What is op art?

Op art (Optical art) is a style of abstract art that relies on optical illusions. Op art works are designed first with the eye in mind, and are made to be seen from a distance. Among artists who intend to create such effects are Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely, and others.

The purpose of the optical illusion is to fool the eye into seeing something that does not exist, such as movement or color where there is none. The various techniques employed include using patterns, lines, shapes, contrasts and colors.

Tutorials for how you can edit photos using op-art effects:

How to add op-art effect to images in photoshop:

Ways to add op-art effects in pics

Add an Op Art effect to pictures easily and quickly with this video tutorial. In a very simple way, you will learn how to make pictures more dynamic. This video includes subtle suggestions on how to create an Op art effect in images that are not necessarily so direct. The effect is applied using the image processing tool of Adobe Photoshop.

Tutorials for Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator

Name:Animated titles

How to add op art effect on photos, drawings and paintings? Op art (short for optical art) is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions. Op art works are intended to create visual paradoxes, and through the viewing of them elicit an active physical response.

Op Art uses the visual illusion of movement, color, contrast, patterning and/or repetition to produce an aesthetically pleasing image that also evokes a sense of confusion or visual chaos. In this way it can be seen as similar to abstract art.

Tutorials for adding op art effects on photos:

1. Input photo or image into Photoshop or other photo manipulator application.

2. Apply some filter for invert colors, blur, sharpen and etc. That’s all! You have created op art effect!

Caveat: op art must be used in moderation. The effect is not suitable for every image. It is best used on abstract, non-representational images, such as the ones I have posted below.

Firstly, we can detect whether an image has potential for op art with the help of a filter called “Taj Mahal”. This filter uses the brightness data of an image to determine whether it could be converted into an op art piece.

The original image, filtered by Taj Mahal:

We can see that the result is quite noisy and not very good…

Now we apply a Despeckle filter to clean up the noise (despeckle first, then taj mahal)…

Finally we apply a Gaussian Blur to smooth out the edges and get rid of any unwanted halo effects…

Here are some other examples:

Op art or optical illusions are graphics that use visual distortions with the purpose of creating an impression of movement, or giving the illusion of movement. The artist produces these effects by playing with different elements in the picture plane, such as color, form, line, and texture.

The best way to understand how op art works is to check out some examples, and learn about how each artist created their masterful piece. Here’s a list of ten artists to get you started:

1. Koichi Ishii – 3D Illusion Art

2. Tobias Gremmler – Looking Glass Illusions

3. Akiyoshi Kitaoka – Optical Illusions

4. Edward H. Adelson – Checker Shadow Illusion

5. Akiyoshi Kitaoka – Rotating Snakes Illusion

6. Alex Gray – Black and White Illusions

7. Richard Anuszkiewicz – Non-Repetitive Op Art

8. Oscar Reutersvärd – Impossible Objects

9. M.C Escher – Regular Division of the Plane

10. George Woltman – Fractals in Paintings

The op art technique is used to produce a specific effect in the perception of an observer, in this case by creating optical illusions. Op art works are designed to have a disorienting effect, sometimes even causing the viewer physical discomfort. They are intended to be disturbing or unnerving to the viewer, and were originally used in avant-garde art works.

Taken as a whole, op art works tend to present simple shapes and colors in unusual contexts and arrangements that may cause the mind to misinterpret them as something else.

Op Art focuses on elements of visual perception that are known to cause optical illusions such as color contrast and geometrical visual dissonance. It has also been described as “an extreme development of Dadaist visual rhetoric.”