One of my favorite art forms is staged photography. I love when sets are built and photos are taken of a reality that could never truly exist. I love when a medium that's used primarily for documentation captures something that's purely fantasy. This juxtaposition between fantasy and reality also captures my wee little heart when photography and illustration are combined.
images via the cool hunter
You know I will never shy away from layered patterns. When they are combined with some optical-illusion photo trickery, I pretty much want to pee my pants. I've yet to see anyone do it better than Nikki Farquharson, the self proclaimed mixed media girl.
Be sure to cruise over to Nikki's website for a boatload more photo / illustration genius.
On a decidedly more rudimentary level is this photo / illustration combo of Kate Moss holding a cartoon doll. Of course this exists. Things don't really happen in photography until they happen to Kate Moss, right? Oh, this here artist is un-the-f-known. sorry dudes.
Alberto Seveso takes the photo illustration combo to the extreme. While the design is striking, I feel like it may be just a hair too computer generated for me. The patterns within the girls skin, however, are right up my alley.
Much like the Kate Moss cartoon image, Chloe combined Disney characters with actual photos for a campaign several seasons ago. Do you guys remember this? I never could get on board with all the Disney stuff everywhere.
via trendland
Ok, so there's actually no illustration in this photo / illustration image by Thomas Lelu. It' paint. It's my blog. I like the image, sue me.
I know I've shown you this Antony and the Johnson's album cover before, but I really love the photo / illustration combo here. And, look! No paint!
Here's a sweet little version of drawings on photographs. I especially like the leaves in the upper left corner.
And another subtle example via fashion line Permanent Vacation
And bringing up the rear we've got one of my favorite examples of illustration on photography. Illustrator Florence Johann spiffed up these images for Jalouse fashion magazine. Did you see the girl in the middle has a goose for a hand?! Holy lord that's good.
Lately I've been drawing over lots of found paintings, but I think it's time I start setting my sharpie on some photographs, clearly that's where the magic's at.