Living canvasses celebrate the human form in Eumundi's Australian Body Art Carnivale.

At last year's Australian Body Art Carnivale Katrina Farrar was halfway through painting her model when disaster struck.

She had snapped the pressure gauge off her air brushing compressor and couldn't continue without it.

With the competition deadline looming she jumped into her car and, in a one hour round trip, raced to and from her home town of Buderim to pick up her spare.

Next time it will be coming with her.

"I air brushed her in three hours and I still won the competition," Ms Farrar said. "It was definitely a lesson learned."

The carnivale is returning for its second year to the streets of Eumundi, Queensland, on September 20 and 21.

Organiser Peter Homan said 35 artists entered the three categories of air brush, special effects and brush and sponge last year.

Their spectacular creations ranged from a lizard man to a Buddha and a multitude of floral decorations.

This year the event has a theme of the natural world so Mr Homan is expecting a lot of animals.

"They used a lot of special effects on the lizard man," he said.

"He looked like a frill necked lizard, he had a tail and a frill."

Ms Farrar won the air brush category with her earth goddess design which included a painted didgeridoo.

An air brush tattoo artist by trade, it was her first attempt at a full body.

"I like to go into that person's energy and spirit and bring it out onto their skin," she said.

"The process is very interesting. It is completely different from doing art work on a flat canvas or cartridge. The old saying 'keep it simple stupid' really applies."

Workshops and other competitions are held throughout the festival. Artists who don't want to tackle a whole body can enter the face painting competition.

Those who wish to stick to a firmer, immoveable medium can hit the footpath and create a chalk masterpiece.

As many of the art works are temporary, a photography competition runs throughout the weekend in a bid to capture and preserve some of the work before it rains or the model has a shower.

"I think that is one of the challenges psychologically," Mr Homan said. "You put your heart and soul into the work only to have it gone the next day. That is why the photography competition is so important. It is the only legacy of the work."

For details: http://www.australianbodyart.com.au.