Op Art

What is Op art?

Op Art is short for optical art, a style of art that plays tricks on your eyes and makes you think you see something that is not really there. For example, it can look 3D or even as if it's moving!

You will need:

Paper
Pens or pencils

Method

3D hand

1. Place your hand on a piece of paper with your fingers spread out. Ask someone to help draw around your hand and arm to get a good outline.

2. Choose a coloured pen or pencil and starting where the knuckles are, draw a straight line from the edge of the paper, gently curving the line as it goes over your hand shape, then straightening it again as it comes out the other side.

3. Choose another colour and make a line directly under the last one, remembering to curve it as it goes across the hand. Repeat until you reach the bottom of the page, continuing to curve the line all the way down the arm.

4. Start the lines above the knuckles, remembering to alternate between curves lines for the fingers and thumb, straight lines for the background.

Try again using different colour combinations, or perhaps just one colour. I made several attempts before I got a really good one!

Why not have a go at drawing other outline shapes such as an animals (see gecko opposite), or abstract patterns (see pattern above).

Method

Op Art shapes

1. Use a pencil to draw vertical straight lines across your page.

2. Add some shapes which cross over the lines. This could be a single shape such as a heart, or lots of different shapes.

3. Colour each individual new shape now created. Older children can try using 2 colours alternatively (perhaps complimentary colours), see the example opposite; whereas younger children can simply colour in the shapes in numerous different colours.

Try drawing shapes inside shapes, such as concentric circles or hearts, starting with a small one and getting bigger and bigger, (see examples opposite).