The left third of the image is being filled in with black marker. The rectangle background and ball are alternating black and white in a checkerboard pattern.
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Saturday Studio: Op Art Circle

Kelsey Herber, School Programs Associate

This week in the FWMoA studio, we are marveling at the optical illusions on display in Good Vibrations: The Prints of Victor Vasarely, on view for only one more weeks until February 1, 2026. Vasarely, a printmaker, made waves for Op art within the greater Early Modern abstract art world with his “plastic unity,” a system wherein varying colors and geometric forms could interact with the movement of the viewer to create a wide range of visible compositions within one artwork. This system of creation resulted in 2D artworks that appeared 3D and, in some cases, even appeared as different images depending on how one viewed the piece. When we think of optical illusions, it is the work of Vasarely or one of his contemporaries such as Josef Albers or Julian Stanczak that comes to mind.

A black, grey, silver, and gold optical illusion. Squares and diamonds are arranged neatly, creating a checkerboard or tiled pattern. Each shape is assigned a different color to create the illusion that the squared edges of the image are standing upward or pressing inward like stair steps.
Victor Vasarely, Hungarian-French, 1906-1997. Brown and Gold, screenprint on paper. Gift of Charles Weinraub. Image courtesy of FWMoA.
A monochromatic image composed of different kinds of greys and rectangles. Two dark rectangles are equally spaced from the center, looking like eyes on a rectangular head.
Josef Albers, German-American, 1888-1976. Variant III, from the Ten Variants portfolio, screenprint on paper, 1966. Purchase with funds provided by the Weatherhead Foundation. Image courtesy of FWMoA.
A black and white illusion made of black and off-white colors. Dozens of fine, vertical lines run across the painting. Horizontal lines and curves stretch across the painting. The black lines alternate from left to right, as well as with each intersecting horizontal line. This creates a complex, organic checkerboard pattern.
Julian Stanczak, American, b. Poland, 1928-2017. Untitled, lithograph on paper, 1964. Purchase, 1965.92.42. Image courtesy of FWMoA.

Optical illusions come in all shapes and colors by design, and are meant to alter our perception of reality through the view of a single artwork. There are literally countless ways to achieve this, but in today’s Saturday Studio we’re going to recreate a tried and true Op art circle-and-checkerboard design. This illusion is a great way to start if you’re interested in practicing more, harder Op art. Happy making!

Materials needed:

  • Blank paper
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Coloring utensil
  • Large circular item for tracing
A white piece of paper, a clear lid, a ruler, a pencil, and a black marker.

To begin, use your ruler to draw a square or rectangle in the center of your paper. This can be any size, but I made mine 6.5” x 7” so there would be a blank border all around. Then, use your large circular item (I’m using a lid) to trace a circle in the center of the rectangle.

A rectangle in the center of the white piece of paper, with a white hand tracing the edge of the lid inside.

Then, use your ruler to draw even, vertical lines inside the rectangle, excluding the circle. Once all your straight lines are drawn, meet them together by drawing curved lines inside the circle. These curved lines should follow the outline of the circle; the lines on the left side of the circle should curve outward toward the left, and the lines on the right side of the circle should curve outward toward the right. Once you’re finished with the vertical lines, repeat this step with the horizontal lines to create a grid.

The rectangle and circle have vertical lines and curved lines reflecting their respective outlines. The circle in the center of the page is now showing dimension, like a 3D ball.
The lines crossing the image are now travelling vertical as well as horizontal. The 3D ball in the center is similar to a disco ball and the background of the rectangle looks like a checkerboard.

Finally, use your coloring utensil (I’m using a black marker but you can use any material and color you like), and fill in the alternating squares to create a checkerboard pattern. It can get a little confusing around the sides of the circle, but trust the process!

The left third of the image is being filled in with black marker. The rectangle background and ball are alternating black and white in a checkerboard pattern.

You will end up with your own work of Op art that appears to bulge out of the page and makes your eyes dance. Use this technique with multiple colors or more complex geometric shapes for an added challenge!

The final result is what looks like a checkerboard pattern bulging forward in the middle with an orb shape.

For more inspiration, see Good Vibrations: The Prints of Victor Vasarely, on view at FWMoA now until February 1, 2026.

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