There's Something Surprising About These Pictures of Women That Will Blow Your Mind (Photos) ~ Gistwood

There's Something Surprising About These Pictures of Women That Will Blow Your Mind (Photos)

These pictures of women look like normal at first glance but just a little closer look and you will see that they are not as usual as you think.

At first glance, you might not think there's anything particularly unusual about these photographs of women. But look a little closer and you'll see they are in fact paintings.

Astonishingly, they are the result of painstakingly long hours of brushing layer-upon-layer of oil paint.

They are the work of Philipp Weber, a hyper-realistic artist .

Whenever Philipp starts a new piece, he first brings his ideas to life through a photo-shoot with models, make-up artists and a team of snappers.

His images often aim to depict the artificiality and clichés of the fashion and advertising world.

The 41-years-old Philipp works from the photographs to create a replication which is entirely painted - and he says this is where he brings the models to life.

The first layer forms the basis and then he builds on the layers, until the overall form becomes visible and "the desired intensity and intimacy is reached".

This creative process can take months - sometimes up to a year.

Philipp, from Kassel, Germany, said: "Some people can't believe, that everything really is painted. They think, I've over-painted a photo with my oil colours.

"It's about the second level. It's about what lies beneath the uncertain surface.

"Hyper-realism for me is not only the maximum of details, but much more the maximum of feeling."

His finished paintings sell for €20,000-€30,000 (£14,000-£21,000).

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Philipp first fell in love with painting when he was young when his teachers recognised his artistic talent and encouraged him to pursue his passion.

He went on to study fine art in Kassel. Not a year after graduation, Philipp held his first solo exhibition.

He said: "The level of details of the old masters has always fascinated me.

"As well as the first generation of photo-realists like Chuck Close . They are my role models and the inspiration to work this way."

Source: Mirror Online