Ancient Japanese Design

Japanese art focuses on the quality of each line that is painted or drawn. This may be attributed to the traditional writing method in Japan, in which the text characters are painted with a brush and ink. This writing technique inspires artists to appreciate line quality. Japanese calligraphic influences can be found in the majority of famous Japanese paintings, woodcuts and sketches.

Below left is an image of Hokusai’s The Great Wave, followed by the famous Japanese paintings; White Phoenix on Old Pine from the Colourful Realm of Living Beings by Ito Jakuchu, Barbarians from the South by Kano Naizen and Wind God by Ogata Korin.

source:wikipedia-greatwave,whitephoenix,barbarians,windgod

Ancient Art in Modern Japanese Design

The quality of each line is still an important aspect of Japanese art, and the tradition of outlining areas of color persists in modern art works. Note in the pictures below how similar shapes and lines are repeated, creating subtle patterns in the piece. This creates a sense of movement and animation in the painting, and is a technique that can be seen in the famous Japanese paintings above.

Some modern Japanese artworks combine ancient and modern design techniques, along with ancient and modern characters. One popular form of modern art in Japan is anime, a style of animated cartoon unique to the small island.

source:indecentbazaar,sandervanliempt,all-art,superpunch,plastolux

The Original Vitruvian Man

The Vitruvian Man was created around 1487, and is so called because it is accompanied by notes on the architecture of Vitruvius. The famous sketch is an overlay of two images; that is, two images of the same man in two different poses. The Vitruvian man has intrigued people for centuries, and continues to be popular today. It has inspired many artists to put pen to paper and create their own renditions of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian man.

source:wikipedia

1. Go Go Vitruvian Gadget!

Based on the main character from the TV series Inspector Gadget, this variation of Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man has all the bells and whistles.

source:culturepopped

2. Vitruvian Mon

Featuring a popular character from the anime TV series, Pokémon, this artist’s rendition of The Vitruvian Man combines Rennaissance and cartoon art techniques.

source:teenormous

3. Leonardo Vitruvian

This piece is a pun on the name given to this character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; ”Leonardo”. The character was named after the creator of the Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci. In the animated TV series, Leonardo’s brothers were also given names of famous artists; Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello.

source:shaungent

4. Big Boned Vitruvian Cartman

Southpark‘s popular character, Cartman, is depicted here in the pose of the Vitruvian Man, his arms and legs stretched to their utmost limits.

source:juzmental

5. Venomous Vitruvian

Spiderman’s despicable doppelganger, Venom, from the comics and movies by Marvel Comics, is depicted in this Vitruvian variation. The artist has used the original sketch in his fan art, adding webbing designs to the hands and feet, and drawing venom in such a  way that he seems to be climbing out of the page.

source:designyoutrust

6. Homer (Doh!) Vitruvian

With his perfect physical form and elegant posture, Homer Simpson makes a graceful subject for this study of man’s proportions.

source:popartuk

7. HULK Vitruvian man

Another of Marvel Comics’ popular characters, The Hulk, has been used in this fan art, along with his human counterpart, Dr Bruce Banner. Instead of the image consisting of one subject in two poses, this picture shows two subjects in two poses. The beauty of this artwork is that the two characters are essentially the same person in two different forms.

source:imgfave

8. Cyanide and Vitruvius

The popular internet based comic Cyanide and Happiness has simple, appealing characters, as seen in this artist’s rendition of The Vetruvian Man. (Read Cyanide and Happiness online)

source:cdn.shopify

9. The Fatruvian Man

In this visual criticism of the declining health of modern humans, the original sketch has been edited to appear as though the model who posed for the sketch has put on weight.

source:men-in-full

10. Vitruvian Muppet

The Muppet Show is a popular children’s series that uses puppets. The lovable muppet puppet designs gave rise to scores of fan art featuring the characters. Here is Beaker, the luckless assistant of Dr Bunsen Honeydew, looking characteristically off balance as he poses for a sketch resembling The Vitruvian Man.

source:toughpigs

Pokémon

The characters and items from the popular anime series Pokémon are very recognizable, and make for super cute cupcake designs. The character Pikachu and the pokéball transportation device are two of the most recognizable designs.

source:cutestfood,familyfun,cupcakesoftheday,cakecentral

Dragon Ball Z Cupcakes

Dragon Ball Z’s wild-haired animated characters are popular for their lively attitudes and endless adventures. The cartoon TV series was based on a manga (comic) strip that originally ran in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984-1995. These anime cupcakes are fan art that you can eat, and are an excellent baking project idea for kids and adults alike.

 source:crumbsanddoilies,partycupcakeideas

Naruto Cupcakes

The world of Naruto is one of magic and intrigue, populated by a human-like race. The characters have a wealth of personality and character, which make them an intriguing subject for cupcake design. This edible fan art makes an excellent gift for anime fans, and can be used in place of a birthday cake.

Source:weheartit,cococakecupcakes