When images come alive

Master and his followers

Revered as the inventor of 3D pavement art, Kurt Wenner's clever creations are a treat for the eyes. The US artist uses classicism and geometry in street paintings, which have been exhibited in over 30 countries.

Chinese 3D artists have been attracting global attention by winning consecutive listings in the Guinness Book of World Records. Beijing artist Qi Xinghua is often hailed as the man who introduced 3D street painting in China with his 2005 work called Whirlpool.

Qi held the record for the world's longest anamorphic painting. His work, Macao's One Impression, measures 128.7 meters and won the title in 2011.

But the genre was still new in the country. So, when Cao searched for online tutorials, he didn't find any comprehensive program. "The information was scattered. I had to piece things together and experiment one step at a time," he says.

Not to be deterred by challenges, Cao began practicing five to six hours a day, figuring out the differences between 3D and conventional art.