Seeing masterpieces recreated with a little twist is always fun to see such as when Lego Met Fine Art. Bat blog has some great images showing Batman adding inspiration to some very famous pieces of art by artists such as Van Gogh and MC Escher.

Check out these 3 superb sets of Cultural Revolution era retro art all hailing from China.

A Collection of Newspaper Masthead Clip Art
Cultural Revolution Clip Art, Circa 1971
Cultural Revolution-Era 10″ Records

[via Start Drawing]

I adore these retro illustrations by Frank Soltesz created in the late 1940s for Armstrong’s Industrial Insulations. The detail is impeccable and you can really get immersed in to what is happening in the scenes. You can see more of the illustrations with a closer look at the Frank Soltesz Flickr set. If you like these then check out the illustrations by Graham Bleathman featured previously. [via Today’s Inspiration]

These remakes of 2 classic paintings, Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” and Vincent Van Gogh “Self Portrait”, have the main subject turned into a Lego character mini figure. The result is quite special and I would love to see more of these lego masterpieces. [via Brothers Brick / Klocki]

Monster Brains have picked out some stunning pieces of retro illustration art from the 80s created by Roger Garland. The various monsters are truly horrific just as they should be. More images and info over at the Monster Brains blog, make sure you click on the images there to see the art in great close up detail.

The aim of this Worth1000 contest is to the subject of a classic painting to a 2D cartoon character therefore creating a cartoon masterpiece. This contest reminds me of the neat things Banksy does to classic paintings and I have to say that the results are fantastic. All your favourite cartoon characters have been included such as Bugs Bunny, He-man, Taz, Goofy, Betty Boop, Cinderella, Dumbo and many more. See all the creations over at worth1000.

Dan Goodsell is always finding great retro illustrations and this Pillsbury Circus Party kit by Roger Bradfield does not disappoint. Not only is the illustration wonderful and very colourful, the art is designed to become 3D as a paper toy. No info on where to get this kit from or if you can even get it but if you manage to find one 1 let me know.

The G.I. Joe figures are some of the greatest boys actions toys of all time and The Art Of Joe Online has done an excellent job by showcasing the packaging art for the figures, vehicles and playsets and also the cover art for books and catalogs. The scan quality is very impressive for all the art with some very cool retro illustrations and designs. G.I. Joe fans will no doubt be in heaven while they browse the site. [via cardboard monocle]

Love sweets and all things sugar coated? Check out these guys….

Craig Kanarick is candy enthusiast and photographer currently based in New York.

His site features one of a kind creations alongside fellow designer Rebecca Odes.

The pieces are truly magical and even feature luscious pics of some all time classic sweets including gummy bears and sugar hoop necklaces and bracelets.

Prices for sets of prints range from $850 - $2500.

View the website at www.rockmade.com

post by Natalie

Take a look at these wonderful cross section illustrations by Graham Bleathman. They are all original artworks from the 60’s for the classics Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. This is retro illustration at its best. View the full collection at the Graham Bleathman website. [link via neatorama]