Breathtaking Blade Runner Teaser Uses 3285 Paintings

[Karloff]

Breathtaking Blade Runner Teaser Uses 3285 Paintings

Swedish artist recreates Deckard as watercolor fantasy.


The 1982 Ridley Scott classic sci-fi movie Blade Runner has inspired one man to do the near-impossible: recreate the entire thing, in watercolor. The artist, Swede Anders Ramsell from Östersund, has posted the result online for all the world to see. The video about 13 minutes long, using only the soundtrack and Ramsell's luminous artwork to convey the movie's noir mood. Ramsell has confirmed that the work he's posted so far is merely a prelude to the full-length feature which, given that the teaser used 3285 separate aquarelle paintings, suggests that Ramsell will be busy with this project for a long time to come.

Much of the appeal of Blade Runner is its mood and intricately detailed world, which at first glance wouldn't seem to suit it for a reinterpretation like this, where subtleties of detail are by necessity washed into the background. That isn't so; if anything, the translucent beauty of Ramsell's work heightens the sense of mystery. Sometimes the character shots are little more than faded grey-blue silhouettes, while at other times everything becomes clear in a quick burst of detail. Given that Blade Runner's spiritual predecessors are the noir films of the 1940s and 1950s, with their reliance on light and shadow to convey mood, aquarelle fits the sequence much more naturally than might be expected.

My favourite moment comes about halfway through the trailer, when Ford's character Deckard is sent to Tyrell Corporation for the first time. Up to that point the art had been grey-blue, without fine detail; everything becomes shadow, until about 6:25, when a sudden spray of light picks out Ford in his transport, before focusing on an interior shot at Tyrell. But this is the sort of thing that people either love or not, without much in the way of compromise. Personally I'm looking forward to Ramsell's finished project, even though I suspect it will be a long time in the making.

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5919122/start-your-day-with-this-incredible-blade-runner-animation]


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[Fasckira]

is it ungratefull when you think that a photoshop filter would have done a equal to better job?

That was my first thought. Considering the quality of the paintings I dont think he'll be spending that much longer finishing this project. I admittedly however only skipped through that video, its possible I missed some really impressive pieces but the scenes I caught were all too "modern art" for me.

 

[roushutsu]

Dang, talk about an endeavor. I took a class in watercolor paintings and man are they a ***** to work with when you don't know what you're doing. The beginning half I felt was really sketchy and abstract (maybe that was what he was going for), while the second half got more detailed and beautiful. I hope that the final project will have more of those details.

 

[Triaed]

Very interesting exercise in art... I am not sure what the artist's vision is. Thus far I am stuck at viewing it as his interpretation of someone else's (Ridley Scott) interpretation of someone else's (Phillip K. Dick)) vision. I am sure there is a goal to this, but for now I am happy to have seen the images.

... although, I am very reluctant to see the whole product. 13 minutes of this "choppy" video already gave me a headache!

BTW, I like the word aquarelle so much more than watercolour (that is how we say it in my own language)

 

[Hollyday]

Can't quite put my finger on what it is about them... but they're extraordinary. Especially Rachel. Talk about a labour of love though

 

[Terratina.]

Talk about a labour of love though

Indeed, I wouldn't do this personally. I prefer doing some original stuff, kudos to the guy though.

 

[Wayne Bridges]

This guy has a lot of talent! He should sell them and move on to the next movie.

 

[octafish]

Can't quite put my finger on what it is about them... but they're extraordinary. Especially Rachel. Talk about a labour of love though

Indeed, the cigarette smoke is exquisite. I quite like how ethereal Leon and Holden are, and how Bryant is just shadow...I would quite like to see the action sequences in Sebastian's apartment and see how that translates.

 

[matrix3509]

Lol, Gaffe's matchstick man is conspicuously missing its boner.

Also, to everyone asking why he would do this. Asking that is like asking why someone would build something well known from fiction in Minecraft, like the USS Enterprise or Rapture: he did it because he wanted to and because he could.

 

[maninahat]

Also, to everyone asking why he would do this. Asking that is like asking why someone would build something well known from fiction in Minecraft, like the USS Enterprise or Rapture: he did it because he wanted to and because he could.

Still, he picked the most arduous method possible. I wonder why the hard route is more appealing, when the end result is identical. Must be that part of the human brain that makes us up for challenges.