The Internet is one of the most unique places to exist. Here, the sky is the limit when it comes to creativity and innovation. At every click, you will come across something so new and different that will make you wonder about the vast possibilities. While we were doom-scrolling recently, we came across the stellar work of two artists. Both were widely different from one another, but the common factor tying them together was the fact that they both were influenced by Van Gogh‘s majestic artworks. A Reddit user and artist Actual-Journalist809 created product packaging inspired by the legendary painter’s artwork while another YouTuber ChrisDaCow created a 3D version of The Starry Night in Minecraft.
Also Read: Know How The Word. Magazine Honoured The Creative Industry With Its Iconic Inaugural Issue
The Artist
The Dutch master Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most popular Post-Impressionist painters in the history of the world, is famed for creations like The Starry Night (1889), Vase With Fifteen Sunflowers (1888), his own Self-Portrait (1889), and more. The Starry Night is widely regarded to be among his finest works. The oil-on-canvas painting is dominated by a night sky, roiled by wind currents and pierced through by radiant orbs of yellow, set above a small village pockmarked by window lights. The painting has been held by the Museum of Modern Art since 1941 and is one of the most recognisable images in Western art.
Van Gogh’s work may now be immortal but he had lived a very rough life, without any notable commercial success. He struggled with depression and this melancholy translated into some of his work. Upon creating ‘The Starry Night’, the painter had written to his brother Theo: “This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big.” 133 years later it looms larger than ever in our contemporary modes of expression.
In 2023, Van Gogh 360 was introduced in India – an exhibition that projects the painter’s masterpieces on the floor and walls of vast exhibition rooms. It came to Indian metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru and was an instant hit with the Indian audiences. The exhibit influenced many artists to recreate the painter’s work in their style.
The Art
Van Gogh Inspired Product Packaging
Food and art both have a strong influence on each other. From works of art inspiring food plating styles to food itself being seen as an art form with a global appeal, these two creative fields have forever been entwined. With artificial intelligence applications now becoming the mainstay, food and art have become even more enmeshed. And a Reddit user recently proved this really well – inspired by Van Gogh 360’s immersive experience, he reimagined some of India’s favourite foods and products with the iconic painter’s art-like packaging using AI.
If Van-gogh redesigned these product packaging
byu/Actual-Journalist809 inIndianArtAI
We’re quite used to the design and colors of the products we consume in our daily lives be it our toothpaste or daily food items. We tend to recognise them instantly with just one look due to the strong association with the brand and packaging design. This Reddit artist who goes by the username ‘Actual-Journalist809‘ used the AI app Midjourney and a bit of Photoshop to create a series of Van Gogh-inspired Indian food packaging. Started with Amul Butter, Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk, Maggi Noodles, Bingo chips, and Colgate toothpaste on the backdrop of The Starry Night. Meanwhile, Parle G biscuits and Old Monk had packaging inspired by Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Self-Portrait, respectively.
While he kept the brand logos and mascots intact, like the Parle G baby and Amul Girl, the artist’s final results have left the internet in complete awe. Tatva, a youth-run digital media platform on Instagram, came across his work and they were immediately blown away. They posted about it too. People have been responding to his work by sharing their appreciation.
“Each one is so appealing I know someone who may just save the wrappers and stick em up in a wall,” wrote one user. Speaking about the creations, another user said “Looks surprisingly good”. A third user, however, pointed out that while the rendering of the brands looks great, the AI apps should know that The Starry Night isn’t the only painting done by Van Gogh.
Starry Night In Minecraft
In the world of Minecraft, players have been showcasing their creative talents by creating incredible works of art. One such Minecraft content creator and YouTuber ChrisDaCow has spent years making seriously impressive builds and had set himself the challenge of recreating The Starry Night in the game. When asked how he did it, the gamer said, “Honestly just years of practice and a love for the craft!” This wasn’t just an aesthetic challenge: the amount of engineering know-how that went into each element is seriously impressive.
Chris took on the ambitious project saying, “I set myself the goal because starry night seems like it would be such a beautiful place to walk around in. I wanted to be able to look up from inside the town and actually see van Gogh’s Starry Night sky!” Van Gogh turned into their favorite artist after creating the entire build. ChrisDaCow’s dedication to this project went beyond just replicating the painting pixel-by-pixel. They sought to understand and replicate the genius painter’s work by immersing themselves in his world. This included dressing like the artist, eating like him, and even jokingly mentioning cutting off an ear.
The project began with the placement of the mountains and recreating their shapes and sizes. ChrisDaCow persevered and created vast shapes that formed the silhouettes of the mountains. The landscape, covered in trees, was made using the subtle dips and rises in the original painting as a guide. Every brushstroke had to be meticulously recreated in Minecraft. A total of 92 trees were individually colored to match the painting. Recreating the town from “Starry Night” posed another challenge, as the town depicted in the painting didn’t actually exist in reality. ChrisDaCow had to rely on their own interpretation to bring the town to life in 3D, resulting in unique and interesting shapes.
I Built Starry Night in Minecraft
byu/ChrisDaCow inMinecraftbuilds
Making the houses was yet another challenge, involving three full days of meticulously texturing each building by hand to match van Gogh’s work. To further enhance their inspiration, ChrisDaCow visited a Van Gogh exhibit to map out the star positions, swirls, and colors to create the perfect night sky. After a month’s work, dedication, and creativity, the Minecraft masterpiece was complete. ChrisDaCow had successfully brought “The Starry Night” to life in stunning 3D. This project is just one example of the amazing art that players like Chris have been creating in Minecraft.
His work was spotted by the popular Instagram entertainment and news page Pubity which posted about him recently. People poured in with appreciation. Someone commented “Van Gogh looking down rn like a proud father 😭” Another user said “People amaze me ;00 the talent that people have is absolutely insane.”
With so many talented artists creating such detailed artwork out there, there is no telling what incredible creations we will see next through AI. But we look forward to it!
