2D vs 3D

Even though 2D designs are things on a flat medium, there are many ways to achieve a more dynamic composition and dimension without ever having to stray off your canvas.


http://www.headstandmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/citibank-center.jpg

Here in this illustration of a building, the artist manipulates scale and perspective in order to achieve a realistic look. The things that are supposedly closer to the viewer is larger in scale and more detailed than the things in the back. This is one way to achieve a 3Dimensional feel on a 2Dimensional medium. There is also an emphasis of a focal point. The road tends to lead the eye towards the building, which is the main subject of this illustration.

http://www.asu.edu/cfa/wwwcourses/art/SOACore/scale_interact/floorplan.gif

In the floor plan above, there is no juxtaposition of scaling to make the illustration seem more realistic. The objects are scaled to a proportion of the real size and everything lays flat on the page.


http://techhouse.brown.edu/~mjm/sandiego/l3.JPG
This is a scaled model of the Sydney Opera House. The model is scaled according to the proportions of the real Opera House. Through the manipulation of size and scale, the artist is able to fit all the details of the original opera house into a smaller model. This creates a sense of realism for the viewer, and may even create an illusion of looking at the real Opera House from a distance.

Some 2 Dimensional and 3 Dimensional art (like the examples above) utilizes scale and proportion to create a sense of realism and depth. Though the medium is different, the techniques used creates an illusion for the viewer, allowing their minds to imagine depth to the structure.