The human tarantula: Contortionist transforms into giant spider using elaborate body paint - and her own very flexible limbs



Emma Fay used water-based paints to turn model into giant arachnid

Took artist five hours to paint model

Contortionists Lowri Thomas and Beth Sykes pose as animals



Emma has also created giraffe and seahorse

At first glance you might be forgiven for thinking this image shows an arachnophobe's worst nightmare - a super-sized tarantula.

But look closer and you'll see it is simply a woman covered with elaborate body art.



A contortionist has been transformed into a tarantula by body painter Emma Fay, who used water-based paints to turn the ultra-flexible model into the giant arachnid.



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Optical illusion: Model Lowri Thomas is transformed into a human tarantula by body painter Emma Fay, who used water-based paints to turn the ultra-flexible model into the giant arachnid

It took the 27-year-old five hours of intricate work to create the incredibly detailed creature - and she created a seahorse and a leggy giraffe too.



Contortionists Lowri Thomas and Beth Sykes were completely disguised by a layer of paint that transformed their bodies into the animal artwork.

Emma, from Leicester, has been body painting for three years and created the series of images to celebrate the marvels of nature, she says.

The artwork was captured by photographer Jonathan Macauley, who recorded the progress of the animalistic designs as they developed.

See it now? It took Emma five hours of intricate work to create the incredibly detailed creature, which can be seen on set

Hard at work: Emma says she keeps painting and repositioning the models until they look like the real animal and has to work quickly because they can only hold the pose for a few seconds

In action: Model Lowri Thomas seen part way ready in her tarantula transformation

Talent: The Leicester-based artist, who has been body painting for three years, spends around five hours on each piece of work

Emma said: 'This series of transformations is based on the marvels of the natural world.



'The animals featured are both closely linked to evolution and have developed and changed over a long period of time.



'First I ask the contortionist to get into the initial pose and mark out where they will be.



'The contortionists can only hold the pose for a maximum of five-seconds so I have to work quickly to get it right.

You're having a giraffe! Beth Sykes poses as a giraffe - when this was posted online it went viral

Sea it to believe it: Beth Sykes poses as a seahorse, which Emma Fay says celebrates the marvels of the natural world

In action: Miss Sykes, who is also a circus performer, acrobat, fire-eater and stilt-walker, can be seen perfecting her sea horse pose on set

Artist at work: Emma Fay paints the body of model Beth Sykes as a seahorse, which can take hours

'I then keep painting and repositioning the models until they look like the real animal.'

One of the models, Beth Sykes, is also a circus performer, acrobat, fire-eater and stilt-walker.

Other projects have seen Miss Sykes painted as a lizard, an alien character from the film 'Avatar', a tiger and other wild animals.

She recently performed at a celebrity-packed party in the Maldives featuring the Beckhams, Gordon Ramsay, Jimmy Carr and other big names.

She said: 'My flexibility isn't all natural, it comes from being trained and years of practice.

'I used to train six days a week, before school and after school. I absolutely love it.'







