.

Usually, the artist paints a completely naked human body, though the body is often covered with a very short bikini or a G-string. Among other things, a great bodypainting work is measured by how skillfully the artist hides the private parts of the subject.

The 2001 World Bodypainting Festival began on June 27 and finished on July 3.

Here's a look at this year's competitors:

A model poses during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach
A model poses during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach, July 1, 2011. The world's biggest bodypainting event takes place from July 1 to 3 at lake Woerthersee in Austria's southern Carinthia province. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
Models pose during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach
Models pose during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach, July 1, 2011. The world's biggest bodypainting event takes place from July 1 to 3 at lake Woerthersee in Austria's southern Carinthia province. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
A model poses during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach
A model poses during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach, July 2, 2011. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
An artist paints a model during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach
An artist paints a model during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach, July 1, 2011. The world's biggest bodypainting event takes place from July 1 to 3 at lake Woerthersee in Austria's southern Carinthia province. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
A model poses for photographers during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach
A model poses for photographers during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach, July 2, 2011. The world's biggest bodypainting event takes place from July 1 to 3 at lake Woerthersee in Austria's southern Carinthia province. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
A model poses during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach
A model poses during the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschach, July 2, 2011. The world's biggest bodypainting event takes place from July 1 to 3 at lake Woerthersee in Austria's southern Carinthia province. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
Body Painting
An artist airbrushes a design on a model during the annual World Body Painting Festival in Poertschach on July 2, 2011. Reuters