Atlantic Ocean Redraws

2021Fan art trend / drawing faddead

Atlantic Ocean Redraws is a fan art trend where artists use the contour of the Atlantic Ocean as an outline for drawing figures, most often human bodies. The trend kicked off in January 2021 after a Twitter user posted a two-panel image revealing a female figure hidden in the ocean's shape, racking up over 260,000 likes and inspiring dozens of copycat drawings across platforms.

Overview

The premise is simple: take a map of the Atlantic Ocean, rotate or crop it, and trace a character or figure using the coastline's natural curves as a guide. The original post used the ocean's contour to outline a large-breasted female body, presented as a two-panel reveal where the first panel showed the map and the second showed the drawing overlaid on it2. The format spread quickly as other artists applied the same concept to different characters and body types, turning a geographic observation into a collaborative art challenge.

On January 23, 2021, Twitter user @AntrhoPoniesSFM posted a two-panel image showing a female figure drawn within the outline of the Atlantic Ocean2. The first panel displayed a standard map, and the second revealed the body traced along the coastlines of the Americas, Europe, and Africa. The post went massively viral, picking up over 34,300 retweets, 6,400 quote tweets, and 260,000 likes within five days2.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Creator
@AntrhoPoniesSFM
Date
2021

On January 23, 2021, Twitter user @AntrhoPoniesSFM posted a two-panel image showing a female figure drawn within the outline of the Atlantic Ocean2. The first panel displayed a standard map, and the second revealed the body traced along the coastlines of the Americas, Europe, and Africa. The post went massively viral, picking up over 34,300 retweets, 6,400 quote tweets, and 260,000 likes within five days2.

How It Spread

The image spread fast across Twitter in the following days. On January 24, 2021, the account @mightbecursed reposted the original, earning over 880 retweets and 8,900 likes in four days1. That same day, Twitter user @relateddude posted their own redraw of the Atlantic Ocean, which picked up over 640 retweets and 7,900 likes.

By January 25, the trend had jumped platforms. Redditor Chara1979 reposted the original image to the r/rickandmorty subreddit, where it pulled in over 16,400 upvotes. Also on January 25, Twitter user @kaellzor posted a Lady Dimitrescu version of the Atlantic redraw, tapping into the hype around Resident Evil Village's tall vampire lady. That drawing earned over 2,300 retweets and 15,100 likes in three days.

The trend maintained a moderate presence on social media through late January 2021, with new redraws appearing across Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram. Interest tapered off quickly, as is typical with drawing fad memes that rely on a single visual gimmick.

How to Use This Meme

The format typically follows a two-panel structure:

1

Show a map of the Atlantic Ocean (or a cropped section of it)

2

Overlay or reveal a character drawing that uses the coastline contours as the body outline

Fun Facts

The original post hit 260,000 likes in just five days, making it one of the bigger viral art posts of early 20212.

The trend overlapped with the Lady Dimitrescu craze ahead of Resident Evil Village's May 2021 release, giving artists two viral topics to mash together.

The meme is built on pareidolia, the human tendency to see familiar shapes (especially bodies and faces) in random patterns like coastlines.

Derivatives & Variations

Lady Dimitrescu Atlantic Redraw

— @kaellzor drew Resident Evil Village's Lady Dimitrescu using the Atlantic contour, blending two January 2021 trends into one viral post.

Rick and Morty crossover posts

— The original image gained traction on r/rickandmorty, though the connection to the show was loose at best.

Frequently Asked Questions