Optical Illusions Etc...
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Description Presented here is a vast gallery of many different forms of Optical Illusions. Whether these optical illusions are conveyed through fractals, photographs, architecture, art, or old fashioned pen and ink, they are bound to remind you that "seeing is not believing."

Caution!!!! Some of the optical illusions on this blog may cause dizziness or possibly epileptic seizures. The latter happens when the brain can't handle the conflicting information from your two eyes. If you start feeling unwell when using this website, immediately cover one eye with your hand and then leave the page. Do not close your eyes because that can make the attack worse.
Fractal of the Day Fractal of the Day
Provided By Sprott's Fractal Gallery

Sunday

Split in Two Optical Illusion

Some people may react to this anomalous motion optical illusion and if you think you might be one of these people it is important to read the caution at the top of this page prior to proceeding.

This optical Illusion is the creation of Herman J. Verwaal of Exloo, Netherlands. This is an amazing illusion the two halfs keep trying to pull apart from each other.

Splitting Optical Illusion

Herman J. Verwaal
copyright 2005
used w/permission


Herman has a large collection of optical illusions that he has created over time. He has generously allowed me to feature a few of his pieces here. This is the fourth (here is the first, second and the third) of many. I love the constantly expanding image. His illusions run the gambit and I will be showing you more of his excellent Trick-Art in the future.


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Saturday

Beyond the Photo Optical Illusion

Is it my imagination or is she pulling herself out of this photo through shear strength of will? (via)

Gusto, originally uploaded by ejecutante


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Friday

2-D Building Optical Illusion

Here is the Nix Professional Building that sits on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. It was completed in 1931 and was the first hospital in a skyscraper, and the only hospital with doctor's offices, hospital beds, and a parking garage all in one building.

2D Building Optical Illusion

San Antonio's 2D Building
Philip Armitage, (c) 1999
Used w/permission

Because of the building's sharp angles, the view from the Riverwalk presents an optical illusion that the facing wall is two-dimensional. The building's shape is in the form of an "L". The south side of the building is cut off diagonally by the riverwalk which runs through the building's block creating the illusion of a flat wall from the perspective of the river.

The internet is fascinating, I went all the way to a person in New Zealand to obtain a picture of a building in San Antonio, Texas, USA.


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Thursday

Frost Star Tree Optical Illusion

This is a lovely illusion or is it? Has anyone ever seen a tree like this before?

Please let me know how you think this unretouched photo was made to look like this beautiful tree.


Frost star tree., originally uploaded by Jaxpix50.


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Cycle Race Optical Illusion

Some people may react to this anomalous motion optical illusion and if you think you might be one of these people it is important to read the caution at the top of this page prior to proceeding.

Earlier, I started a series by Miwa Miwa who very generously granted me permission to feature his work here. The below image is called Cycle Race and has an illusion of motion.

Thanks Miwa for sharing your illusions with us.

Cycle Optical Illusion

Cycle Race
(c) miwa miwa 2005
Used w/permission


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Wednesday

Carnival Optical Illusion

I like this image for two reasons. One is obvious the giant hand holding the ferris wheel. The second reason is less obvious. Some of you may actually notice some anomalous motion in this image.

Tell me, if you think you notice motion leave a comment telling me if you see clockwise or counter-clockwise motion.


Mas é tão pequenininha..., originally uploaded by jutmartins.


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Tuesday

Extending Object Optical Illusion

Some people may react to this anomalous motion optical illusion and if you think you might be one of these people it is important to read the caution at the top of this page prior to proceeding.

This optical Illusion is the creation of Herman J. Verwaal of Exloo, Netherlands. This is an amazing illusion that keeps trying to extend beyond its boundries.

Expanding Object Optical Illusion

Herman J. Verwaal
copyright 2006
used w/permission


Herman has a large collection of optical illusions that he has created over time. He has generously allowed me to feature a few of his pieces here. This is the third (here is the first and the second) of many. I love the constantly expanding image. His illusions run the gambit and I will be showing you more of his excellent Trick-Art in the future.


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Plasma Kaleidoscope

This is an excellent image massaged by Photoshop to it's present form.

The artist (who's Flickr name is Heaven`s Gate) says the following,

"This is a photo of a Plasma Light, mirrored five times, then made into a Kaleidoscope via a little filter via photoshop ! The colours are untouched."


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Monday

Mallard In The Sky Illusion

Here is another interesting photo titled "Mallard In The Sky." How exactly is that duck moving through the sky.


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Spot The Four Optical Illusions

Some people may react to this anomalous motion optical illusion and if you think you might be one of these people it is important to read the caution at the top of this page prior to proceeding.

Below is an optical illusion by Miwa Miwa that actually has four separate illusions in it. Can you spot the 4 different illusions? If you have trouble check the bottom of this post for an explanation of the four illusions.

Thanks Miwa for sharing your illusions with us.

multiple Optical Illusion

A New Year
(c) miwa miwa 2006

Used w/permission

Miwa said the following about this illusion:
This work was published in Mainichi Shimbun (newspaper)on the New Year's Day of 2006. It is original for the page "World of the optical illusion". It is an illustration including four kinds of optical illusions.
Two of the illusions are anomalous motion, the sky and the green jacket. The sky is also an example of the Spiral illusion, do you see a spiral or is it really multiple concentric circles? The dogs Jacket is the fourth illusion and an example of the Scintillating Grid optical illusion. Look close, how many black spots do you see?


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Sunday

Fountain & Escher Floor

Sunshine City in Ikebukuro Tokyo Japan


Fountain & Escher Floor
(c) 2006 Hiroo Yamada
used w/permission


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Saturday

Another Kanizsa Optical Illusion

Like the original Kanizsa triangle introduced by Gaetano Kanizsa, an Italian psychologist. Here is another Kanizsa Girl. The basis of the Kanizsa illusion is that we perceive what is not there based on what is there. First we perceive a triangle on the left then a square on the right even though they don't exist.

Kanizsa Triangle Optical IllusionKanizsa Square Optical Illusion

Now many of us will look at the below image and perceive the woman that may have been in this bed based on what we see even though she isn't there. This was from the Imaginary Girl group on Flickr.


intima, originally uploaded by contrasto_gp.


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Fractal laptop

Fractals are part of the Etc... in Optical Illusions Etc..., no photoshop used in the creation of the piece below. I love the illusion of infinity that this picture evokes.


Fractal laptop
Originally uploaded by To Be Or Not To Be.

The artist explains his piece here:
Traveling from Missouri to Virginia, I stopped for the night at a hotel. I was really bored, so I started experimenting.

This is from the dark ages, by the way.. Sony Mavica floppy disk based camera & a Pentium II 266 laptop.. heh. heh.

So, anyway. I would take a picture of the laptop, swap floppy disks, display the latest photo on the laptop, and take another picture of the laptop, and so on.


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Friday

Eagles Optical Illusion

Some people may react to this anomalous motion optical illusion and if you think you might be one of these people it is important to read the caution at the top of this page prior to proceeding.

This is the first time this illusion has been seen anywhere outside of the artist's home. Herman J. Verwaal was nice enough to think of me and my little home on the net to release this excellent optical illusion for public view for the first time.

The eagles in this image appear to fly in a clockwise direction.

Eagles Optical Illusion

Herman J. Verwaal
copyright 2006
used w/permission


Herman has a large collection of optical illusions that he has created over time. He has generously allowed me to feature a few of his pieces here. This is the second (here is the first) of many. I love the motion of the eagles. His illusions run the gambit and I will be showing you more of his excellent Trick-Art in the future.

Thank you Herman for allowing me to share this with my viewers.


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Watermelons Optical Illusion

Some people may react to this anomalous motion optical illusion and if you think you might be one of these people it is important to read the caution at the top of this page prior to proceeding.

Tuesday I started a series by Miwa Miwa who very generously granted me permission to feature his work here. The below image is called Watermelons and has an illusion of motion.

More of his work will be presented as we move forward.

watermelon optical illusion

Watermelons
(c) miwa miwa 2005

Used w/permission


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Thursday

Down or Up Optical Illusion

The photographer asks one simple question with this image, is it upside down or not?

What do you think?


DSC01384illusion, originally uploaded by niclasmaanson.


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Wednesday

Physics Challenged Optical Illusion

This was pointed out to me by an anonymous commenter. I contacted the photographer and he graciously permitted me to use this here. Check out Steve Chabot's other photos on flickr.

It appears that the law of physics don't work the same on this spot of earth. Maybe it is one of those mystery spots that tourists flock to every year. All I know for sure is this image hasn't been manipulated in any way.

Beach Tilt Illusion

Steve Chabot
copyright 2006
Used w/permission


Thanks Steve for a great photo.


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Tuesday

Impossible Alphabet Optical Illusion

Miwa was nice enough to allow me to show his work here.

This illusion doesn't take much setup. Could you construct this alphabet out of wood?

Impossible Alphabet Optical Illusion

(c) miwa miwa 2005
Used w/permission


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Monday

Birds Optical Illusion

Some people may react to this anomalous motion optical illusion and if you think you might be one of these people it is important to read the caution at the top of this page prior to proceeding.

The birds in this image appear to fly in a counter-clockwise direction.

Pyramid Optical Illusion

Herman J. Verwaal
copyright 2005
used w/permission


Herman has a large collection of optical illusions that he has created over time. He has generously allowed me to feature a few of his pieces here. This is the first I chose to show because I love the motion of the birds. His illusions run the gambit and I will be showing you more of his excellent Trick-Art in the future.

Thank you Herman for allowing me to share this with my viewers.


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Sunday

Julian Beever Does it Again!

Absolutely Amazing! Remember the below drawing is just chalk on the pavement.

Julian Beever has made pavement drawings for over ten years. This drawing is the best illusion of a recent batch posted on his site.

Keep repeating to yourself, "There is no hose and he isn't squirting any water." Also don't forget that the drain doesn't exist either.


Waste of Water


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Saturday

Verbal Dual View Optical Illusions

Check out this optical illusion shirt. (Found on Neatorama)

Designed by Rachel Plefger

I love dual view images. My sister sent me the following in email. Currently I am not aware of their origin.

Update: I have positively identified the artist of the bottom two paintings. If anyone recognizes the top (Good/Evil) work please let me know so I can give the artist proper credit.


Can you see the evil residing inside the good?

It drives home visually the point that good can't exist without evil or is it the other way around.



"Optical Illusion"
John Langdon
Copyright 1999


Can you see why this oil painting is called optical illusion?



"Us"
John Langdon
Copyright Date unknown


Can you tell why this painting is titled "Us"?

If you know of other dual view illusions point me in the right direction so we can all see them.


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Friday

Pyramid Power Optical Illusion

Answer this simple question. Is the circle:

1. Half way up the pyramid?
2. Above half way up the pyramid?
3. Below half way up the pyramid?

At this point many viewing this optical illusion pause. They know it wouldn't be an optical illusion if it wasn't different then it seems.

Pyramid Optical Illusion

At first glance (even second and third glance) the circle appears above the point that is half way up the pyramid. The truth is though the circle is exactly at the half way point.

Feel free to pull the ruler out and measure for yourself.


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Thursday

Impossible Triangles Optical Illusion

I figure if I'm starting up posting again there is no better place to start then with a creation by Zsolt. He has been a faithful viewer of this blog and he was the first to comment on the fact that I was going to be starting up posting again. Thanks for the encouragement Zsolt.

The following 3-D optical Illusion was created by Zsolt M. Kovacs-Vajna a professor at the University of Brescia in Brescia Italy.

Eight Impossible triangles

Used w/permission © Zsolt M. Kovacs-Vajna 2005

What you are looking at are 8 identical impossible triangles floating in space. Only the near and far triangles look like the typical illusion. The others look distorted because we are viewing them from a bad perspective (see other impossible triangles here, here, here and here).

Still having trouble wrapping your head around this image play this 3-D video. Hopefully the video will shed some light on the image.


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Wednesday

Tim's Optical Illusion

Well my hiatus from this blog is over and regular posting will begin again.

This optical illusion was pointed out to me by my 9 year old son. He found it in an I Spy book and noticed and illusionary aspect to it. Here is an image similar to the one he drew to show me. This image is often presented in this view with a comment asking if one piece is missing from this pie/cake/cheese or is an extra piece jutting out from the pie/cake/cheese.


Image borrowed from Planet Perplex


But my son saw more. He took the image and flipped it upside down and he noticed that when viewed this way something seemed different.






What was different was when viewed this way instead of looking like one piece was eaten it appears that only one piece of pie/cake/cheese remains in the dish. This is the first time I have ever heard this take on this illusion and thus named it after my son for his keen observational skill.

It is good to be back again, I hope you all will forgive me the absence.


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Copyright Notice
The documents distributed here have been presented on this blog in the spirit of providing an entertaining venue to educate those interested in optical illusions.

All Flckr.com photos are presented here via Flckr's "blog this" feature. This feature is enabled by each artist on Flckr. If you find material here that belongs to you and you would like to have it removed or credited please contact me and I will gladly follow your wishes.

Copyright and all rights therein are maintained by the authors or by other copyright holders. It is understood that all persons copying this information will adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. These works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.