This fantastic illustration is called Chuck Brown and it's by Tim O'Brien. As you can probably tell, it is Charlie Brown painted as realistically as possible keeping the cartoons' original dimensions. The image is for a exhibition entitled 'Monsters' for the Copro Gallery in Santa Monica.

I looked at the list of invites and then imagined all of the usual takes on what a monster is thought to be. Perhaps some will be cute, some ugly. I went in another direction. What if I were to paint a realistic version of something usually thought of as cute and benign? The effect I wanted was that from a distance, someone might think it's just Charlie Brown and as they approached the piece, the realism hit them.

Tim O'Brien

Every time I look at this picture I can't get over how bizarre it is. It makes me feel incredibly sorry for Charlie Brown, much more so than his 2D render ever did. I think it's the eyes, they are a cross between a injured animal and a upset child. It has got me thinking about how strange other cartoon characters would look if they were humanised. Homer Simpson, Fred Flintstone, Dennis the Menace, Arnold (Hey! Arnold), Doug, or Popeye. With their odd proportions, as with Charlie Brown, they would provide some fascinating results.

Go to Tim O'Brien's website to find out the process and the story behind his great picture.

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