Artist Uses Her Own Thighs As A Canvas And Creates Stunning Ink Drawings

Sometimes an artist has a unique way of drawing, so much so that you could tell who is the author of their drawings or paintings without knowing it prior. In other instances, it’s the topics they choose to represent or the materials they use. Or even what they decide to use as a canvas.

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Artist Randa Haddadin is known for posting drawings that she has done on her own thighs. Not only is the canvas unusual enough to immediately make you think of Randa, but the images themselves are unique to her—elegant, detailed and tattoo-like, often containing floral motifs or architectural structures.

Randa Haddadin is Jordanian-Russian architect and visual artist. She was born in Russia, raised in Jordan and now is based in Dubai. She studied in Jordan where she got her bachelor’s degree in Architectural engineering.

She was working full-time as an architect for 7 years but her true passion didn’t lie there so she decided to jump into the art world, where she feels like her heart genuinely belongs.

She explained to Bored Panda, “I think we all did this at some point in our lives, especially as children. I guess I never really grew out of it, as I always doodle something either on my hand or leg, or clothes.”

She also added, “At one point I think I was trying to design a tattoo for myself so I would draw different designs on my wrists to see if I would like them. And somehow never managed to settle on anything until now.”

Now the process of painting on her own skin became therapeutic and meditative for Randa. She told us, “These days I mostly draw to disconnect from everyday life. I’m present in that moment, I feel every stroke, every line.”

Of course the drawing or painting itself is always enjoyable for the artist, but it’s always ideal when they can make a living out of it. However, when Randa draws on her thighs it’s a different kind of expression of art.

She says, “I don’t have to think of what I would do next with the artwork, how to preserve it, sell it etc. It’s there for that moment in time. I know it will be washed afterwards, so it allows me to focus on the process of creating itself and experimenting with different materials.”

At first it was just an activity to relax Randa’s mind but lately her drawings became more intentional as she gained a bigger following and people started encouraging the artist to make more of these drawings.

Randa revealed that people actually uses her drawings as tattoo inspiration which for her was very nice to hear, “To know someone out there is wearing my art on their body! Such an honor.”

Many of Randa’s drawings on her thigh are either floral compositions, architectural structures or faces. The artist herself told us that among her drawings “you will find a lot of urban sketches of existing and non existing places, faces of random people and their expressions, dancers and their movements.”

We were curious to know what is the inspiration for those images and Randa claims that her art is influenced by her mood. She adds, “My surroundings inspire me a lot. From the people I meet to the places I visit or dream to see, and the feelings they leave me with. When I’m in a good mood I mainly draw different flowers, especially red poppies and jasmines as they are my favorites.”

For a non-professional the drawings may seem intricate and time-consuming, however, Randa says she draws them from 5 to 20 minutes, so just a quick meditation. Most of the time Randa washes the drawings off immediately but if she really likes the design she keeps it for the day and isn’t afraid to show it off by going out like that.

Even though the drawings look like tattoos, they are not. They wash off easily as the artist mainly uses a black ink pen, or eyeliner and other makeup. Sometime she would use acrylic paints with AP safety seal of approval.