A student is turning his port wine stain birthmark into art – an intricate map which resembles the worlds of fantasies such as ‘Game of Thrones’.
Jacob has posted a series of his hand-drawn ‘art’ images on Reddit.
He says, “I felt pride that the marks that distinguish my skin were not chosen, but the result of quirky genetic mutations and so far more meaningful to me. We should make a society of distant lands for all those with similar markings. It’d be the coolest club.”
Jacob, 25, says that he has deliberately chosen to do each ‘continent’ and ‘island’ by hand as it feels more personal than pressing designs on.
“These hand drawings were very difficult, mostly because my hand was constantly flexing and moving to get a better angle and when pressure is put on my skin it whitens,” he says.
So far, the drawings have been painstakingly picked out in permanent marker – but commenters on Reddit have praised his work and suggested he should get it permanently tattooed. Others have said that they have had similar designs tattooed over their own birthmarks.
“I got mine tattooed years ago,” says one. “Go for it, mate!”
