3D ILLUSIONS
Trompe l’oeil is French for "deceive the eye" and is an art technique that has been around for centuries. Just like virtual reality content creators, artists specializing in this technique trick us into believing that what we’re seeing is real.
Edgar Mueller is a world-renowned illusionist street painter. Using the sidewalk as a canvas he has worked across the world challenging the perceptions of passers-by. It took Mueller five days to paint this street in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland.
TRY THIS!
MAKE YOUR OWN TROMPE L'OEIL ARTWORK
Materials
2 pieces of plain paper
Ruler
Pencil
Try it
1. Take one of your pieces of paper and manipulate it by folding it, tearing it, and maybe adding a few words or markings, but not too many. You'll be redrawing this, so you won't want it to be too complicated.
2. Next, to create the illusion, try and draw an exact replica of it using your other piece of paper. Look carefully and measure so you are sure to be drawing precisely what you see—every little detail! Pay attention to any rips, tears, or folds. The subtle shadows are the key to making the paper look like it’s actually torn or folded.
3. After you are finished drawing, mount both your manipulated paper and your drawing onto a piece of construction paper. See if your friends and family can tell the difference!
Artwork and photos by Kirsty Mowbray.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
In 2019 Virtual Science Center commissioned Edgar Mueller to create “Dragon” (right) for “Reinventing Reality: Explore the Science of Virtual Reality”. View Mueller’s portfolio.
