 The music video for " Somebody That I Used to Know " was directed and produced by Australian artist Natasha Pincus . It shows Gotye and Kimbra naked throughout the clip , and as they sing , his skin is gradually painted into the backdrop via stop motion animation . In the director 's cut , it features concealed nudity . The director 's cut was never posted . The painting used in the video 's background , painted by Howard Clark , is based on a 1980s artwork created by Gotye 's father , Frank de Backer , who also designed the cover art for the related album , Making Mirrors . Emma Hack , an Australian artist and skin illustrator based in Adelaide , was hired by Pincus to work on the body paintings for Gotye and Kimbra . Melbourne Scenic Artist Howard Clark painted the backdrop . According to Hack , it took more than 23 hours to paint both Gotye and Kimbra to fit with Howard 's background . Their painting symbolises their combined relationship . 
