Sara
What’s better than a regular cat? A giant cat, of course!
In this day and age, you can easily manipulate photos and use your imagination to create whatever you want. We are pretty aware of Photoshop, almost every Instagram model uses it. Why not use it for other interesting purposes? Such as creating giant cat landscapes. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? It is.
Matt McCarthy is an artist living the US that creates amazing giant cat pictures that have gone viral over the internet. Now, how does one even come up with the idea of giant cat photoshops? Matt shared in an interview with Bored Panda,
“The idea initially came to me as I was observing my own cats when they were playing with a bug that entered our house. I wondered how they would react if my wife and I were that small. They’re so sweet and cuddly that we tend to forget they’re apex predators.
I also think their personalities are good surrogates for human personalities, so I often use them to express some of my own emotions: anxiety, pettiness, stubbornness.
I strive for uncanny surrealism. I want to make pictures that feel very familiar to the viewer, yet are slightly off.”
1. Just a sleepy day.
2. Doesn’t mind sleeping.
3. A big donut and cat.
4. Just her funhouse.
5. A new scratch post.
6. In the forest it dwells.
7. Big towers and big kitty.
8. The beautiful sky.
9. Just a giant kitty playing.
10. The perfect space to sleep.
11. At the gates.
12. Keeping the seat stable.
13. Angry.
14. A dinosaur.
15. The car is just a bed.
16. Sleepy afternoon.
17. Just having fun.
18. Reaching out of the planet.
19. A new bed.
20. Street kitty.
21. I sniff the window.
22. The perfect place to rest.
The digital artist taught himself all these things by experimenting.
“I taught myself Photoshop through tutorials and practice. I previously used Photoshop as a drawing tool for my illustration work, so there was a shift in skills when I started using it to make manipulations. I was drawn to digital collage because while I’d made paper collages in the past, I felt there were limitations to what I could create. Photoshop allowed me to bring the ideas I had in my head to life, and it’s become an indispensable tool.” Sometimes it takes Matt an unusual amount of time to come up with a picture, and sometimes he can just create them effortlessly.
“It varies wildly. Sometimes everything clicks and a picture comes together in an hour, and other times, I might have to wait months before I find the right cat or location. I enjoy the simplicity of two-part collages, but they depend heavily on the original photos working in harmony. I try to surround myself with as much source material as possible so that I’m ready to stumble upon something. I look through my folders of downloaded and scanned images of both locations and cats regularly waiting for those connections.” Coming up with so many ideas can be difficult, you need inspirations and a very wild imagination for that.
“It can be a challenge, but I try to draw inspiration from the world around me because it’s constantly changing. Whether it’s a new meme or a location I see on the news, I like staying current, which helps keep ideas fresh. I also keep a list of ideas on my phone so I always have it with me when inspiration strikes, or when I need to harness a bit of creativity from the past.“ He also explained how he maintains himself and avoids burnouts. “I tend to work in bursts, which helps with the burnout. I’ll make a few pieces over a couple of days and then focus on another project to help clear my mind. I write horror screenplays with my wife, which is a great distraction from the visual arts and stimulates the storytelling part of my brain. Sometimes, when things aren’t clicking, or you’re met with disappointments, it can be rough to keep creating, but the only way to catch onto something is to be present and ready to work.”
23. The void.
24. Just playing around.
25. Awww.
26. Angry monster.
27. A relaxing place.
28. Piece of art.
29. The forest monster.
30. Old school.
So what do you think about these giant cattos? Are they still as adorable? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.