A digitized world filled with green hues, where everything is made of lies and code is a false reality developed by machines called the Matrix. With the rise of AI, even the world of The Matrix may not seem so far off nowadays. It can be a scary thought. But for now, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves and take the ‘red pill’ for the next few minutes, diving into this awesome Matrix fan art photoshoot, filled with pictures of ‘what ifs’ .

Why Matrix Fan Art?

One of the main reasons I decided to create my own “Matrix” fan art is because I’m an enormous fan of the original film. From the cinematography and the video game-esque feel, to the compelling and dystopic story, I was enamored with this visual masterpiece. And let’s not forget the stunning martial arts choreography (I love geeking out on classic martial arts films)!

It was the first “Matrix” film that played a huge role in inspiring me to become a concept artist and work in entertainment.

Whenever I showed my sci fi art at conventions, the question I got asked the most was “What was your inspiration for creating this piece?”.

I would always answer “The Matrix.”

My fascination with science fiction and psychological motifs started with this film and has been a huge part of my art and inspiration ever since.

I decided to create cinematic photographs of my own adventures and basically Matrix-fy them with that signature eerie green look.

To learn more about the Matrix film, here’s an IMDB article. And for info on the 4th Matrix film, Matrix Resurrections, you can visit www.whatisthematrix.com.

Here are 12 cinematic “Matrix” photos taken with my smartphone, capturing different scenarios and scenes, some we can definitely relate to.

Cinematic Matrix Fan Art Photoshoot

*All artwork posted is photographed using my smartphone and digitally edited by me. All images posted are at a lower quality to fit my blog format and for viewing purposes only.

*There are spoilers in the post so if you haven’t seen the first 2 Matrix films, I’d highly recommend watching them!

1. Behind the Door

Let’s start this off with a simple picture below, a sneak peek into a bathroom & shower, if it was Matrix-fied.

I wanted this to be a tight shot because in the Matrix films, there’s always a feeling of being trapped, confined, and even enslaved, so I wanted to give off that feeling right away. I wanted to capture the simple yet intricate details of the door’s handle in dark light with a stark contrast of bright lighting and lack of immense detail in the bath tub to give a sense of space and contrast.

And the little dark fuzz in the bathtub is my cat! Seems like he wanted to play in the tub for a bit.

And no, he’s not a black cat, no glitch in the Matrix here!

Tighter shots are a fantastic way to give off an impactful first impression while leaving your audience intrigued and setting the stage for what’s to come, keeping them constantly engaged.

When storytelling is involved, it’s best to start off with tight images or scenes so you don’t reveal too much too soon. If I told you the ending of the Matrix, that would spoil the movie and suddenly you might not be as interested. Same concept when it comes to showcasing an art project or anything that involves multiple images or scenes.

Fantastic storytelling doesn’t just rely on the story but the audience and how they perceive and understand it as well.

In many of these Matrix fan art photos, I referenced screenshots from the first two films to help me nail down the look and feel of each photograph. I really wanted to capture that greenish digital-feeling aesthetic.

2. Bridge Battle

In this next Matrix fan art pic, is an aged bridge.

I took this picture in the car while my dad was driving, so you can see a bit of the inside ceiling in the top left corner.

The architecture and details of the bridge are stunning and I love the peeling paint because it adds a bit of story and a feeling of age and use.

I took this photo because it reminded me of (one of my favorite scenes) the freeway scene in The Matrix: Reloaded, including the van/truck in the image.

Matrix fans, you know what I’m talking about!

Paying attention to the small details such as crack in walls or a broken object really helps tell a story and give your art unmatched character and personality as opposed to an image without those things.

Let’s widen the scene a bit with the next photo, below.

3. Digital Skyline

Here’s a hillside photo taken in the afternoon, overlooking a bustling cityscape.

I wanted to capture a more detailed scene than the previous pics to give off a greater feeling of environment and space. Basically giving our eyes space to ‘breathe’ a bit and to give you a better sense of a setting.

Like the films, I added that greenish-blue tint again to the photo. But since it’s in the afternoon, the yellowish light from the sun is less saturated and closer to a green-gray or white, like in the films.

Sadly, this Matrix fan art photo was not taken in Australia but in another very famous and well-known city.

Can you tell which city this is, above?

4. The Office Building

You can’t have Matrix fan art without some tall, menacing corporate buildings.

This picture reminded me of where Neo’s 9-5 job in the Matrix was, right before he got ‘bugged’ by the agents. It was a very iconic and intense scene, so I definitely wanted to edit an image of something (that seemed to me) devoid of happiness, color, and confined.

(I understand this is a hotel but it gives off a creepy corporate vibe.)

5. Mountains on the ‘Highway’

You know, we never really got to see any nature or pastoral scenes within the Matrix, in the films.

Only ever dense cities and buildings, which I’m assuming would make sense, given that the Matrix is built by machines and everything is supposed to feel and look artificially or man made but not natural.

But this is a little peek at ‘what if’ the Matrix did have some sort of special area that has a particularly natural vibe.

5. Lines of People

So this next Matrix fan art screenshot was taken summer of 2020 – a depressing and scary time where we had our outdoor ‘freedom’, so-to-speak, confined to specific instances, depending on where you lived. I stayed home about 90% of the time and only went out to drive for a breath of fresh air.

It’s a great image because yeah, the pandemic almost didn’t feel real because of how insane and crazy it got, with the stay-at-home orders and mask mandates where I live.

The density of people in outdoor places wearing masks but not super packed as everyone needed to stay distant from each other was quite a surreal feeling at first.

This image was taken in the parking garage of an Ikea.

6. Don’t Forget the Giant Digital Screen!

How would a clothing store look like in the matrix? That’s the question I tried to answer in the photo below.

This next image is one of my absolute favorites because of the lighting and dark green colors, like those of Trinity’s chase at the beginning of the first film, and the indoor scenes later on, like when Morpheus needs to be rescued.

This Matrix fan art photo was taken inside a pop-up clothing store a few years ago.

I loved the indoor lighting and the projector screen really helps give off that digital feeling of being inside a computer or program.

I wanted to give as much focus to the screen as I could because it really stood out to me from the rest of the area.

The original unedited photo looks pretty blown-out with diffused lighting. I wanted these normal and randomly taken photos to have a cinematic touch.

7. The ‘Oracle’s’ Apartment

If there was a yellow apartment that existed in the matrix during dusk, the below photo is what I imagined it would look like.

For this Matrix fan art image I was inspired by the Oracle’s apartment building. What if it was yellow and stood out from its surrounding area?

In fact, we never actually see the outside of her apartment, only inside.

The apartment was my main focus in the photos as it’s the most vibrant part of the piece and contrasts very well against a blue-green sky.

Some of the fine details really give character to the image and environment, such as the ‘Cleaners’ sign – ‘who uses that?’ and ‘why is it there?’ are some of the questions I ask myself when I take these photos.

When taking photos or creating a piece for a project, story builds the foundation for a successful and relatable piece of art.

Try to capture the things you like the most in your art and projects as they will really show your passion and inspiration in the end result.

8. Matrix Sunglasses

One of the most iconic images in the first film was Morpheus’ sun glasses when he makes Neo decide which pill to take.

It was such a stunning image that I tried to make my own but definitely not as story driven.

Sunglasses in the Matrix act as a means of disguise to shield one’s eyes intentions, and even self, from the deception and lies of the machine’s programs.

A type of protection of sorts.

If you’ve noticed, almost every time the main characters are in the Matrix, they have their sunglasses on. The few times you see them off when they are in the digital world, usually shows a scene of vulnerability and real emotion, like when Neo goes to see the Oracle, when he kisses the Merovingian’s wife, or when Morpheus fights one of the agents on the highway when he’s protecting the Key Maker.

So I tried to capture the absurdness of the digital world through the sunglasses’ reflection with our ‘main character’ as a human and not a program.

Although, if you look close enough, you might find some interesting things going on in the reflection.

9. A ‘Matrix’ Burger Joint

Okay, question – What would a popular modern burger joint look like at night, if it was in the matrix?

That’s what this next Matrix fan art photo depicts.

Unfortunately in the films we didn’t see too much of the city in the Matrix, probably because everything looks how it does in reality, minus the green tint.

But here’s a modern take on that idea.

I love the orange construction barrier – it makes me think, “what’s going on here – what happened, what’s being constructed on?”. These little elements add more story and mystery to the piece.

The structure of the building feels sleek and somewhat futuristic, adding to the tech-y Matrix mood.

10. The Donut

Since we’re on the topic of food, the next image features a tasty treat!

We didn’t see any Matrix-ized food, so I decided to create a picture of one.

I love tasty treats and if you’re like me, you’ll want to eat things that look good! So, I did my best to create a delicious donut if it existed in the Matrix. This was a Krispy Kreme key-lime pie donut.

Extra green on the icing with a crisp white dollop of frosting!

11. Parking Lot Battle

After watching the movies I definitely see a number of clean parking structures and buildings that give off a sense of being underground, like the underground world of hacking (basically what Neo and Morpheus’s team are doing). I guess the underground vibe really fit in well.

This is a mall parking structure. The lighting and architecture stood out to me against the night sky and I loved the reflective material against the garage door.

The ticket dispenser also reminds me of another scene – like Trinity could just blast into the building with her motorcycle.

Can you guess which Matrix scene this reminds you of? (Hint: it’s in the second film and part of the image’s title.)

12. Reminiscent of the Mansion of the Merovingian

No Matrix fan art is complete without a fight scene setting.

In this pic below, I was inspired by the indoor fight scene in Matrix Reloaded where the Merovingian unleashes his goons on Neo.

Definitely one of the most memorable and exciting scenes in that film!

I loved the classic architecture and sculptural setting in that scene which is why I captured this building with its classical elements.

On another note, the ceiling on the inside arch almost look like type keys in a keyboard, further adding to the films’ digital motifs.

13. A Very ‘Matrix’ Holiday

I personally love the holidays, especially with the lights and festive decorations.

For my last image, I just had to see how Christmas lights would look like in this Matrix fan art screenshot.

In fact, the Matrix films never showed any celebrations of holidays. Maybe there aren’t any?

But here’s what I imagined it would probably look like in the Matrix during the holidays.

Pretty cool to see what holiday lights and decorations would look like in the Matrix world!

That was the last image.

I hope you enjoyed taking this little ‘tour’ and seeing other possibilities that could exist in the Matrix.

Check Out More Exciting Pop Culture Art & Drawing Tutorials

For even more imaginative pop culture inspiration, art, and freebies, check out these other amazing related articles below!

• Realistic Sci Fi Digital Painting Scene & Process | Post
• 20+ Creepy Yet Inspiring Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne Drawings | Post
• Cool Super Mario Fan Art & Effortless Mario Drawing Ideas for Beginners | Post
• How to Draw an Adorable Yoshi Egg in 3 Minutes for Beginners & Kids | Post
• 4 Free Studio Ghibli Phone Wallpaper Fan Art Downloads  | Post + Freebie
• How to Draw a Stylized ‘Six’ from “Little Nightmares”  | Post + Freebie
• Weekly Art 1 : Sketching on Silky Smooth Drawing Paper & Tips | Post

Sadly our Matrix fan art photoshoot ends here. Share your thoughts on the project in the comments below!