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The artistic mode commonly chosen "op art" (due to its utilize of optical illusions) adult during the 2nd half of the 20th century, simply it has deep roots in art history.[1] Past utilizing geometry, repetition, and color patterns, op art often looks like it's jumping off the page or wants to suck yous into the canvas. By following some uncomplicated instructions, you can easily make your own op art—and it'due south also easy to customize the process and brand the op art distinctively yours!

  1. i

    Describe a wavy line horizontally across the folio. Make it look like rolling hills or gentle waves running beyond the middle of the page. Create random undulations and avoid making sharp angles (like mountain peaks).[ii]

    • The more "waves" y'all make, the more circuitous your finished drawing will announced. Start with nigh iii-iv waves if you're a beginner.

  2. two

    Place 8 dots forth the line—2 near the edges, half dozen randomly spaced. Place a dot on the wavy line within about i in (2.5 cm) from the left edge of the paper, and place another i inside near ane inch (2.v cm) from the right edge. Draw the other 6 dots in between these 2, wherever y'all feel similar putting them![3]

    • In your head, characterization these dots "1" through "eight" from left to right—but don't jot the numbers on the page!
    • To increase the complexity, add together more dots—but 8 is good for a beginner.

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  3. 3

    Draw arches above the wavy line that connect the dots. In other words, describe an upward-curved arch (like a rainbow) that starts at dot 1 and ends at dot 2. Do the same between dots 2 and 3, and so on. Also start arches at dot 1 and dot 8 that disappear off the border of the folio.[iv]

    • Vary the arches in height, making them near 0.25–0.5 in (0.64–i.27 cm) loftier. The smaller in elevation they are, the more than complex your drawing volition announced.

  4. 4

    Repeat the arches again and once again until they extend off the page. Draw a new arch on superlative of the initial arch between dots 1 and 2 (like a double rainbow!), and do the aforementioned betwixt dots 2 and 3 so on. Keep doing this over and over again until all the arches higher up the wavy line run off the summit of the page.[5]

    • The arches can vary in top as you get, but effort to keep them within the 0.25–0.five in (0.64–one.27 cm) height range if that's what y'all started with.
    • Creating arches on arches may go a scrap deadening, so endeavour to have fun with information technology! Sentry closely to see how your op fine art is kickoff to announced!

  5. v

    Replicate the arch design beneath the wavy line also. Follow the exact aforementioned process under the wavy line every bit yous did in a higher place it. The "upside-downwardly rainbows" don't have to exist mirror images of the arches to a higher place them, simply keep them within the same full general tiptop range.[6]

    • By the time you're washed, your paper should be filled with arches upon arches!

  6. vi

    Color the spaces betwixt a single stack of arches in a 3-color pattern. For example, use crimson to color the space betwixt the wavy line and the arch between dots 1 and two. Then, use blue to color the gap above the beginning curvation and beneath the 2nd curvation, and black to color the gap above the second arch and beneath the tertiary one. Go on repeating this until you go off the top of the page.[vii]

    • For an added three-D result, colour more darkly around the edges of each gap, and more lightly near the heart. This creates an appearance of low-cal and shadow.

  7. vii

    Mirror the coloring design above the wavy line on the stack of arches directly below. Since (for case) you colored the arches in a red-bluish-blackness blueprint to a higher place dots one and ii, colour the arches beneath dots 1 and 2 in a blue-black-red pattern.[eight]

  8. 8

    Repeat the coloring process for each stack of arches above and beneath the line. For case, color the arch stack higher up dots 2 and 3 in a blue-black-red pattern, and the arches below dots two and 3 in a blackness-blood-red-blueish design. The goal is to avoid having consecutive gaps in the same color, although it won't ruin your picture if this happens occasionally—it'due south art, after all![ix]

    • If you'd rather take a more random approach to your coloring, that's fine too!

  9. 9

    Have a look at your finished piece of op art. What does it look like to you? Colorful worms wriggling in a box? The interlocked fingers of some sort of spooky brute? A satellite view of a compact mountain range on another planet? Yous'll see something different each time you lot look![10]

    • Likewise, your fine art volition plow out differently each time yous follow these instructions. Like snowflakes, each drawing is unique!

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  1. ane

    Draw a rectangle that fills about of your canvas of paper. Utilize a ruler to measure your rectangles and to assist depict them direct. Depict the initial rectangle in a iii:four ratio—in other words, if you lot're using viii.5 in × 11 in (22 cm × 28 cm) paper, make the rectangle 6 in × viii in (15 cm × twenty cm).[11]

    • If y'all want to get the 3-D effect with this type of op art, precision measuring and drawing is important.

  2. two

    Separate the rectangle into 4 equal rectangles. Utilize your ruler to draw a horizontal and vertical line that meet in the centre of your original rectangle. You lot'll end up with 4 rectangles, each 3 in × four in (7.6 cm × 10.2 cm) in size.[12]

  3. three

    Draw ii diagonal lines to create 8 triangles. Employ your ruler to describe a straight line from the superlative left to the bottom correct corners of the original rectangle. Information technology should pass straight through the intersection of the horizontal and vertical lines you drew to create the 4 smaller rectangles. Depict some other diagonal line from the elevation right to the bottom left corners.[13]

    • When you're done, yous'll run across eight triangles inside your original rectangle.

  4. 4

    Measure and marking spots along the perimeter of the main rectangle. From the top left and bottom left corners of the original rectangle, measure across and marking dots at ii and half dozen in (5.1 and xv.2 cm). From the tiptop left and right corners, measure down and marker dots at ane.5 and 4.5 in (iii.8 and 11.4 cm).[xiv]

    • These measurements are all based on starting with a half-dozen in × 8 in (15 cm × 20 cm) rectangle. The horizontal dots should exist at 1/four and 3/4 of the total width of the rectangle, and the vertical dots should exist at 1/four and 3/4 of the full height.

  5. v

    Draw directly lines to connect your dots to the central intersection. Lay your ruler betwixt 1 of the dots y'all simply fabricated and the heart point of the original rectangle, where all the interior lines see. Draw a straight line to connect these 2 points. Do the same with every other dot yous measured and marked.[fifteen]

  6. vi

    Measure and marker dots forth the corner-to-corner diagonal lines. That is to say, measure and mark along the 10-shaped diagonals that meet at the corners of the original rectangle. Starting at the central intersection where all the lines meet, measure and mark each diagonal at the following lengths: 0.5 in (1.3 cm); 1.25 in (3.2 cm); 2.25 in (5.7 cm); three.5 in (8.9 cm).[16]

    • If you started with a 6 in × 8 in (15 cm × 20 cm) rectangle, each diagonal will exist 5 in (xiii cm) in length from the central intersection to one of the rectangle's corners (every bit per the Pythagorean theorem!). If you started with a rectangle of a different size, mark the dots at ane/10, 1/four, 9/20, and 7/10 of the total length of each diagonal section.

  7. 7

    Connect the dots on the diagonals to create a series of rectangles. Start by using your ruler to connect the four dots at the 0.5 in (i.3 cm)—or 1/10 of the total length—position. You'll end upwardly with a small rectangle surrounding the central intersection. Follow up by connecting the 4 dots at 1.25 in (3.ii cm), two.25 in (5.7 cm), and three.v in (8.ix cm), respectively.[17]

    • You lot should now see a series of ever-larger rectangles that announced to be emanating from the central intersection.

  8. 8

    Alternate between ii colors as you lot fill up in the smallest rectangle. Due to all the lines that meet at the central intersection, the interior of the smallest rectangle should be broken up into 16 triangles. Choose ii colors—for instance, black and ruby—to color in these triangles in an alternate pattern, so that you don't take the same color in consecutive triangles.[eighteen]

    • For example, use blackness to color the offset triangle to the right of the vertical line that points upward from the central intersection. Color the triangle immediately to its right scarlet, and so on.
    • Black and white is also a classic color philharmonic for this type of op art, and will save you some fourth dimension while coloring if you're using white newspaper!

  9. 9

    Fill up in the remaining rectangles using the aforementioned checkerboard blueprint. Each rectangle has 16 triangles within information technology, so keep using alternate colors (like blackness and cherry-red) inside them. Start at the same spot within each rectangle and alternate the showtime color you lot use—this will give the drawing a 3-D checkerboard appearance.[xix]

    • For instance, offset coloring inside each rectangle at the triangle directly to the right of the vertical line that points upward from the fundamental intersection. Make the triangle black in the smallest rectangle, red in the second smallest rectangle, and so on.

  10. ten

    End by adding shading, if desired, to enhance the appearance of depth. Utilise the side of a pencil atomic number 82, for example, to slightly darken the area surrounding the key intersection. Apply less and less concealment every bit y'all get further from the central intersection—which is in fact the "vanishing point" of your finished piece of op fine art![20]

    • Side by side time you attempt this mode of op art, play with the geometry a bit and so that your vanishing indicate is off-center on the page. Or, try using 4 colors instead of 2 to change up the final advent!

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Add New Question

  • Question

    Does it affair if some lines are wonky or irregular?

    Verin

    Not really. Information technology depends on the outcome yous're trying to go for; yous tin can decide to add irregular lines on purpose, or make every line as perfectly direct as possible. The choice is upwards to you.

  • Question

    What is a skilful size for your paper when doing the bulging curves?

    Verin

    Information technology actually simply depends on how large you desire your final image to exist, and where you lot desire to display it (if you make up one's mind to brandish it) later on.

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  • Kids love making op fine art at least as much every bit adults. For a fun op art craft, assistance a child paint a small bloom pot white. Then, help them to pigment a repeating pattern of black direct lines, curved lines, or lightning bolts all the way effectually the pot. Voila, they've fabricated functional op fine art![21]

  • Don't utilise markers to colour in the squares. Markers tin can't shade well, and lack the necessary depth.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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References

  1. ↑ https://kinderart.com/art-lessons/arthistory/op-fine art-shaded-shapes-lesson/
  2. ↑ https://world wide web.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-art, slide 16
  3. ↑ https://www.slideshare.internet/bthemuck/techniques-op-art, slide sixteen
  4. ↑ https://www.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-fine art, slide 17
  5. ↑ https://www.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-art, slide 18
  6. ↑ https://world wide web.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-fine art, slide 18
  7. ↑ https://www.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-art, slide xix
  8. ↑ https://world wide web.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-art, slide nineteen
  9. ↑ https://world wide web.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-art, slide 20
  10. ↑ https://world wide web.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-art, slide 21
  11. ↑ https://www.slideshare.net/bthemuck/techniques-op-art, slide 22
  12. ↑ https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/brand/paint-draw/brand-op-fine art-plant-pot

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