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RedBall Project at the Bopiliao Historic Block in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo:
swanky/Flickr
It's a giant, red ball. How could you not love it? Artist Kurt Perschke explains how the RedBall Project got started:
RedBall began as a requested commission by Arts in Transit, an award winning public art bi-state agency based in St. Louis. I was asked to choose among a series of sites and propose a temporary work. After being drawn to an unlikely underpass lacking the glamour of other possibilities I worked through a series of ideas, trying to figure out how to make evident my pull to this particular place. In a late night sketching session, after many failures and in a moment of frustration to realize the compressed potential of the site, I jammed a gigantic ball under the bridge to make myself laugh. Excited, intrigued, and having nothing else I liked, I showed the sketch to my project manager the next day over ice cream at Crown Candy. She laughed too, and thus began the RedBall Project.
Link | More at Flickr's RedBall Project pool
You’ve seen how abandoned buildings are taken over by vines and spiderwebs and can look really creepy? Daniele Del Nero recreates that feeling in miniature with his buildings covered in natural mold.
Grown over several days, the mould used to create these stunning models then dies after two weeks leaving a layer of dust akin to a spider’s web which gives the miniature houses their creepy and mesmerising look. “I’ve always been fascinated by old ruined buildings,” says Del Nero, in an interview. “We are used to imagining our cities as permanent and definitive, but it’s amazing how little time it takes for nature to reclaim its spaces.”
See more of Del Nero’s creations at Urban Ghosts. Link
(Image credit: Daniel Del Nero)
Sure superhero fan art can be fun on its own, but you know what’s better? Non-superheroes suddenly transformed into amazing men and women of comic book lore. Sure they might not be as good at saving the world, but from an aesthetic perspective, they’re way more fun.
Perhaps one of the most epic superhero mashup artworks around is this great Futurama X-Men Meld by DeviantArt user Gottabecarl. Can you identify all of the characters in this massive artwork? Be warned, you might have to head to his DeviantArt page just to be able to see them all in their full scale.
If there was anyone Muppet that best matches Wolverine, DeviantArt user Rahzzah totally nailed it as Animal. That being said, I don’t know how well Beaker would serve as any superhero. He’s not exactly the bravest Muppet around. Personally, I think casting Miss Piggy as Phoenix seems like a much more natural choice.
When the jury was still out on whether or not Community would be renewed for another season, artist Aviv Or expressed his feelings on the matter by showing just how much he thought of the show’s characters. Personally, I adore the idea of Abed playing the role of Professor X.
Ever wonder where Mystique got all those tiny skulls on her belt? Caanan Grall has the answer with this single frame that explains so much about her back story. While it might not be as informative, his take on Clark Kent taking over for Archie is certainly just as entertaining.
Have you ever wondered what Batman and Robin would be like if they were mixed with a grouchy Chihuahua and a obese house cat? DeviantArt user Stejam13 has your answer with this wonderful combination of the classic comic and the legendary Nicktoon, Ren & Stimpy.
Back in my day, textbook sketches were usually just vulgar, talentless nothings, but these beautiful designs by artist Paula Swisher are quite the exception.
Using leaves of paper from old engineering and science manuals as her canvass, Swisher brings what she describes as a “contrived sense of order” to pages of numbers, figures, and graphs — creating what she calls “a visual metaphor for our attempts to make sense of our experiences.”
Don’t miss the rest of these amazing drawings on her website.
Who wants to clutter up landfills with old junk tech when you can make cool art pieces out of it?
The artists in this gallery have come up with some rather ingenious ways to recycle that old tech trash, from making surreal landscapes out of motherboards, a crashing wave of recycled records, and even a nine foot tall Autobot made out of old car and machine parts.
The pieces in this set will make you think twice before you chuck out your old tech junk, and maybe they’ll even inspire the DIYers to repurpose that useless old junk and show the world how crafty they can be!
Link –image credit: Grace Grothous
Or would you prefer to see George Lucas’s Up? I’ve accepted droids, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable flying an X-wing that talked. Through a mouth. Andrew Chesworth composed this image for Star Wars Day — you know, May the Fourth.
Link -via Popped Culture
Previously:
Darth Vader in Pixar’s Up
Pixar Star Wars
We’ve already featured the works of Hanksy, but he’s finally moved on from Tom Hanks and started working on other actors of note, most notably, Ted Danson and Bill Cosby. The results are unsurprisingly awesome.
Link Via Laughing Squid
Andy J. Hunter is a master of geek artistry with a variety of fun images like this great Post Apocalyptic Spiderman and a great image showing what happens when The Muppets meet Lord of the Rings. Don’t miss the rest over on his website for some great geek artwork.
This whimsical illustrated chart by Aaron Thong shows some alternate uses for portals, like the ones created by the handheld portal device carried by the main characters in the Portal video game series.
You’d better ask for permission from GLaDOS before attempting these unauthorized uses of your portal gun, or you may be taken offline. Skydiving seems like a fun way to use a portal, but hula hooping looks downright dangerous!
This series by illustrator Yves Joe Malgorn should be subtitled Visible Robot, and it reveals what lies beneath the skin of some of pop culture’s most beloved droids like C-3PO, Bender, Mickey Mouse and Marilyn Monroe?
Apparently the illustrator believes that he is an android, and therefore other humans (especially females) must be full of robotic gears and circuitry as well. It’s all a bit odd, unless you’re a robot, then it should all make perfect sense.
(Some images on his site are NSFW due to nudity)
Diglett may be one of the least popular Pokemon to collect, due to his small size and limited power, but in real life he sure is cute!
He’s too cute to tag on, or back your car into after a long night at the local Sigma Chi house, and he’s probably a bit too heavy to just toss in the trunk of your car and take home, although I’m sure someone has attempted a Diglett kidnapping at some point because the little guy sure does have a lot of admirers!
Hong Yi’s subject matter is fairly conventional: portraiture. But her methods are extraordinary. We’ve previously watched her compose a portrait of a famous basketball player using just a basketball and paint. More recently, she spilled coffee into a saucer and planted the cup repeatedly on paper until she composed a picture of actor Jay Chou. At the link, you can watch a video showing how she did it.
The Neatorama Art Blog welcomes a new gallery from Philadelphia artist Josean Rivera! Rivera is a painter who also works in mixed media, with an admitted “obsession with dinosaurs, girls, and skulls.” See a selection of his work at the art blog, where you’ll find links to even more. Link
Fart jokes have been with us since we’ve had the ability to laugh. Fart art appears to go back quite some time as well! The Japanese scroll entitled He-Gassen (Fart Battle) dates from the Edo period, making it somewhere between 200 and 400 years old. There are more panels from the scroll at Tofugu. My personal favorite is the one with the cat, but I selected this one to show you because it’s probably the tamest of the bunch. The rest contain partial nudity, meaning lots of butts. Don’t laugh too loud, you’ll attract attention! Link -via Metafilter
This panoramic shot of Mos Eisley by illustrator Ulises Farinas is full of characters and props from the Star Wars universe, some from another universe altogether, and some funny little Where’s Waldo style surprises to discover as you scan over the detail crammed scene.
This amazing illustration definitely warrants a closer look, so make sure you hit the link to see it in all of it’s full-sized glory. I never realized there were so many cats lurking around Tatooine, or that they have their own version of Batman lurking about in the back alleys!
Imagine in a world in which Pokémon emerged in the 1940s instead of the 1990s, and in the United States instead of Japan. That’s what Becky Dreisdadt had in mind when she devised 151 Pokémon in the style of the Little Golden Books. Each Pokémon comes with a description of its savage combat abilities. Here’s what a Jumpalope can do in battle:
Often sighted by weary travellers, the Jumpalope was once considered to be a mythical creature. This behorned lagamorph thrives in the desert as it can store a week’s worth of water in its cactus tail. To provide camouflage, its ears change colour with the leaves of the seasons.
The Fro Design store recently put up this great wanted poster for The Doctor. I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t wait to see who fills in that last window.
It’s been a long time since you’ve listened to those Sir Mix-a-Lot CDs. Why not put them to some good use? Sean Avery takes CDs, breaks them into fragments, and then creates amazing animal sculptures.
Link -via Bit Rebels
Infographics are often used as a marketing ploy for shady websites, but sometimes they can be created with much more honest motives. For example, this one was created by Drake Martinet as a clever way to propose to his girlfriend and it’s sweet as all heck. Click on the link to read the rest.
Chell and GLaDOS are much cuter in Reddit user GryphElyse’s depiction of events.
Burton Snowboards has teamed up with Sierra-At-Tahoe Resort to create the Burton Star Wars Experience, a park aimed at young snow sport enthusiasts who want to tame some gnarly drifts with Chewbacca and a bunch of Ewoks cheering them on.
The park features an area known as Yoda’s Riglet Park, which was created for kids as young as 3 to 6 to learn how to shred snow, and features some amazing chainsaw sculptures by Bob King. Here’s more about this kid friendly snow park:
“The Burton Star Wars Experience at Sierra gives kids as young as 3 the chance to successfully learn how to snowboard in a fun environment,” says Jeff Boliba, Burton’s Global Resort Director. “Yoda’s Riglet Park will combine Burton’s industry-leading Learn To Ride hardgoods, teaching systems and Riglet Park features with Jedi Master Yoda’s methods of balance, movement, and control. We are stoked to partner with Lucasfilm and Sierra to create this amazing experience for little groms.”
And if breaking the age barrier isn’t enough of a reason to lavish this park with kudos, all of the sculptures were made from fallen trees, and all metal used was made from recycled materials, so it’s an eco-friendly woodland park to boot! Yoda would be pleased…
Link –via Obvious Winner
Who needs books and folders full of reference photos of facial expressions when you have a whacked out meme known as Rage Comics from which to draw inspiration for your characters?
Well don’t look now, but DeviantARTists have discovered this treasure trove of odd expressions, and now they’re applying Rage Faces to their own characters, with fantastic albeit strange results.
If your favorite cartoon characters start in with the old ‘Y U No’ or ‘FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUU’ or even the priceless ‘Me Gusta face’, you’ll know it’s because DeviantARTists such as Chireiya have decided to bring the Rage to their ‘toons. Cartoonists-Y U No do this with your own characters? NAO!
Link –via ComicsAlliance
Parasites are rarely adorable, but this tiny little cabin in San Francisco certainly is.
The structure, which measures approximately W7 x D8 x H11 feet, takes on a 19th-century architectural style. Constructed from vintage building materials – it has a welded aluminum frame, with an exterior finished with 100 year-old reclaimed barn board from Ohio – the dwelling is meant to be an homage to the romantic spirit of the western myth and a commentary on the arrogance of westward expansion.
Sure it might not be lived in, but it does seem to be functional and could actually become someone’s home at some point.
Link via BoingBoing
I didn’t see Drive, but I’d definitely go see Kart. Props to Dan Hipp for making instantly improving on Hollywood’s vision.
As a geek working at a grocery store, you do your work, bide your time and dream about getting back home to your beloved games. Or, you can bring your passion to work with you, and offer to set up one of these amazing pixel art soda displays and show the world just how cool and refreshing your favorite characters can be.
However, if you’re anti-gamer for some odd reason, there are plenty of other characters to be found in this gallery, and they’re incredible works of pixel art on a grand scale, so there’s that…
Artists Tim Simpson and Sandra van Gameren, from Studio Glithero, have come up with a unique way to create their intricate, highly symmetrical ‘Fire Drawings’ -by using flammable paint on wood then setting the lines on fire. Watching the flames race around the panel, burning the meticulously drawn lines into the wood, makes for a rather interesting process video, which you can check out at the links below.
Link –via DesignTAXI
The International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge from Science Magazine and the National Science Foundation award honors to the best images, illustrations, videos, games, and graphs of the past year that clearly communicate scientific information. Smithsonian magazine is proud to present a gallery of the winners, with an explanation of what each represents. This illustration looks like a rendering of Cthulhu, but is actually something scarier: a breast cancer cell, as it is being attacked by the green antibodies. Link
(Image credit: Emiko Paul, Echo Medical Media)
Artist Binksy completely captured the entire problem with The Phantom Menace in one perfect creation.
Link Via The Daily What
Jason Heuser, one of the great artists of our age, creates heroic images of US Presidents, including Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Roosevelt and Lincoln used guns against their foes, but Kennedy preferred cold steel. Here he is, at his finest, doing cleanup work on the moon.
Here's an idea from designer John Scarratt on how to turn an empty storefront into a work of art that doubles as a clever ad! Link
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