Where painters create a three dimensional effect that pulls you in, 3-D movies tend to rely more on in your face trickery, like that of a broom stick waving about at your nose. Special filming techniques and glasses may offer an sense of three dimensional reality, but it's just an effect. The projection screen is flat, as is what is being projected upon it. In light of this understanding, ask yourself this: When you see a 3-D movie, is it actually three dimensional or just a three dimensional illusion? It is of course nothing more than an illusion. But a sculptor can actually recreate the wine bottle three dimensionally and so, this work of art would actually have height, width and depth, but even more importantly can be viewed in 360 degrees. More to my two dimensional point, a painter can paint a wine bottle and make it appear round, when in reality the painting surface is flat.

But works of art on canvas are still considered two dimensional - more often characterized as having a textured surface, rather than a three dimensional one. I will mention that especially in impasto techniques, paint applied to a thickness capable of casting shadows upon itself, does truly have a dimension of depth. This gives a three dimensional effect or perception, when in reality the surface of the canvas is flat. Through the use of perspective, (to be further explained), texture and value changes, a painter can make it appear as though the viewer can visually enter the painting. What artists have the option of doing through technique, is creating a 3-D illusion upon it. Even though the stretched canvas an artist paints on is technically a three dimensional object, artwork created on canvas is generally thought of as two dimensional, height X width. Dimension has to do with measurement, but also with scope. I also see two dimensional artists who very obviously think three dimensionally.įirst, it's good to understand two basic words, dimension and perspective. But while many sculptors work three dimensionally, I see some that do not necessarily think three dimensionally.

Understanding that we live in a three dimensional world and how that world works for everyone, is a powerful tool and worth understanding.Īrtists tend to label themselves in dimensional ways, especially sculptors, whose work is most often considered three dimensional. It actually doesn't matter if you are creative at all. It matters not if you paint, sculpt, write or perform. What do the words - three dimensional, mean to you? Let's explore the true depth of 3-D and I hope it not only opens up the artistic minds, but all minds to a broader way of thinking.

Examples of three dimensional artwork