How To Create Optical Illusions With Graphite

Learn how to use graphite on your greeting cards to create optical illusions of depth and dimension. Step-by-step instructions are here.

We’ll begin making the card by doing some partial rainbow blending with a stencil. We’ll do this by taping the A2 card panel to Altenew’s Woven stencil from the backside. Then, we’ll begin to add yellow onto the card panel on a diagonal. And we’ll do this with a swirling motion and a light hand.

Next, we’ll fade the yellow to near white into the corner. Then we’ll add the next color, orange. And we’ll overlap it slightly over the yellow. Then we’ll go back over the orange with yellow to get a good blend.

We’ll repeat the whole process again by adding pink next to the orange.

Optical Illusions With Graphite

We want to make sure that the ink is dry before we begin the next step.

Now the magic begins. Using a 2B graphite pencil we’ll begin to add shading at the intersections where the design crisscrosses.

We do this by starting where one of the ribbons passes over another one going perpendicularly. And we’ll draw a line along the edges of the upper ribbon right at the point that the bottom ribbon goes under it.

Next, we’ll add shading to the lower ribbon making it the darker closest to the lines we just drew and fading as the ribbon transitions up to go over the next ribbon. As a result, the lines and the shading create the optical illusions that the “ribbon” does weave under the other ribbons.

We’ll repeat this process for several of the intersections to create a focal point.

Assembling the Optical Illusions Card and Adding the Sentiments

Once we’re done with the shading we’ll attach the card panel to the card base using a glue runner.

Then we’ll use Altenew’s Happy die to cut out the sentiment three times. And we’ll glue them together using liquid glue. We do this because we want to add dimension to the sentiment. Now, we’ll decide where to put it over the focal point and attach it to the card panel using the liquid glue again.

We’ll brush anti-static powder over a scrap of white cardstock. And then we’ll stamp the birthday stamp from Altenew’s Halftone Happy stamp set onto it using watermark ink. Then we’ll sprinkle black embossing powder over it. And give it a tap to remove any stray powder.

Now, using a heat gun we’ll we’ll heat the embossing powder until it’s all melted and smooth. And, we’ll pop it up on the card base using foam tape. Hint: we’ll avoid using foam tape where the “birthday” overlaps the “p” in the happy to ensure that it lays flat.

Supplies

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• Cardstock: Card Base – Neenah Classic Crest 110lb Solar White; Card panel – Neenah Classic Crest 80lb Solar White; Card layer and sentiment- Gina K Designs Black Onyx
• Stencil: Altenew Woven
• Stamp: Altenew Halftone Happy
• Stencil: Altenew Woven
• Die: Altenew Happy
• Ink: Altenew Crisp Ink: Maple Yellow; Puffy Heart; Watermark – Versamark;
• Embossing Powder: Brutus Monroe Raven
• Graphite: Faber Castell 2B
• Adhesive: Liquid glue – Bearly Art; Gina K Designs Dot Adhesive Runner

More Card Inspiration with Optical Illusions

There are a couple of cards in How to Make 4 Fantastic Masculine Cards that also create optical illusions that you might like to try.