VIDEO: Artist creates mesmerizing animal illusions using body paint

Emily Hager

July 10, 2020 7:14 PM

Daniel Stoetter for Business Insider Today

Artist Johannes Stoetter has perfected the art of body-painting illusions.
He has won acclaim for his series of animal illusions, in which models painted head to toe contort into the shapes of frogs, parrots, butterflies, and chameleons.
Stoetter is working on new projects in Italy, and hopes people will begin consuming more art as the country recovers from the coronavirus.
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For nearly a decade, Johannes Stoetter has mesmerized viewers with his stunning works of art all of which are painted on human bodies.

Stoetter has perfected the art of body painting and has won worldwide acclaim for his series of animal illusions , in which models painted head to toe contort into the shapes of frogs, parrots, butterflies, and chameleons.

The artist has been working on new projects from his home studio in northern Italy, and is hoping people will begin consuming more art and culture as the country emerges from the shadow of the coronavirus.

Business Insider Today asked Stoetter to film his work just as the country was beginning to reopen.

"It's very challenging to paint on a body, especially because the body is three-dimensional. It's not a flat canvas, but it's round," he said.

"So if, for example, you'll need to create a straight line, you actually don't paint it straight, but curvy, to make it look straight from the right angle."