Artist gets a taste for painting with his tongue - PHOTO

But Indian artist Ani K doesn't use a brush to create his masterpieces - he paints with his tongue. The 35-year-old, from Kerela, licks the paint onto a canvas, before tilting and twisting his head to form different strokes.He also uses his palate to mix colours - scooping up different shades of paint on his tongue to form new colours and tones. His unusual hobby has seen him create a range of intricate portraits and elaborate modernist artworks, including a rendering of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper and portraits of Jesus Christ.Ani, who spends three to four days on each painting, said: 'I wanted to be a different kind of an artist.'I wanted to try art which is distinctive - that is why I chose this medium, and it worked for me.'He settled on the unusual technique six years ago after watching another artist draw with his feet - prompting him to experiment with his own style.'I have tried painting with my nose, my chin, my elbows and my feet,' said Ani, who works as a teacher at Lords Public School in the south-west state. 'I also tried drawing with both hands simultaneously, and also while riding on a moving bike.'However, he said he wasn't keen on passing on his talents to his students - as painting with his tongue causes a number of side effect, such as headaches and a painful jaw.'After painting with my tongue, i experience pain in jaws, headaches, slight loss of vision and a dip in memory power,' he said. 'The side effects stay for around two weeks.'Even though I use modern water colours which are non-toxic, the fumes and the smell still have side effects.'Because of this, I don't teach kids the tongue technique - I ask them to follow the conventional styles.'Ani, who keeps his vast array of artworks in a shanty studio, refuses to sell the products - instead, performing public demonstrations for up to 500 people at a time. 'This has become a way of life me,' he said. 'I have reached a situation where, without painting, there is no me.'He now hopes to turn his passion into a Guinness World Record by painting four portraits using both of his hands and feet at the same time.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az