Can you be-leaf the detail?

Talented paper artists from around the world use fine blades to cut out detailed designs from blank sheets. Kazakhstan-based artist Kanat Nurtazin creates his amazing artwork this way, albeit on a more unconventional material. Instead, he uses a variety of leaves as the canvas for illustrations of animals, people, and famous fictional characters.

“I like to cut detailed drawings on the leaf and take a picture of it on a beautiful background mixing handmade art and photography,” Nurtazin tells My Modern Met. The artist holds up his finished cut-outs in front of azure skies, pink waters, white clouds, and gray cityscapes to enhance the effect of these meticulous etchings. For instance, he displays a cut-out of a pair of flamingos in front of Lake Kobeituz, a salty body of water with a rosy tint, to give the long-legged birds their natural coloring. Similarly, Nurtazin juxtaposes a yellow leaf with an image of a ballerina in front of a blue sky for an ethereal effect.[…]

More: Artist Highlights Intricate Leaf Cut-Out Art by Holding To the Sky