Ernst Haeckel Draws a Psychedelic World

Ernst Haeckel was a 19th century artist, philosopher and professor who had a deep interest in the natural world. His beautifully detailed illustrations of sea creatures, insects, plants and animals have survived over a century of change and are still hailed as among the best nature illustrations that exist to this day.

Photography vs Psychedelic Illustrations
The art of photography has existed for centuries, though not as we know it today. As early as the 4th and 5th centuries BC, Chinese and Greek philosophers and mathematicians described pinhole cameras. By the late 19th century, more sophisticated cameras were in use. These cameras often produced blurry images that were either over- or under-exposed, so up until the early 20th century, illustrations were the best way for scientists to share images of their findings with other biologists. These illustrations were used to identify and differentiate species of animals. Ernst Haeckel earned a name for himself for his highly detailed, intricately constructed illustrations of the natural world.

Ernst Haeckel often colored his illustrations, a technique that allowed other naturalists to imagine not just the shape and texture of the creature, but its color patterns too. During the 19th century, photographs were produced in black and white which meant that color illustrations were often valued more than photographs. [source]

This illustration, called "Orchidae", depicts several orchid flower species. Haeckel often drew collections of animals or plants of the same species, showcasing both the similarities and differences between the different breeds. [source]

Ernst Haeckel's illustrations were highly prized for their level of detail. Many nature artists of the time would simply have drawn a rough sketch of this sea creature, unlike Haeckel; who has drawn every tiny detail of the sea anemone. [source]

Natural Psychedelic Design
It's unlikely that Haeckel's intention was to create psychedelic art works. As a biologist and naturalist, Haeckel simply wanted to record the world as he saw it, as a collection of intricate patterns and subtle shades. But repetitive patterns create the basis of psychedelic art, so Haeckel's illustrations have unintentionally become mind-boggling art works.

Many of Haeckel's drawings are of sea creatures such as sea anemones. With their repetitive patterns and intricate details, these creatures are the perfect subjects for psychedelic, alienish art works. [source]

Ernst Haeckel's illustrations often have an otherworldly feel. The creature in the picture above could easily feel at home on an alien planet, yet oddly enough, it calls Earth its home. [source]

Another of Ernst Haeckel's illustrations shows several different breeds of the same jellyfish specie. In all of his art works, Haeckel included as much detail as he possibly could, making his drawings the first truly accurate visual recordings of many creatures. [source]

Ernst Haeckel died on August 9, 1919, leaving behind hundreds of nature illustrations. Nearly a century after his death, his drawings are still celebrated as being some of the most detailed and attractive biological illustrations in the world.

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Sam Spratt has PAINTED ALL THE MEMES!

Mayhem and Muse: Artistic Inspiration and Funny Videos

Catherine South is proud to present Mayhem and Muse, Art-Sci's sister site. Mayhem and Muse offers popular internet media as well as the work of lesser-known artists, performers and creators.

Be Inspired with Mayhem and Muse
Mayhem and Muse offers a wide variety of inspirational posts; videos based on human talent, courage and achievement, and art, illustration and paintings that showcase the work of both famous and emerging artists. On the site, artists and designers can find inspiration for creative projects, and for those who simply need a pick-me-up, Mayhem and Muse offers a humor section that is bound to cheer you up.

Above: The unusual art style of Philip Bosmans, a graffiti artist who has turned to the more traditional style of fine art painting. Visit Mayhem and Muse or more interesting painting styles.

Above: The Exquisite Tattoo Designs of Alex De Pase. De Pase's body art portfolio is made up of amazing tattoo art works that combine fantasy and photorealism.

Watch Videos on Mayhem and Muse

Mayhem and Muse allows internet users to watch videos on the front page. Each video is chosen for the purpose of inspiring, entertaining or simply conveying a different perspective on life. Watch Gene Kelly Tap Dancing on Roller Skates, Extreme Ironing, for Domestic Daredevils and The Evolution of Dance.

 

Above: Walk Off the Earth's cover of Gotye's Somebody that I Used to Know.

Connect with Mayhem and Muse

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Antique Absinthe Poster Designs

Absinthe is an alcoholic beverage made from herbs such as anise, fennel and wormwood. The drink is high in alcohol and can cause mild hallucinations, making it a popular recreational drug of the late 19th century.

The Tipsy History of Absinthe
Wormwood was used by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians for use in medicinal tinctures. Over time, other herbs were added to the drink and the distillation process refined until in the 18th century, absinthe was produced. For the next century, absinthe was recommended by doctors as a healing elixir. In the 1840s, French troops were even given absinthe as a malaria preventative. The soldiers returned home with a taste for the aniseed-flavored wine, and the popularity of absinthe spread rapidly throughout France and Europe.

Above: An antique illustration of the green fairy, the personified symbol of absinthe. [source]

Above: A different take on the green fairy symbol that was introduced in the top illustration. In this postcard painting, four cherubs with green wings are showing the euphoric effects of the drink. 

Above: A poster advert for pink absinthe, a drink that was popular with women. [source]

Preparing Absinthe

There are two main preparation methods for absinthe, the French Method and the Bohemian Method. In the French Method, absinthe is poured into a glass, and covered with a strainer. A cube of sugar is placed on top of the strainer, and water poured over the sugar into the glass. The absinthe turns cloudy with the addition of water, resulting in a milky-looking drink.

The Bohemian Method is similar in set up to the French Method, except that fire is used in place of water. Absinthe is poured into a glass, covered with a strainer and a sugar cube placed on top of the strainer. The sugar cube had been pre-soaked in alcohol, often more absinthe. The cube is then set alight and dropped into the absinthe, lighting the alcohol. A shot glass of water is added to douse the flames. Sometimes the flames are allowed to self-extinguish, burning away all of the alcohol, but it is more popular to douse the flames before the alcohol is burned off.

Above: A bourgeois man pours water over a cube of sugar on a decorative strainer. The sugared water mixes with the absinthe in the glass, diluting it and sweetening it. [source]

The Demise of Absinthe

In the early 1900s, absinthe was banned in many countries. It was said that "Absinthe makes you crazy and criminal, [and] provokes epilepsy and tuberculosis". The drink, which had previously been enjoyed by people of all classes, suddenly became unpopular, and it was believed that absinthe drinkers were uncouth louts and layabouts. 

In Switzerland, absinthe bans simply forced the absinthe producers to sell their wares on the black market. Underground Swiss distillers created a form of clear absinthe which was easier to hide from the authorities.

Above: An anti-prohibition poster, condemning the authorities for banning the popular drink. The illustration parodies the burning of witches during the Christian Inquisition. [source]

Above: A propaganda poster depicts a skeleton bartender pouring absinthe for a customer. The poster portrays the absinthe drinker as sickly and hopeless. He is such a loser, in fact, that a mongrel dog has deemed his satchel worthy of becoming a urinal. [source]

Above: A late 19th century depiction of a woman drinking absinthe. This poster was illustrated during the heyday of absinthe consumption and will remain an eternal reminder of the Victorian-era popularity of this drink. [source]

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What Internet Trolls Look Like

Internet trolls trawl the web, leaving inflammatory comments on blog posts, forums and articles. Their aim, it seems, is to insult other internet users and elicit a negative emotional response from anyone who crosses their path. Artists and videographers across the globe have begun creating renditions of what internet trolls look like.

What is an Internet Troll?

Wikipedia's entry on Internet trolls states that "In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community". Essentially, internet trolls are people who join a discussion on a forum, blog post or article and leave inane rubbish in their wake. Generally, their posts go beyond expressing a personal opinion and aim to incite anger or frustration in other internet users.

Trolls deliberately try to goad other internet users on message boards to have a flame war, by raising topics that aren't relevant to the post. Often, they will insult a person's religion, race or family simply to get a rise out of that person. Trolls are also infamous for making controversial comments on current affairs, social problems and historical events. Their aim is to disrupt a conversation with verbal vandalism.

Do Not Feed the Trolls

Internet trolls 'feed' off of the reactions of other internet users. They get their kicks out of deliberately making people angry. The concept of starving trolls by ignoring them is a collective effort, as it only takes one person's reaction to the troll to encourage (feed) a troll. Even when every forum member on a thread is ignoring the troll, the troll might post incessantly in an attempt to get a rise out of someone.

How to Deal with Internet Trolls

You can avoid being 'troll bait' by not getting involved in debates that you feel passionate about. Chances are, if you have strong feelings about religion, homosexuality or racism, trolls will attempt to tear apart your opinions on these matters. The troll mentality is that they are right, you are wrong and they will go to the ends of the Earth to prove just how wrong you are while insulting you every step of the way.
Rising to the challenge of interacting with a troll is a waste of time, time that could be spent on far more worthwhile activities. Trolls do eventually begin trolling another part of the internet if they are ignored, but sometimes the only way to deal with a troll is to leave a conversation or debate.

What Internet Trolls Look Like

Internet trolls can be recognised by their comments. These will usually be deliberately off-topic, abusive of other internet users or social groups and will often involve profanity and name-calling. In reality, there are no physical traits that mark an internet troll. Internet trolls can be anyone, anywhere, lurking in a forum waiting for troll bait to show itself...

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Where’s Waldo? Where’s Wally? Where’s Walter?

As it turns out, Waldo, Wally and Walter are the same person, making it easier for Wally Watchers to catch up with the fellow. Waldo, it seems, also has the aliases Charlie, Holger, Valli, Willy, Hetti and Effy. He uses Charlie when in France, Holger in Denmark, Walter in Germany, Valli in Iceland, Willy in Norway, Hetti in Goa and Sri Lanka and Effy in Israel. When Wally is in America, he goes by the name of Waldo.

Wally, Waldo, Walter, Charlie, Holger, Valli, Willy, Hetti and Effy – One and the Same

In 1987, Martin Handford released the first Where’s Wally book in the UK. It was so popular that the character’s name was adapted for 28 countries in order to make the character more lovable to readers within that nation. So the next time you search for Wally, look out for his bulging pocket of passports.
Wally is a tall, thin character with a red and white striped shirt and hat. He wears glasses and carries a wooden walking stick. In the Where’s Wally books, the aim is to find Wally in a busy scene.

An Example of a Where’s Waldo/Wally Illustration

Where’s Wally Characters

In Handford’s first two books, Wally was the only character that needed to be found. More characters were added over the years and Wally also became forgetful, which meant that there were now more characters and new objects to be found in the busy, humorous illustrations.


Odlaw
 Other characters include Odlaw (which is Waldo backwards). Odlaw is Wally’s arch-nemesis and he is dressed in yellow and black. Odlaw is presumably the evil character in the book, though he is never shown doing anything particularly spiteful in the pictures.

Wizard Whitebeard
Wizard Whitebeard appeared in the third Where’s Wally book. He sent Wally on an adventure and now follows the stripey-shirted hero on his travels.

Wanda, also called Wenda

Wanda, aka Wenda, is Wally’s friend and she is dressed in a similar fashion to Wally.

Woof
Wally’s dog Woof later became Wanda’s dog and in most illustrations, only his tail is seen. On the last page of “Where’s Waldo: The Wonder Book”, Woof is revealed in his entirety.

Wally in Animation

In 1991 an animated TV series called “Where’s Waldo?” was produced in America by DiC and CBS. The thirteen-episode series was created primarily for the American market and then translated, and Waldo’s name changed, for other countries around the world.

Intro Sequence to the US Where’s Waldo? Animated Series:

United Kingdom version of the US Where’s Waldo Animated Series (7 min episode including UK intro)

Wally Humor

The Where’s Wally series of books have inspired many pranks. A young Canadian artist, Melanie Cole, created a 16.5m long by 5.5m wide picture of Wally and placed it on a rooftop somewhere in Vancouver. She then challenged people to find Wally via Google Earth. The project gained a huge amount of media attention and has become a favorite Google Earth search around the world.

Above: Google Earth Satellite Image of Waldo on a Rooftop, Somewhere in Vancouver.


Above: Melanie Cole at Work on Waldo for the Google Earth satellites

Above: The planning process for the Google Earth Where's Waldo art installation.


Where’s Wally Prank

View the prank at the following link Where's Wally Prank (Don't read on until you've visited the link)
This famous online prank for Where’s Wally is a Where’s Wally scene without Wally. The viewer becomes engrossed in the image, desperately searching for Wally when a screaming face from the movie “The Exorcist” comes on screen and makes a loud noise, startling the viewer.

Two decades after the creation of the Where’s Wally/Waldo books, the challenge has not faded away. The series is still gaining popularity and is bound to be a source of interest for later generations.

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Calvin and Hobbes Fan Art: Tattoos

Bill Watterson’s world famous comic strip characters, Calvin and Hobbes, are a staple in the literary diet of children and adults alike. Calvin, a blonde kid with an over-active imagination, and his stuffed tiger who comes alive in the alternate universe created by Calvin’s mind, have relocated from a life on paper to a new existence on skin, as tattoos.

In the early 1980s, Bill Watterson held a job in an advertising company, a position that he didn’t enjoy. Watterson began to explore a talent that he had – cartooning, in the hopes that he could create a new career for himself. His early creations were unsuccessful, with the variety of strips he’d inked being rejected repeatedly by the various syndicates that he sent them to.

However, one strip contained two characters that aroused the interest of the United Press Syndicate. These characters were a young boy, the younger brother of the strip’s main character, and the boy’s stuffed tiger. Watterson created a strip based entirely on these characters and the wonderful world of Calvin and Hobbes was born.

The comic strip became so popular over the years that it has inspired a variety of fan art pieces. The following examples of fan art take the form of tattoo designs based on the Calvin and Hobbes characters and comic strip.


Spaceman Spiff and Stupendous Man


The strip’s protagonist, Calvin, has a number of alter-egos. Spaceman Spiff is an “interplanetary explorer extraordinaire” who is often chased, shot down and captured by predatory alien beasties. Spaceman Spiff wears goggles, the frames of which change shape according to Spiff’s emotions, and Spiff’s futuristic weapon changes names and purposes according to Spiff’s whims. His weapon is sometimes known as the Death Ray Blaster, Atom Blaster or the Atomic Napalm Neutralizer.

Stupendous Man boasts a red spandex hood and cape and has several arch-enemies, Annoying Girl (Susie Derkins), Mom Lady (Calvin’s mother), Babysitter Girl (Rosalyn) and the Crab Teacher (Miss Wormwood). As Stupendous Man, Calvin attempts to pull off a number of useless plans with his super powers of superhuman intelligence, high speed flight, enhanced vision and “the strength of a million mortal men”.



Hobbes the Tiger

Hobbes is Calvin’s best friend and a figment of Calvin’s over-active imagination. In reality, Hobbes is a stuffed animal toy, but in Calvin’s imagination, Hobbes is a mischievous, often-lazy, loyal tiger. Hobbes is Calvin’s sidekick who likes to sneak up on Calvin unawares and scare the skin off the poor boy.



Calvin and Hobbes

The story of Calvin and Hobbes is that of an infallible friendship. They fight, they hug, they laugh and they dance. The relationship between Watterson’s famous characters is both touching and entertaining, as the inseparable duo explore and celebrate the world of Calvin’s imagination.



Calvin and Hobbes Comic Strip Tattoos

When drawing a comic strip for a newspaper, cartoonists will often try to fill every inch of space, as it is the space on a newspaper page that costs money. Watterson, however, leaves an enormous amount of space blank in his comic strips to introduce the introspective mood of Calvin. These comic strips, with their elegant simplicity and sense of space, make great line tattoos.

Bill Watterson’s famous comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, still delights readers more than 20 years after its conception. The comic depicts both the joys and trials of youth, with the unique flavor of Calvin’s active imagination and curious, intelligent mind.

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