At first glance, they all look like wonders from the animal kingdom. But look a little closer and you'll spot a woman's hand here, her foot poking out there, or the outline of her torso twisted into an extraordinary pose. For these remarkable images were all created by 'body concept artist' Emma Fay - with a little help from a couple of contortionists who acted as her human 'canvas'.
First the contortionists, Beth Sykes and Lowri Thomas, who wore leotards to protect their modesty, got into the required pose so Miss Fay could draw compositional marks on their bodies. These acted as a guide to ensure her paintings would turn out to be the optical illusions she desires.
Miss Fay used a brush and sponge to apply the water-based paints to their bodies. Once the painting was completed, it was then just a case of the contortionist resuming the requisite pose so a photograph could be taken of the finished artwork against a white background.
Miss Fay, who sells prints of her animal creations, said: 'The photograph is pretty much the last five minutes of the whole process - then Beth and Lowri are free to go home and have a well-deserved shower. 'The photographs always get a brilliant response. People love the optical illusion aspect of it.
'For me, it's kind of exploration of evolution - a study of the remarkable things humans can do with their bodies and the remarkable ways animals have evolved to survive in their surroundings.
Miss Fay says 'I consider them pieces of art, not body painting.'
Source: Daily Mial Uk
