Now you see it ...

At first glance, this photo appears to show a parrot perching on a tree - sporting a curved beak, colorful feathers and a pointed tail. 

But, in fact, as may be easier to see in the larger version below, it is a woman whose entire body has been cleverly painted to resemble the tropical bird.

The spectacular work of art was created by Johannes Stoetter, a former world champion body painter.

The 35-year-old artist, who lives in Italy, spent four weeks painstakingly planning how he could transform the female model into a parrot.

He took four hours to paint the woman's body using special breathable paint - adding intricate detail, dark shading and even a bright green eye.  

He then spent a further hour positioning her on a tree trump, before taking a series of photographs.
The finished creation sees the model's outstretched left leg become the parrot's tail feathers, while her right leg and arm become its wings.

And her left arm - wrapped around her head - forms the tropical bird's head.

Mr Stoetter, who was crowned World Body Painting Champion in 2012, said he had chosen to position the model on a tree stump to enhance the 'parrot's' life-like appearance. 

'Getting the scene set up took about five hours, then it took about another four hours to paint the model and an hour to get her position right,' he said.