While “The Scream” by the Norwegian Expressionist artist Edvard Munch has been the target of multiple thefts, the tools used in creating the second most famous painting of all time — after DaVinci’s Mona Lisa — were kept safe in Munch Museum’s archive for more than 70 years.

To honor the incomparable legacy Munch left after his death, and to compliment the painter’s admirable artwork, Adobe teamed up with The Munch Museum in Oslo and launched a project that will make any digital artist excited: “The Hidden Treasures of Creativity” were beautifully wrapped in a video made by Swedish agency Abby Priest. The award-winning Photoshop brush maker Kyle T. Webster joined the museum’s history team to help in the execution of digital copies of the seven brushes used by Munch in his iconic picture.

Adobe’s one-of-a-kind global campaign digitally recreates the 100-year-old paint brushes, aiming to stir the imagination of younger generations by suggesting them to follow the aesthetics that reflect Munch’s distinctive art skills.

Using ultra-high-resolution cameras, each brush was photographed in 360 degrees. Moreover, to cover all the physical details, the team analyzed all the angles of the painting tools and digitally molded them just to bring their features as close as possible to their real-world counterparts. How did it go?

Webster successfully replicated the flexibility, bristle type, shape, and all other particularities of the brushes and turned them into detailed digital 3D representations.

The revived tools can be found in the form of Creative Cloud brushes, and are available for Sketch and Photoshop users, who can download the digital painting tools for free on Adobe’s official website. The company invites art lovers to “use the brushes once wielded by a master”, create their own masterpiece and get involved in Adobe’s original and creative competition.

Essentially, the company asks participants to continue the artist’s great work. It is a known fact that Munch created four versions of the composition he called, “The Scream of Nature.” Now, the time has come for the art lovers to use the digital brushes in their own way and to design the fifth version of the world-famous painting.

To take part in Adobe’s 5th Scream Contest, attendees have to submit their creative ideas by July 14 at 00:00 CET via the Behance art platform. For the participants to be identified as easily as possible, the up-to-date version of “The Scream” must be accompanied by a #MunchContest hashtag. The company suggests that competitors should promote their inspiration on social media as well, using the same hashtag.

Contestants will have to impress the jury comprising of Russell Brown and Michael Chaize of Adobe, Behance Principal Designer Zach McCullough, Andy Sandoz as president of D&AD 2016, and many others.

The winner takes it all and will go home 6,000€ richer and with a trip to Las Vegas. Besides, the champion will also enjoy an all-inclusive trip to Oslo, where they will be able to admire their own work of art, which will be displayed at the Munch Museum.

Speaking about the striking idea that lies behind this ambitious project, Simon Morris, Adobe Senior Director of Campaign Marketing said that there are art pieces that somehow transcend time and succeed to influence the society as a whole, “But we rarely think about the tools that were used to create those masterpieces,” he explained.

The Hidden Treasures of Creativity is a wonderful way for the renowned painter’s tools to regain their former value in the hands of a new generation of digital content creators. Morris added that the project makes it possible for “today’s artists to rediscover and treasure the brush of a master and use it to create their very own masterpiece.”

The winner of the contest will be announced on July 28. Meanwhile, we selected some of the works that have captured our attention, and we invite you, our readers, to have a look and let us know if these modern interpretations of the famous painting make you want to scream:

Credits:

Client: Adobe

Agency: Abby Priest

Creative Director: Oskar Hellqvist

Art Directors / Copywriters: Pontus Widell, Anders Hellström

Photographer: Andreas Kleiberg