Introduction: DIY Optical Illusion

This is a fun and kind of hard and kind of easy optical illusion. My art teacher had my class and I make this when she saw it at the Lincoln-Way East art fair. I thought it was really cool and decided to make it an instructable. Always remember to draw the lines LIGHTLY.

Step 1: Gather Materials

Gather the materials:

1. Meter Stick

2. A thin and ultra thin sharpie

3. Colored Pencils

4. A piece of paper

5. A pencil

6. 4 objects that are round (a 5th one is optional)

Step 2: Line Up and Draw

Draw two lines connecting the four corners so that they make an "X".

Step 3: The Rectangle

Draw a rectangle in the middle as shown.

Step 4: Focal Point

Draw a circle in the middle of the rectangle where the "X" meets in the middle. This will be known as the focal point.

Step 5: Lines

Draw lines going across the top just in the top quadrant. Do not draw to many or else you will just make more work for yourself later and don't draw too little or you will not get the full effect in the end.

Step 6: Lines 2

Draw three more lines connected to the top ones to make squares around the paper as shown.

Step 7: Lines 3

Draw lines from the outside to the inside just up until the smallest rectangle also connected to the focal point but don't draw them to the focal point, just draw them so it looks like they would go to the focal point as shown.

Step 8: Bye Bye Focal Point

Erase the focal point and connect the erased lines back together.

Step 9: 1st Circle

Take one of your circle objects and trace it anywhere but the middle of the paper on the paper.

Step 10: 2nd Circle

Take your next circle object and do the same thing.

Step 11: 3rd Circle

Take your next circle object and do likewise.

Step 12: 4th Circle

Take your next circle object and it again.

Step 13: Optional Circle

If you chose to do a 5th circle, do the same thing one last time.

Step 14: Erase 1

Erase all lines inside the circles.

Step 15: Lines 4

Draw horizontal and vertical lines through the circle, curving as though they were curving along the surface of a sphere. The two most middle lines should meet at the edge of the circle. You can use points as a guide line.

Step 16: Sharpie 1

Sharpie all lines inside the circles using the ultra thin sharpie.

Step 17: Shading

Now, you must shade the circles using four (or five) different colored colored pencils. Start dark on the outside, and go lighter on the inside.

Step 18: Erase 2

Erase the lines inside the smallest (middle) square.

Step 19: Sharpie 2

Sharpie all other lines using the ultra thin sharpie.

Step 20: Sharpie 3

Sharpie every other square inside the circles as shown with the thin (not ultra thin) sharpie.

Step 21: Sharpie 4

Using the thin sharpie, color every other square in the background as shown. You're done!

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