By Hannah Stevens @Hannahshewans

SKIN transforms into bone and mechanics in these super realistic body paint illusions

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Artist Lisha Simpson creates mind boggling illusions using body paint
Simpson has only been practicing body painting for ten months

Australian body painter Lisha Simpson uses skin as her canvas to create detailed paintings that trick the eye into seeing torn flesh, terminator style innards and swimming fish.

Using a black backdrop the 21-year-old painter creates mind boggling illusions that make flesh simply disappear.

An arm gives a very creepy greeting in this bloody illusion

Simpson began face painting just over a year ago and has been honing her body painting skills for ten months.

She said: “I was introduced to body painting after attending a beginners face painting course.

“I had never seen such amazing pieces of art work on the human body before. It blew me away.

Lisha was inspired to follow her passion when she saw another artist's hyper realistic butterfly
Lisha's black back drop gives the illusion that each arm is missing skin, muscle and flesh

“I’m particularly interested in illusion and 3D body painting because it's so out of the ordinary, which is why I think I love it.

“I’ve always been drawn to anything weird or unusual.”

The intricate designs take anywhere from a mere twenty minutes to three long hours to perfect.

She added: “As I was learning more and more about body painting, I came across illusion and 3D body art online.

“I saw this butterfly painting on a lady’s hand that looked as though it was about to fly away.

A beary clever design transforms this arm into a bear claw
Who says a skeleton has to be boring? Certainly not these rainbow bones

“It was incredible. I just had to learn how to do that, so I began practicing every day and eventually developed my own style.”

The Canberra-based artist’s series of work includes a rainbow skeleton hand, a Frankenstein arm and even a “suited up” arm.

Lisha said: “I draw inspiration for designs from lots of different things - things I like, or things other people like, sometimes I'll build an idea off of an object right in front of me.

“Most of the time I'll just start to paint and it turns into something completely unplanned.

An arm reveals its inner tentacle in this eerie illusion
Each painting can take anywhere between twenty minutes and three hours

“If I decide to paint something that I'm unfamiliar with, for example a bird, I'll look at a real life image of that particular bird then make it my own.

“I like to create as much realism as I can, so real life images are the best way to do that.”

Lisha plans to continue her work by painting full body illusions and she aims to one day compete and place in the Australian Body Art Awards.