By Hannah Stevens @Hannahshewans
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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.
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.