How to Draw an Impossible Triangle

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

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 .

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Starting with an Inverted Triangle

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    Sketch an inverted equilateral triangle . This will be the center of your triangle.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    The lines should be equally spaced. Take caution that your lines are drawn straight.
    Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    Your sketch should look like three triangles nested together.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    Extend one end of that straight line until it reaches the "middle" triangle.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    Extend one end of that straight line, in the same direction as before, until it reaches the "outside" triangle.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    Each edge of this "3-D" shape should look like a reverse "L".
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    These short segments will finish off the outside points.
  9. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
  10. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    11. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Extending a Triangle

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Draw an Impossible Triangle
    6. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Starting from an Irregular Hexagon

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/65\/20160915_183344.jpg\/460px-20160915_183344.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/65\/20160915_183344.jpg\/728px-20160915_183344.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":258,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":409,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>Image from: Uploader<br>\nLicense: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_domain\">Public Domain<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    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.
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/65\/20160915_183620.jpg\/460px-20160915_183620.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/65\/20160915_183620.jpg\/728px-20160915_183620.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":258,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":409,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>Image from: Uploader<br>\nLicense: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_domain\">Public Domain<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/25\/20160915_183740.jpg\/460px-20160915_183740.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/25\/20160915_183740.jpg\/728px-20160915_183740.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":247,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":391,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>Image from: Uploader<br>\nLicense: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_domain\">Public Domain<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d4\/20160915_185147.jpg\/460px-20160915_185147.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d4\/20160915_185147.jpg\/728px-20160915_185147.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":258,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":409,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>Image from: Uploader<br>\nLicense: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_domain\">Public Domain<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/20160915_185308.jpg\/460px-20160915_185308.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/20160915_185308.jpg\/728px-20160915_185308.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":258,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":409,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>Image from: Uploader<br>\nLicense: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_domain\">Public Domain<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
  5. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/44\/20160915_185321.jpg\/460px-20160915_185321.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/44\/20160915_185321.jpg\/728px-20160915_185321.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>Image from: Uploader<br>\nLicense: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_domain\">Public Domain<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Shade or colour if desired.
    6. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Who made the triangle?
    Community Answer
    The Penrose triangle, also known as the Penrose tribar, or the impossible triangle, was first created by the Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd in 1934.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 59 Helpful 146
  • Question
    What other things is Oscar Reutersvard famous for?
    Community Answer
    Oscar Reutersvard is famous for inventing 'impossible figures', which are 3D objects that cannot be feasibly constructed.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 44 Helpful 94
  • Question
    Is this type of optical illusion found in other shapes as well?
    Community Answer
    Yes, optical illusions like this have been done with all kinds of shapes.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 54 Helpful 104
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Show More Tips

      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.
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Make a Zentangle
      How to
      Draw a Mandala
      2 Ways to Draw the Fibonacci Spiral
      How to
      Draw Op Art
      How to
      Draw a Compass Rose
      How to
      Draw a Tesseract
      How to
      Make Geometric Art
      How to
      Create an Apollonian Gasket
      Advertisement

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      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!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 896,245 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Bob Stevens

        Oct 8, 2016

        "With this type of triangle I personally found it easier to use the extending a triangle method easier than the ..." more
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement