before there was photoshop…

before there was photoshop… there were pin-up drawings of real photos of real woman that they still augmented! WTF!? woman always need to be tweaked and snipped, even at the hand of some artist in the 1950′s!?

most of us are familiar with the classic pin-up drawings of the 1940′s and 50′s, but i didn’t realize that they were based off of real photos of women. Retronaut posted these intriguing before and after photos of pin-up girls proving that, even back then, they felt the need to slim and embellish women’s bodies. what do you all think? is this just art or do you think back then it had an effect on women’s body issues like excessive photoshopping does to us today?  – see more about photoshopped photos here!

read more thoughts on the objectification of women here!

and more about body image here!

photos via Retronaut

photoshopped_1x
04/18
life

i’ve been shopped! …photoshopped!
Smiley Necklace on Torque, photo © Margaux Lange
09/06
life

the plastic body series
faces3
01/13
home

decorating with faces
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  • Dougoal

    Why do women put “make up” on their face? Is it because every girl or woman portrayed in print or on screen is “made up”? Are they taught by their mothers or do they learn from friends? If applying facial make up isn’t projecting a false or tweaked image, I don’t know what is.

  • Valerie

    Being a pinup model, I’ve always known that the classic pinup paintings/drawings were made from reference photos. I think this is different that photoshopping a photograph. Illustration has a style unique to the artist, and every era has it’s own aesthetic, which includes “ideal” body (which changes throughout time). With augmenting photographs of actual people, you send the message that this is what that person (a real live human) looks like, and that is when people start comparing themselves to those images. Because it is presented as real. Illustrations are not, so while it is frustrating, yes, it does not offend or bother me. The level to which photographs are augmented does bother me a lot, however.

    In reponse to Dougoal’s comment about make up… I can totally see what you mean, but make up can also be a way of expression oneself (like clothing, hairstyle/colour, jewellery). I wear make up frequently and I don’t feel like I’m being false because of it. I use it to accentuate my style on that particular day. I see no problem with make up if the person wearing it enjoys wearing it. It’s things like when workplaces force female employees to wear make up and that sort of thing that I take issue with.

    • mrkate

      great comment! thank you so much for expressing your opinion! you make some great points! xx – kate

  • Anemoon

    Dear Kate, when you post photo’s of the best pin-up artist in de world i think you should mention his name: Gil Elvgren! Furthermore i agree with Valerie, painting is something different than photoshopping. xxx anemoon (from The Netherlands)

  • http://www.facebook.com/carley.and.all.that Carley Rose Bishop

    I laughed a little when i got to the bottom of the page, because there is an ad for “Portrait Professional, Intelligent easy to use portrait editing software” with a before and after photo. Im sure they will make LOTS of sales from this page. NOT.

  • MissVonMonroe6

    Actually the drawings were done because back then those photos would have been considered risque and it was a legal issue