Light drawing is the method of capturing the movement of a light source in a 3D space, that when photographed, shows the trails of light. This process was discovered by Pablo Picasso and Gjon Mili in 1949. Mili, a photographer for LIFE Magazine, found that “by leaving the shutters open [on his camera], he caught the light streaks [being made by Picasso with a small light] swirling through space (Cosgrove).” Through this experimentation, the two produced photographs depicting Picasso’s drawings composed of light in a true 3D space. The following year, the series of works was displayed in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, with Picasso draws a centaur in the air being the most revered and remembered. With the advent of modern, more powerful technology, artists have adopted and expanded upon these techniques to incorporate them into video, performance, and other various artistic displays.

Here are some examples of Picasso’s Light Drawings:

Gjon Mili, Picasso draws a centaur in the air, Photography, 1949.

Gjon Mili, Picasso’s Light Drawings, Photography, 1949.

Gjon Mili, Picasso’s Light Drawings, Photography, 1949.

David Oliveira is an artist that uses wire in order to create expressive drawings or sketches of figures and animals. The result is a 3-Dimensional rendering of the subject that has the appearance of a fast, light sketch and the solidity of a 3D object. It reminds me of a trompe l’oeil situation where the viewer from afar would expect the piece to be a drawing but as they examined closer the shadows of the wires are seen and the dimensionality of the piece is known.

David Oliveira is a 35 year old artist in Lisbon. He graduated in Sculpture by the University of Fine Arts in Lisbon, with a major in ceramics. Moving on to gaining a Master in Drawing and Artistic Compared Anatomy. Using a combination of wire and electrical tape to create a variety of line quality. In some a wider black paper, or resin is applied to block out the delicate wires.

Artists website: http://davidoliveiraescul.wix.com/davidoliveira