Gesine Marwedel is a talented body-painting artist who has the power to transform the naked bodies of her models into mind-bending optical illusions.

From swans, to owls, to dolphins, there doesn’t seem to be anything that German artist Gesine Marwedel can’t morph her models into, using body paint. But while most of her works are illusory in nature, obscuring parts of the human body, while transforming others into something new entirely, some are simply abstract works of art, with a deeper meaning.

Photo: Gesine Marwedel

Having studied Rehabilitation Science in university, Marwedel has been trying to help sick children through creative therapies like painting and music, and has even published a book on the therapeutic benefits of body-painting.

Marwedel reportedly takes between four to seven hours on average to finish a body-painting, but complex projects can take up to 12 hours.

“People love my work. They seem to be fascinated by the transformation of human bodies into something else. In fact I have never had any negative reaction,” Gesine Marwedel recently told Caters News. “Mostly I am inspired by a photo, pose or something and first I try out poses by myself in front of a mirror.”

Speaking about the challenges of body-painting, Gesine said that she considers it harder than regular painting, because the artist has to deal with a living canvas that moves, talks and whose needs have to be taken care of during the creative process.

Because a single painting can take up to an entire day, it is vital that the model be kept warm and relaxed throughout the creative process, which isn’t always easy.

“You have to deal with poses, shapes, lights and shadows and a living model, that moves, talks and has needs,” Gesine said. “You also can’t take a rest and finish the painting another day – it has to be finished the same day, even when it takes up to 12 hours.”

To learn more about Gesine Marwedel and see more of her amazing body-paintings, visit her official website, and her social media profiles (Instagram, Facebook).

For more amazing body-painting art, check out John’ Poppleton’s mesmerizing black light series, and the camouflage art of Jörg Düsterwald.