Architects are sometimes criticized for taking creative liberties with their artwork, setting unlikely green scenes or populating their rendered scenes with an improbable array of happy figures. While these “literal renderings” (per Mike Rosenberg) may in some sense be figurative, using signage one would not likely see on an actual structure, they also are refreshingly blunt about the contents of the structures represented.

Surely, no one will actually call their store “Retail” or building “Signage” or mixed-use community “Mixed-Use Apartments,” but at least the viewer gets an actual sense of what they should expect to find inside.

In some cases, these are generic elements are simply temporary markers for mid-stage designs without a name — in others, they can be used to pitch developers, communities and local approval boards.

A kind of architectural equivalent to plain-packaging, minimalist companies (like Brandless), these exist at the other end of realism spectrum, countered by more playful and surrealist approaches like the one below.

The art of architectural representation has changed a lot over time, including the scale figures used to set stages, but at least these kinds of experiments show there is further room to adapt and grow.

A single, unbroken sewing thread is wrapped around a grid of carefully placed galvanized nails to bring human faces to life in stunningly intricate detail. Artist Kumi Yamashita, best known for light and shadow art, has crafted a series of portraits just as beautifully wrought as any made with more conventional media.

Entitled ‘Constellation,’ for the visual effect of the nails and thread, the series is created on wooden panels painted solid white. Thousands of small silver nails are set into the wood, and Yamashita carefully winds the thread around them, sometimes using an entire spool for a single portrait.

Based in New York City, Yamashita was born in Japan and received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Glasgow School of Art. The Constellation series continues Yamashita’s transformation of everyday materials into visually arresting images that challenge the way we perceive these items.

The word ‘eyeteeth’ has taken on a new meaning with a set of surreal and disconcerting images from Swedish makeup artist Sandra Holmbom. While most of Holmbom’s looks are much more conventional, the artist occasionally creates dramatic effects that incite a double-take. The image of an eyeball parting to reveal a set of teeth seems like something from a nightmare.

“Pretty, it’s not, but I had fun anyway,” Holmbom says of the look.

The makeup artist has also created gory effects like exposed musculature and wounds, as well as more humorous looks, like the character ‘Timon’ from the animated Disney movie ‘The Lion King.’ See more at her blog.

Recreating absolute realism in paint typically takes time, tiny brushes and a quiet, well-lit work space. Those are three things that street artists don’t usually have at their disposal – and yet some of them manage to create large-scale paintings that look like they could be photographs. These 37 works of photorealistic street art by artists like Smug One, CASE, Mesa and MTO blend realism with stylized elements for creative results you just can’t capture with a camera alone.

Smug One

(images via: smug_one flickr)

British street artist Smug One is known for his incredibly detailed, photographic murals, including characters that a few comic book and Star Wars fans will recognize. Of his creative evolution, the artist told London Street Art Design, “At first it was just flat colour with a bold outline, and then I’d start cutting back that outline and making it perfect – then blending my colours and moving up and up and up, continually challenging myself. Even to this day, I think that photo realism is the hardest thing for me technically – letters are tough too because I’m never completely happy with the outlines, but every single time I do photo realism, it’s seriously challenging but then, I do love that drive to keep pushing myself.”

Mesa

(images via: el_messa flickr)

Graffiti artist and muralist Mesa of Barcelona, Spain is known for large, realistic, mostly black-and-white figures punctuated by bits of color. Mesa uses painterly brushstrokes to add detail to his human figures and animals.

Trans

(images via: fresh pictures gallery)

Some of artist Trans’ works are so incredibly photorealistic, it’s hard to believe that they were painted at all, let alone created with cans of spray paint. Trans’ talent really comes through in the eyes of his subjects, which are remarkably lifelike and nuanced.

El Mac

(images via: elmac.net)

Miles ‘Mac’ MacGregor combined the classic European painting that inspired him at a young age with the contemporary influences of graffiti and photorealism into a signature style that has led to commissioned murals around the world. El Mac often works with fellow artist Retna, juxtaposing his own representational figures with the latter’s typography and graphic design.

Mr. Dheo

(images via: mrdheo.com)

Bold, bright and graphic, Mr. Dheo’s works of art are impossible to pass on the street without giving them some notice. The Portuguese artist started painting after seeing some graffiti in a rap video. Opting not to get a formal art education, Dheo started experimenting on his own, gradually working up to photorealism. “For the last 7 years I’ve kept doing photorealism because it’s still something I find difficult,” he says. “I’ll move out of this phase when I feel it’s at the right level, in order to take the next step and do something new. I guess now I’m mixing everything I did previously into my art so I’m preparing new stuff and I hope I do well at it!”

MTO

(image via: fatcap)

MTO of Berlin has made a name for himself painting large-scale portraits of pop culture icons, primarily in grayscale. He did a series of movie characters in Berlin, including Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance in The Shining, as well as a series of musical icons like Jimi Hendrix and Ray Charles.

Pastel HeART

(images via: sa creative network)

An artist of many talents and mediums, South African ‘pastel heART’ works in graffiti, tattooing, digital illustrations, chalk art, fine art, photography, styling and fashion. His large-scale murals are noted for their striking realism.

CASE

(images via: sexyartcase.com)

German artist Andreas von Chrzanowski – better known as CASE – creates beautiful spray-painted murals with all the complexity of oil paintings. In fact, CASE often works in oils, displaying his art in galleries in Germany, the United States and the UK. A founding member of graffiti crew Ma’Claim, which combines stylized elements with realism, CASE lives and works in Frankfurt.

These images appear to be mundane photographs, capturing scenes that we all see in our daily lives. Jumbles of newspapers, peeling paint on a wooden gate, jars full of marbles, glass bottles shining in the sun. Look closer, and you still may not even realize that they’re not photographs after all.

Down to unimaginable details like stamped-on ‘best-by’ dates, tiny snippets of text, drops of dew and wood texture so well realized you can almost feel it, these hyper-realistic paintings by Steve Mills leave no doubt as to the talent they take to produce.

Early in his career, Mills “had collectors literally airing in line outside the gallery before an opening; creating such a frenzy, one show sold out in 10 minutes. However, with the time it takes to paint in the photorealist technique – some paintings taking over 500 hours – it has proven impossible to do more than one gallery opening a year.”

At his website, Mills not only displays dozens of these paintings, but offers high-resolution images of them that allow you to get a practically microscopic look. Even then, it’s hard to spot brush strokes or any other signs that they’ve been created with a human hand.