Welcome to the Human Canvas Project

A Modern Day Venus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:41:00 +0000

Here is an example based on the theme of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, also known as Venus. In this image, the model has struck a pose that is very reminiscent of Botticelli's "Birth of Venus". The overlay image is a photograph of the terrain of the planet Venus taken by the Magellan space probe several years ago--a fitting way to "clothe" a nude model who possesses all of the physical qualities of Venus, the goddess who represented beauty in ancient mythology.

I am grateful to Kim ("vampyriccadencestock") for sharing the image used to create this human canvas. Kim is a photographer, model, actor, and musician, and she brings a natural and graceful beauty to her poses. Be sure to check out Kim's stock gallery to view her great portfolio:

Floral Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:53:00 +0000

As we have seen in many of the "body-as-canvas" images posted on this site, the human body makes a beautiful medium on which to display almost any pattern or photo imaginable. Sometimes, though, the concept is most effective when a simple overlay design is used since it does less to mask the contours of the body to which it is applied. In this example, a floral fabric swatch was scanned and used with a photograph of a model posing in an open shower stall with skin still glistening with bath oil.

The model who posed for this photograph is Mandie. You may see more of her poses by clicking this link to view a photo gallery of her work. Thanks for sharing, Mandie, and for being a part of the Human Canvas Project.

Rainbow Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:04:00 +0000

Common everyday objects can take on entirely different looks when used as projected images or overlays on the human body. The colorful pattern used to create this image is, in fact, simply a closeup picture of a bowl of multi-colored jelly beans. The individual shapes of the pieces of candy seem to dissolve into interesting patterns of color when the photo is applied as an overlay to the original photo of an artist's model in a classical pose.

Once again, Iza is the beautiful model who posed for this photo, and you can see more of the work that she and Mackenzie, her photographer, have created by clicking this link to view their gallery. Thanks again for posing and sharing your work with us!

Candy Swirls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:28:00 +0000

Colorful patterns on two-dimensional stock are interesting, but they can take on a very different look when applied to a human figure. In this example, a simple candy-colored swirl design has been used as an overlay on a photograph of seated nude model and positioned in such a way as to allow the swirling patterns to conform to the contours of the figure.

The original photograph comes courtesy of the stock gallery maintained by RCook13. You can click here to visit their gallery and view other examples of their creative work. Thanks for participating in the Human Canvas Project!

The Magic of Water

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:53:00 +0000

Water seems to have a magical effect on the look and texture of human skin, and many sensual fine art photographs have successfully captured that alluring look of water droplets clinging to the skin of models as they step from a shower or a lake after a nude swim. Here, a close-up photo of water droplets has been applied as an overlay to create a more stylized variation to that "wet look" type of pose.

Iza is the beautiful model who posed for this photo, and you can see more of the work that she and Mackenzie, her photographer, have created by clicking this link to view their gallery. Thanks for posing and sharing your work with us!

Mystical

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:43:00 +0000

This Human Canvas image represents a great example of the many ways that the "body as canvas" theme can be presented. In this case, the model/photographer is a beautiful woman named Chi, and the overlay pattern is a stock photograph that she created for other artists to use in their work. Thus, the artist has literally become the medium on which her art is displayed.

Thanks to Chi for sharing her photographs for this project. You can see more of her wonderful work by clicking this link to visit her gallery.

The 60's Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 May 2008 11:15:00 +0000

After a short hiatus, it is time to post some new images on this site. This new Human Canvas is a variation of a project based on a popular Peter Max poster that was posted a few months ago. The bright colors that dominated pop culture in the Sixties coupled with the themes of free expression and acceptance of casual nudity make this iconic poster a perfect overlay for the human canvas experience.

Many thanks to T & L ("Torino-stock") for sharing the stock image used to create this human canvas. Here is the link to Torino-stock's great and diversified stock gallery:

Eden Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:55:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:37:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:53:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:59:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:56:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:24:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:48:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:50:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:46:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:34:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:28:00 +0000

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?

Oh! Calcutta!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:24:00 +0000

As shown in an earlier post titled the "Body of the Message," the skin of a nude human body can be an effective medium for advertising a particular event or presentation. The photograph used here is a stock image that Lockstock has graciously offered up to the community of artists to use for creative projects. The overlay is a scanned image of an old page from the entertainment section of a newspaper advertising shows such as Oh! Calcutta, Chloe in the Afternoon, and Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask). Oh! Calcutta created controversy when it was first staged due to the extensive use of nudity, so it would seem natural to use a nude figure to advertise the performance.

Here is the link to Lockstock's gallery of stock images if you would like to view the photographs in the stock collection.

Flower Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:37:00 +0000

Michelle-Louise is a stock photographer from the United Kingdom and she shot the stock image that was used to create this human canvas. Here is a link to her wonderful stock gallery. The overlay is a close-up photograph of a piece of fabric that helps to create the illusion of a colorful full body paint treatment. Thanks again to Michelle-Louise for making her fine work available to photographers and artists.

Work of Art

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:21:00 +0000

The basis for this human canvas image is a stock photograph taken by a marvelous photographer named Marcus Ranum. He has generously offered up hundreds of stock images for artists to use in their own creations. In this image, Ranum posed a nude model with a large ornate frame. The overlay is a segment of the famous Sandro Botticelli painting titled The Birth of Venus.

Thanks to Marcus Ranum for supplying the stock photograph for this example. If you would like to see more of his beautiful photography, be sure to visit his site. He offers many different galleries and several informative studio photography tutorials.

In the Money

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:44:00 +0000

With the President's Day holiday at hand in the United States, it seems appropriate to offer a human canvas using a close-up image of a dollar bill--one of the most familiar items featuring the likeness of George Washington. Actually, the overlay used for this image is the reverse side of the bill with detailed images of the Seal of the United States and the enigmatic symbolism of the pyramid.

Pink Socks

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:33:00 +0000

The basis for this human canvas was a photograph of a young woman who was playing volleyball at a nude beach. The socks were not meant as a fashion statement, but rather as a means to deal with the blazing hot sand. Her casual pose as she bends between plays is natural and beautiful. The overlay for the final image is a colorful patch of fabric that resembles the tie-dye look of the Sixties.

Mardi Gras

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:40:00 +0000

Mardi Gras, the French phrase for "Fat Tuesday," has become a popular annual celebration throughout the world. Here is an image that suggests the wild and decorative masks that many revelers wear during the Mardi Gras festivities. An embroidered fabric sample is used here as an overlay in conjunction with a photograph of a nude model wearing a mask in a classic studio pose.

The Birth of Venus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:58:00 +0000

William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a nineteenth century French painter who turned his back on the popular impressionist movement of the time to paint rich colorful paintings that depicted mythological themes in a more realistic style. One of his best known works, The Birth of Venus, is shown here as an overlay on a female model--the same model that was used for the "Season of Peace" example posted here in December. The contours of the model's nude body fit nicely with the mythological figures contained in the painting.