“Some people may say painting with my mouth is a remarkable talent,” artist Alana Tillman shares on her website; “however, I want to be known for the quality of my artwork rather than how I created it.”

The self-taught painter took up her craft at five years old, honing it over the next 28 years in spite of the challenges she faced from a rare motor limitation.

“The disability is called Arthogyposis,” Tillman writes in a comment on Reddit. “That’s the Wikipedia version anyway. The jury is still out on if it’s genetic or from environmental variables.”

She notes that the condition affects the joints in her elbows and has caused “a lack of muscular development” in her arms, hence her adaptive approach.

“It is a lot easier for me to paint with my mouth than my feet,” Tillman explains in a comment. “I use my teeth to bite down on the tool and my tongue to control the direction that I need the paint brush or pencil to go.”

After her sibling, Reddit user WhoFramedVWRabbit, posted a gallery of Tillman’s artwork to the Pics community, her art went viral—reaching the front page of Reddit and leading users who saw her paintings to request an AMA (Ask Me Anything) from their creator.

The next day, Tillman joined the site to answer questions from her new fans.

Advice for Kids With Disabilities

The MFPA

How She Types

Dark Themes

Vintage Nostalgia

Pet Projects

When one redditor inquired about Tillman’s pet portraits, the artist expressed her affection for canine commissions, like this whimsical, pen-sketched pooch:

What’s Next?

To see more of Tillman’s art, check out her Instagram and website.