Valencia, Venezuela-based artist Gustavo Silva Nunez creates extraordinary paintings that are so hyperrealistic, they seem to come to life and flow right off the canvas. Submerged in azure pools of water, his subjects float serenely, swim gracefully, splash about, or surface for air with a spray of bubbles. With each stroke of his paintbrush, Nunez captures every last detail–subtle shades of blue, sparkling glimmers of light, distortions of bodies under the water, myriads of ripples and currents, and much more.

Nunez adds another dimension to the lifelike paintings with playful snapshots of himself interacting with his creations. Through his Instagram, the artist frequently shares glimpses of his works-in-progress as he poses with them, pretending to hold onto the subjects' arms or greet the swimmers as they break the water's surface for air. With the breathtaking level of hyperrealism in his works, it often becomes difficult to distinguish Nunez from his paintings, speaking to his incredible skills as an artist.

Gustavo Silva Nuez on Facebook

Gustavo Silva Nuez on Instagram