Out of Frame Optical Illusion

Here is an interesting photograph. This photo was not manipulated with Photoshop or any other photo manipulation software.

How is this illusory effect accomplished?

Optical illusions
Flickr Artist: zm

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Dead Paper?

Here are a couple of fascinating creations by artist Peter Callesen the first creation is a closeup of the original piece. The only material used is Acid free paper, pencil, and glue.

I love the skill and creativity of this artist. Is this skeleton breaking free of his two dimensional chains or settling in for a nice long nap.

Half Way Through (Detail view)
Peter Callesen
(c)2006

This image is also just paper and glue. Makes me yearn to be a kid, just to have the chance to play with the glue again. Check out Peter's other works at his site.


Looking back
Peter Callesen
(c)2006

Peter, You do great work. Well Done!

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Sci-Art's Inaugural "Site of the Week"

This post is why I have the Etc... in the title of this blog because not everything is an illusion.

Sci-Art, which previously was hosted by this site has moved out on their own and have just selected their first "Site of the Week".

The site they picked wondered what would happen if you combined the video game Pong with the 21st century. The result was Plasma Pong.

Check out the Sci-Art Site of the Week post.

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The Terrace Optical Illusion

This illusion was created by David MacDonald. He describes the process,

"All my images are made the same way. I create a "matrix" in CorelDRAW according to strict rules of perspective, except for the false connections. This is then brought into Photo-Paint where it is "rendered" with purpose-taken, digitally photographed textures and objects. A print-out of the matrix is used as a reference guide during photography to help ensure that the objects are photographed with the correct point of view to fit."

This illusion took "in the region of sixty purpose taken photographs."

A wonderful blend of photography and digital imaging.

The Terrace
Used with Permission
Copyright 1998, 1999 David MacDonald
Any use without express permission is prohibited

Update: David MacDonald recently put launched a new presence on the web called Cambiguities, check out his other amazing creations.

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Deadly Beauty

I found this over on skecthdump. Brandon Reese is the artist that runs this site. He is quite talented and his art varies greatly. Stop on by and check it out.

©brandon reese 2005 used w/permission

When I look at this image I recall the stories of old, told again and again about the monsters of the deep and how giant octopuses attacked ships. Sailors would come home with stories of lost seamen pulled overboard by these creatures of the deep.

While I doubt that they actually used flowers to attract their victims you can see below that their tentacles do have a flower like quality to them. Maybe in 650bc when Homer's Odyssey was all the rage and he wrote of Skylla a many headed many feet sea creature (most likely a giant octopus) this is the way these giant octopuses hunted by floating near the surface and luring sailors with their flower like tentacles.

Of course now they are boring and the octopus will hunt by hiding in it's hole and waiting for unsuspecting prey (Often crabs or clams after the octopus is mature enough to handle these ) to come within reach. Then they pull the prey in for an evening meal.


Suckers of a giant Pacific octopus. Picture: Jim Cosgrove.

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