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The "rule of three", where arrangements of triplets have a pleasing effect on the eye, makes this triangle
an intriguing shape to ponder and to create. It appears frequently in the art of MC Escher. It is also known as a Penrose triangle
or Penrose tribar
.
Steps
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Lightly sketch two parallel lines outside one side of the triangle. The lines should be equally spaced. Take caution that your lines are drawn straight.Advertisement
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Repeat this for each of the other two sides. Your sketch should look like three triangles nested together.
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Choose one side of the "center" triangle. Extend one end of that straight line until it reaches the "middle" triangle.
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Find the same side of the "middle" triangle. Extend one end of that straight line, in the same direction as before, until it reaches the "outside" triangle.
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Repeat steps for the other two sides of the triangle.
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Erase short segments so that the triangle begins to look three-dimensional rather than flat. Each edge of this "3-D" shape should look like a reverse "L".
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Add short segments at an angle in the corners. These short segments will finish off the outside points.
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Cleanup your drawing by erasing the points outside of the short segments drawn in the previous step.
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Add shading if desired.
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Draw a hexagon. Three sides should be long and three short, alternating short and long sides. This can easily be done by constructing an equilateral triangle and "chopping" off the corners. -
Put a smaller, equilateral triangle in the middle of the hexagon. -
Draw a line from a corner of the triangle to a corner of the hexagon, as seen in the above picture. -
Repeat this process for the other two sides. -
Finished. Shade or colour if desired.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWho made the triangle?Community AnswerThe Penrose triangle, also known as the Penrose tribar, or the impossible triangle, was first created by the Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd in 1934.
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QuestionWhat other things is Oscar Reutersvard famous for?Community AnswerOscar Reutersvard is famous for inventing 'impossible figures', which are 3D objects that cannot be feasibly constructed.
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QuestionIs this type of optical illusion found in other shapes as well?Community AnswerYes, optical illusions like this have been done with all kinds of shapes.
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Tips
- After you learn this basic optical illusion, you can experiment with more complex arrangements.Thanks
- Try to outline it with a sharpie to make it look sharp.Thanks
- Practice shading techniques. Shading is a technique to provide depth in two-dimensional images.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Be sure to draw in light lines before you trace it in Sharpie. Trust me, it helps when you need to erase something.
- If you keep messing up, that's okay! Just erase everything completely and start again.
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About This Article
Article Summary
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Draw an impossible triangle by drawing an equilateral triangle and chopping off its corners. This will leave you with a hexagon with three long, and three short sides. Draw a smaller equilateral triangle in the middle of that hexagon. Then draw a line from one corner of the hexagon until it just passes the small triangle. Extend one side of that triangle to meet the other line and repeat for the other two sides. When you are done, it should look like there are three L’s fitted together to form a 3D triangle with a triangular hole in the middle. If you want to learn how to start your drawing with an inverted triangle, keep reading the article!
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 901,226 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "With this type of triangle I personally found it easier to use the extending a triangle method easier than the first one. :)" ..." more
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"With this type of triangle I personally found it easier to use the extending a triangle method easier than the first one. :)"
..."
more
"This is a really easy way of making optical illusions. Usually it's hard, but this was an easy step-by step."
"It was a great help to improve. I think you should go one step further into TV advertisement."
"It is a very cool thing to draw. Once you get the hang of it, it is not so hard anymore."
"At first glance it looks hard to draw but the tutorial made it much easier. Thanks."
