When it comes to creating lifelike portraits and sculptures, knowledge of anatomy is important. It’s not enough to draw or mold what you see on the surface. In order to create exact likenesses, you have to know what people look like underneath it all — and you have to dig all the way to the bone.

That sounds morbid, but it’s really just a matter of knowing why we look the way we do on the surface. If you know the structure of someone’s cheekbones, for example, you’ll have a better grasp on how to recreate that person’s face. That’s why Russian artist Michael Zajkov‘s sculptural work is so incredible. When it comes to having a handle on what humans are made of, this creator goes above and beyond.

At first glance, it’s hard to comprehend the fact that someone made this face out of polymer clay and a few coats of paint.

His work is at once hauntingly human and altogether otherworldly.

As you can imagine, this level of talent has helped the artist garner success in the industry.

As viewers take in his work, it’s hard to tell where reality ends and sculpture begins.

But the real magic is in Zajkov’s process. Check out the clips below to watch people come to life under his careful hand.

When it comes to stunning transformations, it doesn’t get much better than this.

If you ask most artists, the process is just as important as the product. When outsiders look in on people’s work, especially when it’s in progress, it’s easy for them to feel confused about where the piece is going. Creators know, however, that every step — no matter how ridiculous it might look at the time — is a critical part of what will eventually become something cohesive.

To keep up with Michael Zajkov’s mind-bending work, be sure to follow him on Instagram.