Category: Body Art

Timur Lysenko’s Ravishingly Dark Tattoos

There is darkness and beauty in Timur Lysenko’s tattoos. His work was mentioned to me through Paul O’Shea, a long-time reader and member of Illusion’s Google+ community page. This Polish-based tattooer uses gradient shading to create 3D wow-factor portraits and flowers, and then mixes into the compositions flat lines and sweater-style patterns for a contrasting […]

New Watercolor Tattooers of 2014

Consider the time that goes into crafting a beautiful painting on canvas. Then consider doing it all over again, this time with an electric rotary on the elastic and unpredictable surface that is the human body. No mistakes allowed. Watercolor tattoos were trendy back in ‘12, with pioneers like Ondrash, Klaim and Wachob. Their body art experiments inspired others to explore, giving way to modern masters […]

Gorgeous Zebra-Striped Female Nudes

Note: Contains nudity. The light coming from the window blinds casts striped patterned on these bodies. It is the perfect balance of light and shadow over the curvature of the hips, buttocks, and breasts—gracefully highlighting female forms. Something that Lucien Clergue does so well. The artist will be exhibiting rare and vintage images at the Throckmorton […]

Breathtaking Illusions and Mirrors by Visual Artists

When used ineffectively, mirrors and illusions in any kind of art can seem like cheap tricks. But when used appropriately, it can feel like a dream. The artists selected here are all exciting image-makers at the top of their fields who understand the power that illusions and mirrors can lend their craft. It is a diverse […]