Some street paintings are convincingly lifelike.
You turn a street corner, and there, on the pavement before you, is a lake or a hole that extends many feet down. You are actually looking at an anamorphic 3D painting---a type of lifelike art that achieves its effect through the deliberate distortion of the images that comprise it.
Foundations
Also known popularly as street painting because of its most common venue these days, anamorphic 3D art traces its origins back to the early Renaissance. During that era, artists used geometric principles to paint a deformed image on a plane, or two-dimensional surface. When seen reflected in a carefully angled mirror, the image appeared normal.
Essentials
Anamorphic 3D painting requires tremendous artistic talent, including an ability to capture images in a lifelike fashion. Yet it also follows well-defined principles that any artist can use to create one of these paintings.
Creation
To begin an anamorphic 3D painting, the artist draws a "study," or miniature, of the work envisioned. The goal at this point is to elongate the image as viewed from one perspective. This will contribute to the illusion that the finished painting is an actual part of its environment.
Next, grid lines are superimposed over the study. This is a network of horizontal and vertical lines that divide the surface of the painting into squares. The use of a grid makes the transfer of the image from paper to pavement much easier.
For a location, most artists try to choose a street with little vehicular traffic. A steady stream of cars and trucks would make the work much harder.
The artist measures off and draws a chalk grid with the same number of cells as on the study. The contents of each cell, or square, of the gird will be meticulously copied to the corresponding cell on the pavement.
The last step in the process, is to carefully expunge any residual evidence of the grid lines.
Most artists take photographs of their street art, both from the desired perspective and from overhead. These provide a lasting record of the work. By its definition, street art is temporary, likely to be washed away by rainfall.
