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Optical Illusions

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Optical Illusions occur often when 2D drawings create confusing views of reality. These are more specifically known as ‘literal’ optical illusions


Perspective drawing is an optical illusion in that a 2D drawing is made to look like a 3D object. Converging parallel lines, like railway tracks give the illusion of depth and distance (see ‘Ponzo illusion’) and parallel vertical lines in a perspective drawing can sometimes appear curved (see ‘Hering illusion’)


In Isometric drawing, beginners often get confused about which surfaces are at the front and which to the rear. This is a well-known ambiguity (see ‘Necker cube’) and the artist M.C. Escher exploited this in many of his paintings.