A fine body of work: Artist turns humans into animals, fruit and landscapes in amazing paintings inspired by nature

The world's best bodypainter plays tricks with the mind with incredible body art in which his subjects disappear into their backgrounds.

Visual wiz Johannes Stoetter has replaced canvas with the human body, transforming his living models into objects inspired by the natural world.

Johannes, 35, spends up to five months painstakingly planning and perfecting each of his amazing creations.

Each work of art then takes up to eight hours to complete using special breathable paint.

The stunning creations, which include fruit made from painted heads, have earned Johannes the world bodypainting title.

Johannes, from South Tyrol in Italy, said: 'I did my first bodypainting experiment in 2000.

'Five years earlier I had the idea to paint a human body but it took me until I was 23 to try it.

'The experience was so special that I wanted to do it again immediately - I wanted to try it with different colours, a different model and a different motive.