Tower of Belem by Luccico
The illustrator transforms Street View captures in his playful series
Illustrator and video editor Luccico AKA Luciano Cina has built an impressive following on Instagram with his digital illustrations that turn photographs of ordinary scenes and recognizable landmarks into fantasy landscapes. With a touch of surreal humor, Luccico’s creations play with reality and perspective in a whimsical way.
His most recent project sees the illustrator collaborating with Google Arts & Culture by and augmenting Google Street View images of global heritage sites in his signature style. The result is a collection of fun-loving, innovative creations and here the Luccico talks about his inspiration and creative process.
Tower of Belem by Luccico
When did you first begin to augment images with your digital illustrations? Where did the inspiration come from?
It was in 2012, and I had just bought an air ticket to the city where I actually live. I was thinking about so many things, both positive and negative, and I drew an airplane in the clouds in front of me and shared it on Instagram. For me, that airplane, served to remove negative thoughts.
People appreciated that way of communicating and I started with the #MoreThanAPics project. Inspiration comes from a mix of feelings, what I feel at that moment, and a physical element that starts the spark of creativity.
You often focus on heritage sites for your work, why is that?
Historic sites are symbols. I like playing with symbols from the past because they are known by everyone and represent many different things to people. I always try to leave "more than" as our ancestors did.
Great Barrier Reef by Luccico
Great Barrier Reef by Luccico
What's the process of creating one of your artworks? And how did you choose locations for this series of posts?
Usually I design at night. After a super intensive day at work, it's my way to relax. I try to not exceed 30 minutes of drawing because my drawings are simple, clear and with a few lines. Working on an image for more than 30 minutes, it means the message becomes difficult to understand.
To find the inspiration, I observe everything around me. Often it’s the same subject from different points of view. My imaginary worlds start from the common things for us.
Statue of Liberty by Luccico
Statue of Liberty by Luccico
What's the best part about what you do?
It’s definitely making those who watch my work smile. We live in a period where we take ourselves too seriously and a bit of positivity is good for everyone. I also like to hear people say "who knows what Luccico could draw on..."
What do you enjoy about giving these SV captures a different purpose?
As said before, I like to switch the reality of things, by creating imaginary worlds that come from the real things that are around us. It's like a new update of Google Street view that makes you daydream.
Sequoia National Park by Luccico
Sequoia National Park by Luccico