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16-Year-Old Uses Body Paint to Skillfully Transform Herself into Fantastical Creatures

16-year-old Lara Wirth produces body painting with effects so believable that they startle strangers with their realism. “After finishing a creation [on myself], looking in the mirror can be a little frightening,” she told the Instagram blog. “I did once make a man scream in the supermarket when I rounded a corner right in front of him. He wasn’t prepared to be met by a zombie.”

Inspired by the special effects she had seen on television, the Melbourne-based teen started body painting when she was just 14 years old. In the two years since she’s been covering herself in colorful pigments, glitter, and sculptural materials, the more complex her makeup appears. Wirth transforms herself into fantastical characters that look out of this world, including ones with beautifully grotesque facial features and giant teeth that she bares towards the camera.

After finishing her makeup, Wirth documents the character and posts it on her Instagram account. “The really sad bit is washing it off—it’s a type of art that only exists in photos in the long haul,” she admits. But considering her already-burgeoning talent, we’re sure Wirth will have a chance to exercise her creativity for a long time.

Lara Wirth: Instagram | YouTube
via [Instagram Blog]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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