Photorealism

Tropes and genres
Synonym(s)	hyperrealism
See also	Photo Reference, fanart, List of Fanart Genres
Related articles on Fanlore.

Photorealism is an art genre and movement characterized by precise attention to detail, creating an effect that is virtually indistinguishable from a photograph. Photorealists make heavy use of photo references.

Although a large body of fanart past and present is done in a "realistic" or "transparent" style, true photorealism in fanart is relatively rare.

Photorealist paintings--original artwork, digital or traditional, using photographs as references--should not be confused with photomanips, which reassemble preexisting images and sometimes create the illusion of being a photograph.

Side by side comparison of a winning entry by euclase in the 2012 Dark Shadows fanart contest. The final digital image is on the left, the screencap from the movie in the middle and on the right, the two images overlayed with 80% opacity showing the similarity. Click for a larger version.