LA makeup artist slammed for posting a picture of a white woman made to look black

The makeup artist took some heat for transforming a white model into what appeared to be an African-American model. Photo / Paintdatface Instagram

A makeup artist has been taken to task when he used makeup to transform a white woman into a black woman.

The Los Angeles-based artist goes by Paintdatface and his astonishing makeup transformations have earned him 64,000 followers on Instagram.

Sensing that turning a blonde, blue-eyed white woman into a brown-eyed, darker-skinned beauty could likely get him into hot water, he posted a disclaimer along with the photos, according to the Daily Mail.

The makeup artist feared the transformation would cause controversy and issued this disclaimer along with the photos. Photo / Instagram

"This is a transformation that I've been holding back from releasing for a while now, solely because of the fear I've had of people turning it into a racial scandal against me," the artist wrote next to the photos.

"THIS IS NOT ABOUT A RACE CHANGE. This is about one woman acknowledging, embracing, and celebrating the beauty of another woman's culture."

The explanation did not wash with many, who said he was using "blackface."

"A non Black person painting their face to emulate Black [people] is STILL blackface," wrote Chihiro Ogino wrote on Twitter.

"Hello @paintdatface ... WOC called and we want our MELANIN back," FancyFallonMua seconded.

📞Hello Paintdatface ..... WOC called and we want our MELANIN back 😡 #appropration #blackface #BlackGirlsAreMagic @LegendaryRootz pic.twitter.com/jRFaSlxzXG

— FancyFallonMua (@fancyfallonmua) May 28, 2017

"Really? You want to celebrate black culture? GET A BLACK MODEL! This is clearly blackface, your 'disclamer' doesn't change that," tweeted Nessa.

Really paintdatface? You want to celebrate black culture? GET A BLACK MODEL! This is clearly blackface, your "disclamer" doesn't change that https://t.co/p724ZDtajK

— Nessa (@nessapr08) May 29, 2017

"You're trying to justify using BLACKFACE. Why not just use a model of color? You clearly lack them on your page as-is. You can't create one of us just because you don't want to use us. #Rude" wrote Mandaplease on Instagram.

"If it wasn't about race you wouldn't have needed a four page long disclaimer," noted Leila Ellis Nelson.

#paintdatface if it wasn't about race you wouldn't have needed a four page long disclaimer

— Leila Ellis-Nelson, Psy.D. (@DrEllisNelson) May 29, 2017

The artist finally deleted the photo, then wrote, "The transformation that I recently posted of a woman transformed into a woman of another culture has been highly criticized by those who don't understand the message.

"I deleted the post, not because I had regret or saw wrongdoing, but because of the negativity social media turned it into. It's been assumed by most that my intentions were to transform my model into a black woman.

View this post on Instagram

The transformation that I recently posted of a woman transformed into a woman of another culture has been highly criticized by those who don't understand the message. I deleted the post, not because I had regret or saw wrongdoing, but because of the negativity social media turned it into. It's been assumed by most that my intentions were to transform my model into a black woman. Truth is, my intentions were to keep the look vague enough to be relatable to many women of different cultures, but the true inspiration of the overall look came from my Cuban heritage. Although I am saddened by how many people are angered, I can't offer an apology for my artwork and for what I find to be beautiful. The transformation came from a place of love and was not about mocking one's race, but rather about celebrating it. I am so proud to be illustrating a woman representing several cultures along with their achievements, beliefs and histories. Art is interpreted differently by all and sometimes it's uncomfortable, but making this world a better place starts with our mindset - thinking positive, showing love and practicing unity.

A post shared by SPENCER (@paintedbyspencer) on May 29, 2017 at 12:40pm PDT

"Truth is, my intentions were to keep the look vague enough to be relatable to many women of different cultures, but the true inspiration of the overall look came from my Cuban heritage.'"

Paintdatface's real name is Spencer, according to NewBeauty.com.