Have you ever walked down the street and noticed a strange, stretched-out image on the ground? If you stand in just the right spot, you might see something amazing. This cool trick is called anamorphosis, a type of art that makes flat drawings look 3D when viewed from a specific angle. Although it’s common now, this technique has only been around since the Italian Renaissance.
In ancient times, artists often drew all figures on the same level, changing their size based on importance rather than distance. Greek and Roman artists figured out that drawing objects smaller could make them look farther away, but their attempts at creating realistic depth were often hit or miss. It wasn’t until the 15th century in Florence that artists began using math to create more accurate perspective drawings. In 1485, Leonardo da Vinci used these principles to make the first known anamorphic drawing. Other artists, like Hans Holbein, also used this technique. Holbein’s painting “The Ambassadors” features a distorted shape that turns into a skull when viewed from the side.
To get how artists create these effects, let’s think about how perspective drawings work. Imagine looking out a window. Light bounces off objects outside and into your eye, passing through the window. If you could paint exactly what you see on the window while standing still with one eye closed, the painting would look almost like the real view. Your brain would add depth to the flat picture, but only from that one spot. If you move even a little, the 3D effect disappears.
Artists know that a perspective drawing is like a projection onto a flat surface. They use math to set up rules that help them draw without needing a window. One important rule is that parallel lines can only be drawn as parallel if they’re parallel to the canvas. Otherwise, they should meet at a point called the vanishing point.
In anamorphic art, like in “The Ambassadors,” looking at the canvas straight on makes the image look weird and stretched. But if you stand in the right spot to the side, the hidden image appears. It’s like painting on a window that’s tilted instead of straight. Renaissance artists didn’t actually paint on angled windows; they usually drew a normal image on one surface and then used light, grids, or strings to project it onto a canvas at an angle.
If you want to make an anamorphic drawing on a sidewalk, you can create the illusion of a 3D image fitting perfectly into the scene. Start by placing a window in front of the sidewalk and draw what you want to add onto the window. Make sure it matches the perspective of the scene, using those basic perspective rules. Once your drawing is ready, use a projector placed where your eye was to project the drawing onto the sidewalk, then trace it with chalk. From that viewpoint, the sidewalk drawing will look almost identical to the window drawing, tricking people into seeing a 3D image.
You don’t have to stick to flat surfaces for these illusions. You can project onto different surfaces or arrange objects so that, from the right angle, they look like something completely different. All over the world, you can find solid surfaces transforming into strange, wonderful, or even scary images. From sidewalks to computer screens, math and perspective can create whole new worlds for us to explore.
Gather some chalk and head to a flat surface like a sidewalk. Choose a simple image to start with, such as a cube or a simple shape. Use the principles of perspective to sketch your image, ensuring that it appears distorted when viewed from above. Then, find the right angle where the image appears 3D and take a photo to capture your creation.
Research famous anamorphic artworks, such as Hans Holbein’s “The Ambassadors.” Write a short report on how the artist used perspective to create the illusion. Include images and describe the effect when viewed from different angles. Share your findings with the class.
Work in pairs to create a perspective drawing. One student will draw a simple scene with a vanishing point, such as a road or railway tracks. The other student will add objects, ensuring they follow the rules of perspective. Display your drawings and discuss how perspective changes the appearance of objects.
Investigate the mathematical principles behind perspective drawing. Create a presentation that explains concepts like vanishing points and parallel lines. Use diagrams to illustrate how these principles are applied in art. Present your findings to the class, highlighting the connection between math and art.
Take a virtual tour of anamorphic art installations around the world. Use online resources to find images and videos of these artworks. Create a digital slideshow showcasing different pieces and explain how perspective is used to create the illusion. Share your slideshow with the class and discuss your favorite examples.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
—
If you’re ever walking down the street and come across an oddly stretched-out image, you’ll have an opportunity to see something remarkable, but only if you stand in exactly the right spot. This phenomenon occurs because these works employ a technique called anamorphosis. Anamorphosis is a special case of perspective art, where artists represent realistic three-dimensional views on two-dimensional surfaces. Though it’s common today, this kind of perspective drawing has only been around since the Italian Renaissance.
Ancient art often depicted all figures on the same plane, varying in size by symbolic importance. Classical Greek and Roman artists realized they could make objects seem further away by drawing them smaller, but many early attempts at perspective were inconsistent or incorrect. In 15th-century Florence, artists discovered that the illusion of perspective could be achieved with greater sophistication by applying mathematical principles. In 1485, Leonardo da Vinci manipulated these principles to create the first known anamorphic drawing. Several other artists later adopted the technique, including Hans Holbein in “The Ambassadors.” This painting features a distorted shape that forms into a skull as the viewer approaches from the side.
To understand how artists achieve this effect, we first need to grasp how perspective drawings work in general. Imagine looking out a window. Light bounces off objects and into your eye, intersecting the window along the way. Now, imagine you could paint the image you see directly onto the window while standing still and keeping only one eye open. The result would be nearly indistinguishable from the actual view, with your brain adding depth to the 2-D picture, but only from that one spot. Standing even slightly off to the side would make the drawing lose its 3-D effect.
Artists understand that a perspective drawing is essentially a projection onto a 2-D plane. This allows them to use math to establish basic rules of perspective that enable them to draw without a window. One rule is that parallel lines can only be drawn as parallel if they’re parallel to the plane of the canvas. Otherwise, they need to be drawn converging to a common point known as the vanishing point.
In an anamorphic drawing, like “The Ambassadors,” facing the canvas directly makes the image look stretched and distorted, but if you position your eye in exactly the right spot off to the side, the skull materializes. Returning to the window analogy, it’s as if the artist painted onto a window positioned at an angle instead of straight on, although that’s not how Renaissance artists actually created anamorphic drawings. Typically, they would draw a normal image onto one surface and then use a light, a grid, or even strings to project it onto a canvas at an angle.
Now, let’s say you want to create an anamorphic sidewalk drawing. In this case, you want to create the illusion that a 3-D image has been seamlessly added to an existing scene. You can first place a window in front of the sidewalk and draw what you want to add onto the window. It should be in the same perspective as the rest of the scene, which might require using those basic rules of perspective. Once the drawing is complete, you can use a projector placed where your eye was to project your drawing down onto the sidewalk, then chalk over it. The sidewalk drawing and the drawing on the window will be nearly indistinguishable from that point of view, tricking viewers’ brains into believing that the drawing on the ground is three-dimensional.
You don’t have to project onto a flat surface to create this illusion. You can project onto multiple surfaces or assemble a jumble of objects that, from the right point of view, appear to be something else entirely. All over the world, you can find solid surfaces giving way to strange, wonderful, or even terrifying visions. From your sidewalk to your computer screen, these are just some of the ways that math and perspective can open up whole new worlds.
—
This version maintains the original content while ensuring clarity and coherence.
Art – The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. – In art class, we learned how to use different colors to express emotions in our paintings.
Mathematics – The abstract science of number, quantity, and space, either as abstract concepts or as applied to other disciplines such as physics and engineering. – Mathematics helps us understand patterns and relationships in both art and nature.
Perspective – A technique used in art to represent three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface, giving the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position. – The artist used perspective to make the road in the painting appear as if it stretches into the distance.
Drawing – The act or skill of making a picture, plan, or design by marking a surface, usually paper, with a pencil, pen, or other instrument. – In our drawing lesson, we practiced sketching still life objects using charcoal pencils.
Illusion – A deceptive appearance or impression in art, often created through the use of perspective and shading. – The mural created an illusion of a window looking out onto a beautiful garden.
Anamorphosis – A distorted projection or drawing that appears normal when viewed from a particular point or with a suitable mirror or lens. – The street artist’s anamorphosis of a giant hole in the ground amazed everyone who walked by.
Canvas – A strong, coarse unbleached cloth used as a surface for painting, typically stretched across a wooden frame. – The artist prepared her canvas with a layer of primer before starting her masterpiece.
Vanishing – In art, the point at which receding parallel lines viewed in perspective appear to converge. – The train tracks in the painting seemed to meet at a vanishing point on the horizon.
Projection – A method of representing a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional surface, often used in technical drawing and art. – The architect used projection techniques to create a detailed floor plan of the building.
Renaissance – A period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity, characterized by a revival of interest in the classical art and learning. – The Renaissance was a time when artists like Leonardo da Vinci created some of the most famous works of art in history.
