Sometimes the simplest concepts can make for the most striking pieces of art. Or, in this case, they can make for the most striking pieces of fan art. Medieval history spans a time long, long ago. But the Star Wars tales take place much further in the past, and in a galaxy far, far away, and as it turns out, these two ideas mesh surprisingly well.
Enter Photoshop artist scadarts. Through their Instagram, they're proving the idea that not only are simple concepts perfectly acceptable for fan art, so are simple methods. Their bio explains everything perfectly in a single sentence, saying, "I like to photoshop old paintings." It's basic, understandable, and somehow, it makes perfect sense. Scadarts takes classic paintings and gives them a little twist, usually related to Star Wars, resulting in magnificent anachronistic pieces.
Their latest works tend to gravitate towards giving Star Wars characters very posh, classical makeovers through the clever use of portraits from olden times. Taking existing pieces from around the 1700s and such, scadarts smoothly inserts the heads and faces of a fitting character to each respective painting, and with a few finishing touches, the final product looks nearly as if it was always meant to be that way. For instance, a particular recent work featuring Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin makes excellent use of a famous Anton Raphael Mengs painting depicting King Charles III of Spain.
Scadarts' works aren't exclusively comprised of portraits, and they go beyond Star Wars as well. A number of other pieces include landscape paintings with similar adjustments, such as a surprisingly powerful glimpse at former Jedi Ahsoka Tano overlooking a mass graveyard of clone troopers. Meanwhile, on the far less poignant side of things, a number of portraits similar to the ones mentioned earlier showcase characters from Breaking Bad, The Matrix, and even Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants. The effect isn't always flawless, but what it lacks in execution it makes up in the delightfully absurd juxtaposition between serious historical pieces of art and cartoon characters who work at a fast-food joint under the sea.
It just goes to show how creativity doesn't always come from intricate brushstrokes or a thesaurus-mimicking writing style. Sometimes all it takes is a small but clever idea, and the rest will follow suit. It may not sound like much, but the spectacle of an AT-AT walker trudging through a lush Italian villa is truly something to behold.
There are plenty of fan artists out there with gorgeous, unique styles and an eye for emotion. But sometimes what people really need is something hilarious played straight and scadarts has turned that idea into an art form, in more ways than one.
The Star Wars saga is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: scadarts/Instagram