Eden Revisited

Here are two human canvas images based on the same photograph--a female model trying to cover her body in a manner that suggests the shame and humiliation that Eve is supposed to have suffered after giving in to temptation in the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden. The different overlays have been used to create simple allegorical statements. In one image, the overlay is a lush summer garden suggestive of the garden itself, while in the other, a photograph of apples completes the symbolic statement.

Thanks to Michelle-Louise, a model and photographer from the United Kingdom, for sharing the original photograph used for this project. You can click this link to see more photographs from her stock gallery.

Rep-tiled

When visitors first arrive at Park Guell in Barcelona, they are greeted with a marvelous and colorful mosaic representation of a reptile that has been commonly described as a dragon or a lizard. The work is one of many by Antoni Gaudi, the famed artist and architect who created the Sagrada Familia and many other landmarks around Barcelona. Here, a photograph of the intricate mosaic tiles that cover the sculpture is used as the overlay for this human canvas.

Thanks once again to "Watchstock" for sharing the original photograph of the nude male model used in this project. You can see other figure studies for artists that Watchstock has generously shared in his stock gallery.

Four Seasons

This post presents a slightly different twist since it includes four human canvas images based on the same original photograph. Natural landscape photographs are used as overlays in each example, and the intent is to portray the four seasons of the year. The images include tulips in the Spring, a sunny Summer garden, colorful Autumn leaves, and snow-packed evergreens in Winter. It seems very fitting to use the unadorned body of a female model as Mother Nature celebrating the beauty of the seasons in all of her natural glory.

Once again, thanks go to Sophie who is both photographer and model for the original pictures used to create these images. Using the nickname "Lockstock," she maintains a wonderful gallery of stock photographs for use by artists and designers. Here is a link to her collection of stock photographs.

Work of Art, Part 2

This human canvas image is a companion piece to the original "Work of Art" image posted on February 19. Again, Marcus Ranum is the photographer who took the original photograph of a nude model holding an empty frame, but in this take, we see a different woman who now faces the camera. It seems appropriate that the overlay is a photograph of a portion of one of Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel.

Thanks again to Marcus Ranum for generously sharing this original photograph for the project. Please be sure to visit his main web galleries to view more of his creative and masterful photography.

Another Abstract Concept

Here is another human canvas image based on a photograph submitted by a reader who wanted to participate in this project. Mike has considerable experience as a figure model for art classes, and he provided the picture of this classic studio pose. Given this art background, it seems fitting that the overlay is a photo of a segment of an abstract painting. Thanks, Mike, for participating in the Human Canvas Project.

Van Gogh's Irises

For generations, painters like Vincent Van Gogh have relied on traditional canvases stretched over wooden frames as the foundation for their masterpieces. As shown in many examples on this site, however, the texture of human skin and the natural contours of the body also serve well as a way to display art. In this case, a photograph of a kneeling woman is paired with a close-up photo of a portion of one of Van Gogh’s best known paintings, Irises, that was completed in Saint-Rémy, France in 1889.

Thanks to Torino and Lee for sharing the original stock photograph that was used to create this human canvas. You can click here to see more of their creative work.

Computer Art

This example provides a literal expression of the merger between human beings and the computer. The original picture is a stock photo of a male torso and the overlay is a close-up photograph of the motherboard of a personal computer. The resulting human canvas recalls visions of cyborgs or robotic creations we have seen in so many sci-fi thrillers.

Thanks to "Watchstock" for generously sharing the stock photograph used to create this image. Click here to see more of the great stock photographs that he has provided for use by people in the artistic community.

Finnish Beauty

This post features two human canvas images based on photographs taken by a young woman named Iida who lives in Finland. Iida is also the model for the two pictures. In each case, a scanned swatch of fabric with a floral theme was used as an overlay, and the colors were chosen to coordinate with the fabric scarf that the model wears around her waist.

Thanks, Iida, for sharing your beautiful pictures with us. For more information about the photographer and her gallery of stock images, click here to see the collection.

A View From Down Under

We continue our virtual trek around the globe with two new human canvas images based on a picture taken by a photographer from Australia. Her name is Rachel and she established a very quiet and contemplative mood with this study of a nude woman in a kneeling pose with her head in her hands. In one example above, a variation of an abstract painting has been used as an overlay, while in the other, a close-up photo of a piece of textured fabric was used to create the final image.

If you are interested in looking at more of the beautiful pictures that Rachel has posted in her stock collection for artists and photographers to use, click here to view her galleries.

Vines and Flowers

The original digital picture that was used to create this human canvas image comes courtesy of a photographer in Germany named Almudena. The photo of a nude woman posing in a classic sitting position has been paired with a close-up picture of a piece of colorful fabric to create a human canvas image that reminds us that Spring is close at hand. The pastel colors of the vines and flowers nicely complement the beautiful curves and texture of the model's body.

Thanks again to Almudena for sharing this picture. You can click here is you would like to see the beautiful gallery of stock pictures that she has generously shared with artists and photographers.

School Colors

This post features some more images supplied by members of the Clothes Free International group. This couple requested that they be "painted" in their favorite school colors, so abstract versions of the school logos were created to use as overlays for these human canvas images. Anyone else out there interested in seeing what they would look like wearing only the colors of their favorite schools or teams?