Maras is an Instagram filter created by Charlotte Rea (@charreel) that superimposes my line drawings onto the user’s face when the selfie camera is activated. The filter comprises five line sketches overlaid on the user’s face when the camera is directed towards it. Tapping on the screen toggles between the different sketches while opening the mouth causes the drawing to enlarge. Additionally, a blur filter is applied to the camera footage to make a face appear smoother.
The filter succeeded tremendously, ranking at the top of Instagram’s Effects gallery under the selfies category and garnering millions of uses. Users from all over the country created artworks in tribute to the filter, including makeup and illustration. Shortly after the Maras filter was launched, Facebook released Spark AR to the public, creating numerous replicas of the filter. The filter can be found under the user profile @charreel and accessed using the Instagram app on a compatible device. You can access the live filter here with a device with Instagram.
Discipline: Digital Design, Illustration, Software Development
Sector: Technology
Collaborator: Charlotte Rea
Location: New York, New York
Date: May 2019