Although this may look like a simple image of a parrot perched on a tree stump, believe it or not, it’s actually a photograph of a woman whose entire body has been perfectly painted to resemble the tropical bird. This is the work of fine art body painter Johannes Stoetter, who is an expert at creating intricate body art illusions that look incredibly lifelike. Looking closely at the image, it soon becomes apparent that the woman’s arm, curved over her head, actually makes up the head of the bird, with her hand painted to look like the beak. Her right arm and leg form the bird’s colorful wings, while her outstretched left leg acts as the long tail feathers of the parrot.
Stoetter, who was crowned World Body Painting Champion in 2012, took four weeks to painstakingly plan this body painting. It then took him several hours to complete the painting itself, using breathable paint to transform the model’s body into a mind-blowing piece of artwork. After another hour of careful positioning and posing, Stoetter snapped the photograph that you see here.
Although the entire process is quite long and painstaking, the artist says that he is very happy with the final result. He says, “Most people’s reactions are ‘nice photo of a parrot, where did you photograph it?’” When they find out that it’s actually a body painting, they’re amazed by the stunning work.
