How Do Artists Create Illusions on Canvas?

Artists make pictures look real by using special tricks. Imagine drawing a road that gets smaller as it goes away, this makes the picture feel like you're looking at a real street. Artists also use shadows and colors to trick your eyes into seeing depth, even when everything is flat on the canvas.

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Examples

A painting shows a train track getting narrower as it goes into the distance.
An artist uses dark colors to make a figure look like it's in shadow.
A picture of a room makes you feel like you could walk through it.

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Categories: Art · art techniques,visual illusion,painting,optical art