First take a look at the person standing on top of the globe. At first, it might look like he’s bending down to hit a golf ball, but that’s not the case. He’s actually supposed to look like he’s holding the rope that is holding up the “Make Poverty History” banner that is encircling the globe painting. Now at first, if you haven’t seen any of these chalk paintings, you might think that the chalk painting is not entirely flat. And of course, since this is an optical illusions website, you have a pretty good idea that when we show you something, it’s incredible. Quick – before you scroll down the page to see the chalk globe from a different perspective, take a guess at how long the globe would actually have to be in order for the illusion to work!
Many of the sidewalk chalk art can only be seen from one angle – the angle that the photographer took the picture. But here, we get a rare view from the side to see the incredible perspective. Here is the chalk globe, drawn on the sidewalk by chalk artist Julian Beever, from the side.
It is kind a pretty collection of colors, isn’t it? Look at that – it’s longer than the double decker bus that you see in the background of the picture! Can you imagine the amount of chalk this guy must use on a daily basis? I bet he has a sponsorship from a chalk supply company! I wonder if when he leaves after completing a project like this, if people immediately start walking on the art. Without any ropes to protect people from walking on the area – that and the fact that they are usually on public sidewalks – the drawings most likely don’t last that long.
Heh. You know what would be a really great sidewalk chalk optical illusion? What if the bus and car in this picture were painted on the side of a building – and the only thing that is real is the people walking in front of it. It couldn’t be that hard to do. In fact, in the next few days we’ll be adding some more similar sidewalk chalk drawings.
Why not try your own hand at sidewalk art? Many cities sponsor events for local artists to participate in chalk drawing competitions – and it often goes to charity or a good cause! Wouldn’t it be cool if you signed up for one of these charities and painted an incredible optical illusion? If you do, please let us know!
