Ballet dancer model with bodypainted leg muscles

Anatomical Bodypaint

This is one of my favourite portfolio pieces. This anatomical bodypaint project is a collaboration with photographer Sameer Ghai.

I wanted to show the human body at work. To peel back the skin and reveal the muscles underneath, stretched taut over bone. I wanted viewers to feel the strain that I could see in tensed, athletic bodies placed under stress, whether for sport, art or performance.

Choosing models with special talents and looks to create the most spectacular images possible, I worked closely with the talented photographer Sameer Ghai. His vision complemented mine and together, we were able to create these spectacular photographs.


We chose to shoot in grey, postmodern, almost dystopian environments, like boiler rooms and rooftop cityscapes. We felt that the futuristic, clinical backdrops contrasted sharply with the organic reds and blues of a human anatomy laid bare.

Each bodypaint was different, but on average they took around three hours to complete. I worked with a range of high-quality bodypaint brands, using brushes and sponges to apply the effects by hand.

Please take a few minutes to view all of the images in the collection. I hope you enjoy them – let me know which is your favourite!

You can view more of my bodypaint work in my creative bodypaint portfolio.

Or, if you’re feeling brave, view my Halloween Special Effects portfolio.