Time Lapse Video Of The Creation Of A Stunning Hyper-Realistic Goldfish Portrait

Young-sung Kim, a 43-year old South Korean artist now based in New York, is making waves across the Internet with his remarkably hyper-realistic paintings. His works need to be seen in order to be believed, their proximity to life is so profound that even he himself has difficulties distinguishing his own artworks from the digital photos he uses as models. Most of Kim’s subjects include wildlife and small animals and their common denominator is drops, wetness or full immersion into water. Lizards, goldfish, snails or frogs, they are depicted in super-realistic detail with mind-boggling, delicate technique.

He started painting at a very early age, fascinated by observing bugs, reptiles and amphibians. He spent his youth in a tug-of-war with his parents, who, discouraged by the instability of the artistic call stimulated him to pursue a more steady career plan. Instead of discouragement, Kim found motivation in their opposition and kept perfecting his style. They eventually relented.

"My parents realized that I wasn't just protesting and that I just can't live without painting," reminisces Kim.

Now, a graduate of the prestigious College of Fine Art of Hongik University, he believes he is very lucky to be able to do what he loves for a living but is often frustrated with the slow pace at which he produces a piece. One painting takes him from eight hours to a few months for a full completion, as he is very hard with himself when it comes to perfection.

In the video at the top of the page, you can see the method and process in which he paints one in the series of "Nothing. Life. Object", a goldfish in a glass of water painted in hyperrealistic structure and color you almost want to dip your finger in. The glass to fish illustrates the distinction between the living and the material and the nothingness as their connective tissue.