3D Chalk Art With Tracy Lee Stum
How does 3D work?
It can only be understood through the camera lens in one particular spot and designed from that point. The moment you move the camera from that point, the painting just becomes a distorted drawing.
How do you decide where that point is?
You have to be conscious of where the viewer is standing. If you are looking down at a 30-degree angle, you have to create that drawing from that 30-degree view.
What kind of techniques can you employ to create the illusion?
Once you've chosen your subject matter and sketched it out, you have to map it out on the surface. You can use a grid if you need to. I use a chalk line as well as a chalk stick to map out the lines that will start at the key shapes and draw back to the original focal point and that create the depth.
Is there anything else besides the lines that help create the effect?
Color and shading. It's about layering and shading and also the order in which you apply the colors. You want to shade darker colors and lighter colors to create depth.
How does the landscape affect your drawing?
You have to take into consideration the texture of the ground, the structures around it. Each location is a problem and you have to solve it.
How does light play into this?
Where the light will be when the picture is taken is important. You don't want a shadow to ruin the effect. Will a building cast a shadow? Will where we stand cast a shadow? If the lighting were in a different spot, it may affect the illusion.
How can someone learn how to do this for himself or herself?
I'm coming out with a series of tutorials that folks can sign up for on my website, tracyleestum.com. That will debut in 2 weeks, 5/17/13. There is also a companion Kindle Book available for free on my website, as well, called "How to do 3D Street Painting: An Introduction."
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