Cool "Realistic" Disney Characters

I just came across Jirka's blog, and he has an assortment of great designs. But what really caught my eye was these Disney character's.

Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Princess Jasmine from Aladdin

Pocahontas

Mulan

Aurora the Sleeping Beauty

Megara from Hercules

Belle from Beauty & The Beast

Ariela The Little Mermaid

Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Breaking the Boundaries

You can tell from the smile on this art lover's face that she isn't really in any danger from the pouncing lion that appears within striking distance of her.

And the fact that the lion is leaping from a red wardrobe, inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia, tells you something fantastical is occurring in the art world.

As 'realistic' as it may look, this incredible painting is simply part of a new exhibition of four dimensional art in North East China.

The collection of paintings, on display at a contemporary art exhibition in the Jilin province, uses techniques similar to the 'stand-up' advertising hoardings that are sometimes painted on the edges of sports pitches.

With cunning use of shadow they trick the eye into believing that the images are leaping off the canvas, that arrows are firing towards the viewers gaze from the bows of cherubs, or that Pinocchio's nose is protruding wildly from the frame.

The pieces are a huge hit with spectators who have already shown a talent for interacting with the works to become part of the art themselves.

These photographs show how creative fans have snapped themselves holding the end of Van Gogh's paintbrush, shouldering the train of a portrait's flowing dress and, in one clever sideways snap, skydiving from the safety of of the gallery floor.

VIA

Jean-François Rauzier

The hyperphoto realism of Jean-François Rauzier. When you got to his online portfolio, you can zoom-in almost so close into his pieces, and it still retains a crisp sharpness to it.

Fascinated by photography since childhood, Jean-François Rauzier starts his studies in the “Ecole Nationale Louis Lumière” in 1976. For 30 years, he has been exploring painting, sculpting, asphalt… Enriched by the learning of the commercial photography he practiced, pionner of the numerical collection, he invented the “Hyperphoto” concept, which enabled him to fulfill his approach.

Jean-François Rauzier was immediately captivated by numerical photography when it penetrated the professional market 15 years ago. He has been exploring the multiple opportunities offered by computer’s retouching since then, turning himself into a “virtual” painter.

In 2002, he created the “Hyperphoto”, a concept which enables him to deal with the impossible: to combine both infinitely big and infinitely small things in one same image, out of time.

To simulate the illusion of reality, Jean-François Rauzier first had to cope with all the inherent limits inherent of the photographic and technological equipment.

He found his way by juxtaposing, duplicating, twisting images with Photoshop, making it possible for him to reproduce human vision more accurately. This way, he generated a genuine numerical puzzle, in which the pieces, cut out, “drawn again”, come up along on top of the imagination of the artist.

From this technique is issued numerous fascinating and unusual details on which the spectator can dwell on.

The multitude of images invite the spectators to an inside journey, in dream-like, fantastic and timeless worlds. These worlds are filled with icons and references born of the artist’s cultural hall of fame.

http://www.rauzier-hyperphoto.com/?lang=en

Google's Art Project

Google has taken its street view cameras inside some of the world's most famous museums. The result? A stunningly high-resolution trove of paintings that would otherwise be an ocean away. And here's how they did it.

It's been an 18-month long journey for Google, as the company's camera's dutiful recorded 360 degree tours of 17 art museums—including the Smithsonian, London's National Gallery, the Met, MoMA, Uffizi, and other heavy-hitters—and over a thousand high-resolution paintings. Each individual museum has also chosen one piece to showcase in 7 billion pixels, while also doing high-res images of 1,061 artworks that may be viewed on the newly launched Art Project web portal. It's clear enough that you can see the brushwork better than you ever could leaning behind the red velvet rope.

You also have the option to save individual works of art along the way, curating your own collection and adding comments that you can share with friends, family, and—more likely—Art History classmates. And "free" certainly beats a $20 suggested donation any day of the week.

Swiped from Endgaget and Gizmodo. Official Link Here

City of Ash

Look closer at Yang Yongliang's newest sculpture, and you will see a cityscape cleverly disguised as ash from a cigarette.

Via

Day of the Dead

Fernando Matos has created some very intriguing Day of the Dead images.

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a holiday celebrated by many in Mexico and by some Mexican Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. The Day of the Dead is a time of celebration when eating and partying are common. Due to occurring shortly after Halloween, the Day of the Dead is sometimes thought to be a similar holiday, although the two are celebrated differently.

New Tron Inspired Art

Knock On The Sky

This is the newest piece of surreal art from Russ McIntosh. The piece takes its inspiration and the title of the piece from the new Tron: Legacy movie. As always with Russ' work, look closely at the shadows and highlights within the picture, and find much more hidden inside!

www.RussMcIntosh.com

The piece can be purchased either through the Russ' website or as a canvas reproduction at ImageKind.com

Michael Reedy - Anatomical Art

Michael Reedy says this about his art: The human figure and portraiture have been central to my studies and explorations as a practicing artist for the past twelve years. In a desire to extend beyond historical modes of representation, I have found myself increasingly interested in depictions of the body that fall outside the canon of art history, namely in cartooning and medical illustration. Ultimately, I believe that by combining the visual language and style employed by various modes of representation, both inside and outside the accepted boundaries of fine art, I can locate and capitalize on unique areas of resistance essential to the production of new meaning.

Visit his website

Fran Recacha - Mythological

The Barcelona-based artist creates gracefully molded figures engaged in dream-like scenarios open to expansive narrative interpretations and poetic depths. The drama he designs in his complex compositions is high key but elegantly undercut by his cool palette and streamlined cityscapes.

Artist's Website

Behance Site