Atlantic Ocean Redraws
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
How It Spread
How to Use This Meme
The format typically follows a two-panel structure:
Show a map of the Atlantic Ocean (or a cropped section of it)
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
References (2)
- 1Timeline of protests against Donald Trumpencyclopedia
- 2Atlantic Ocean Redraws - Know Your Memeencyclopedia