Artist uses Ipad to give yesteryear's icons a Gen-Z makeover
What would the icons of yesteryear look like today? Artist uses iPad app to give famous faces a Gen-Z makeover – so, can YOU recognise them?
- Becca Brandon uses her Ipad to reimagine how 20th century icons might look
- Audrey Hepburn is seen with fuller lips, while Elvis sports designer stubble
- Read more: The 700-year-old Coronation chair that has been used for the crowning of monarchs since the 14th century is getting a makeover
An artistic mum has transformed icons of yesteryear into fully-fledged members of Gen Z – using old snaps and iPad flourishes to imagine how they might look in 2023.
Amateur artist Becca Brandon, 30, from Burbage, Leicestershire, has seen her transformation videos – which add modern fashion trends to some of the world’s most recognisable stars – frequently go viral on social media.
The 30-year-old records herself as she works using iPad app Procreate to reimagine how some of the world’s biggest icons might look if they were enjoying their success today.
Among the famous faces given a Gen-Z makeover is Elvis Presley. The King’s trademark quiff is styled into messy bangs that meet a freshly-shaped beard and piercings.
And an 18-year-old Queen Elizabeth II looks almost unrecognisable – after Brandon added heavier make-up and flowing locks to the late Monarch’s teenage look.
Artist Becca Brandon uses her Ipad to reimagine how 20th century icons might look – with the Queen, pictured at 18, getting the Generation-Z treatment
Other videos of the digital art show Audrey Hepburn appearing to get a dose of lip filler and eyebrow pencil while Marilyn Monroe is given a voluminous blow dry and eyeliner.
The full-time mum says she’s loved imagining what the icons would have looked like had they been born in the late 90s and relishes the challenge of editing old photographs.
The mum-of-four’s videos have been viewed more than two million times with many split between loving the visions and suggesting her predictions are off.
Becca said: ‘It’s really interesting to see them in a different light. I’ve wondered what they look like now.
Elvis Presley was a teenage dream in the 50s when he shot to fame – but would his quiffed look be so popular now?
A little Zayn? How Elvis fared when he was given the Procreate treatment
Hair extensions for Marilyn? How Monroe might look as a young woman in 2023
‘With older icons the image quality is low at times so I have to find an image to transform. Then I look at the styles that people have now and put that on them.
‘I’ve always been interested in the Queen and I wanted to see what she’d be like without protocols and if she was around now.
‘I wanted to give her the long hair and the make-up she couldn’t have.
Amateur artist Brandon did a BTEC in art and design before beginning her career as a social worker – but is now a full-time mum
Audrey Hepburn might sport fuller lips and more pronounced eyebrows, according to Brandon
Princess Diana pictured as a teenager before her marriage to the then Prince Charles
A hint of Diana’s face is recognizable after Brandon’s handiwork – but the late royal would sport much smokier eyes, and fuller blonde locks
‘Her dress is a bit more revealing and it’s interesting to see how she’d dress if she was an 18-year-old now because they don’t dress completely covered up.’
She says when it came to updating Elvis, she wanted to stay true to his original look but could see the chart-topper embracing modern trends.
‘People have longer hair, piercings and beards, which weren’t really acceptable back then. The hardest bit is to update an old image and make it realistic. I don’t want it to become cartoonish so I have to blend everything seamlessly.
Becca did a BTEC in art and design before beginning her career as a social worker and now she’s a full-time mum who does art as her hobby.
After trying out digital art she began merging celebs together and then turned to ‘modernising’ famous faces from the past.
Becca either holds the camera to the iPad or uses a holder so she can capture some of the developments and turn them into videos.
The artist uses an Apple pencil to make the transformations, which have gone viral Right: Her videos show her transforming the images
A close-up shows how the Queen’s hair might be a different shade in modern times
The talented mum admits she struggles to find time to make the art and film quietly in a darkened room while looking after four children.
In response to the Queen Elizabeth II video, one wrote: ‘No way, that was incredible.’
Another commented: ‘That’s a completely different person.’
Becca replied: ‘That’s what would happen if you took a person from the 1940s/50s and put them in 2023.’
On the Audrey Hepburn video, one wrote: ‘F**king awesome. She looks so different.’
While one commented: ‘She looked better before.’
On the Elvis video, a user wrote: ‘A mix of Zayn Malik and Adam Lambert. Really cool.’
While another commented : ‘I’m freaking obsessed with Elvis. What a beautiful specimen of a person. Elvis didn’t conform to ‘social norms’ then, so why would he now.’
While her work has been a hit with many of those who’ve watched the videos, others are clearly keen that the legends’ original looks are preserved.
She says: ‘It’s got a lot more interest than I thought it would. People have been pleased to see icons they love so much and see what they’d look like nowadays.
‘Some people hate them and like them as they were. It’s hard to please everybody.’
Source: Read Full Article