Bridges 2012: Mathematics, Music, Art, Architecture, Culture

The Mathematics behind Anamorphic Art

Kimberly Rausch
Department of Mathematics
Towson University
8000 York Road, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
[email protected]

Abstract
In this paper, we will explore the connections between the mathematical and artistic formulations of anamorphosis.
The goal of this project is to provide an artist with the tools that can assist in the creation of an anamorphic image.
These tools are mathematical formulas that are used to form printable grids which can allow the artist to focus on a
more precise image formation. These formulas describe bijections between the points on the surface and the points
in the horizontal plane where the distorted image is placed. This paper provides a general set-up for using any
parametric surface as a reflecting object. We then look at a specific example using the surface of a cylinder.

Introduction

Mirror anamorphosis is a distorted projection requiring the viewer to use special devices to reconstitute an
image (see [1]). The word anamorphosis is derived from the Greek prefix ana, meaning back or again,
and the word morphe, meaning shape or form (see [1]). In mirror anamorphosis, the most common
surfaces used are a cone and a cylinder (see [1]). Mirror anamorphic images are created in a flat
horizontal plane in which a reflective surface is then placed at a specific location on the horizontal plane
so that the image in the horizontal plane can be reflected onto the surface to reveal the original image.
Several participants of the Bridges conference dedicated their research to subjects involving
anamorphosis and anamorphic art (see [2], [3]). Notably, Phillip Kent has developed a software program
AnamorphMe! to automate the creation of anamorphic images. In 2011, anamorphic art was presented by
Jan Marcus at Bridges using the distortion of fractals under cylindrical distortion (see [4]). Our goal is to
provide formulas that provide a bijection between the pixels of the distorted image and the pixels of the
original image. These formulas allow us to create grids that can be printed out and used by the artist.

Mirror Anamorphosis for General Surfaces

In this section, we describe the mirror anamorphosis for general parametric surfaces. We then use this set-
up in the particular case of the cylinder. We place the original image in the plane y=0, with z ≥ 0, translate
the image onto a parametric surface and describe the connection between the image on the surface and
with the distorted image in the plane z=0. More precisely, consider a parametric surface S given by ⃗(x,z)
= < x(x,z), y(x,z), z(x,z) >, for (x,z) in some domain D and in the plane y=0 with z ≥0. Given a viewer’s
position V = (xo, yo, zo) our goal is to describe the relation between the points on the plane z=0 and the
reflection of those points on the surface S. We say a point P = (x, y, z) ϵ S is visible from V if the line
segment VP does not contain points of S other than P. To each of the visible points we attach three
vectors. The first vector is the vector ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ , called the observation vector at P. The second vector is the
normal vector to S at P, denoted ⃗⃗⃗⃗ . The third vector is the reflection vector at P, the unique vector ⃗⃗
such that ⃗⃗ is in the plane containing the observation vector to P and the normal vector ⃗⃗ . Also, the
angle created between the observation vector and the normal vector is equal to the angle between the
normal vector and the reflection vector. We say a point P ϵ S is reflecting if the z-coordinate of the
reflection vector at P is negative. If P is reflecting, then the line ℓp through P with direction vector ⃗⃗

513
Rausch

intersects the plane z=0. The point of intersection of ℓp with z=0 is called the reflection point of P onto
the plane z=0.

Cylinder Anamorphosis Formulas

The fixed input parameters are the viewer’s position V = (xo, yo, zo) and the radius of the cylinder R. The
cylinder is parameterized by r(x,z) = < x,√ , z >, the normal vector is < √ , 1, 0 > and the
reflecting vector is ⃗⃗ = < , ( )
, >, where
√ . We assume that the x-coordinate of the viewer’s position is restricted to -R   R. Applying
the process described in the general set-up to the case of the cylindrical surface, we obtain the following
formulas for the x and y coordinates of the reflection of the point as viewed from
onto the plane :
√

( √ ) √ √

Figure 1 contains the image of a rectangular grid transformed using cylinder anamorphosis described in
this section.

Figure 1: Transformation of a rectangular grid using the formulas found (left) with the cylinder
reconstituting the image (right).

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Alexei Kolesnikov for his help in assisting me with this project.

References

[1] David Stork, "Anamorphic Art & Photography Deliberate Distortions That Can Be Easily Undone,"
Optics & Photonics News 3(11), 8-12 (1992)
[2] Swart, David, “Using Turtles and Skeletons to Display the Viewable Sphere,” Proceedings of Bridges
Conference (2009)
[3] Frantz, Michael, “A Perspective on Infinity: Anamorphism and Stereographic Projection,”
Proceedings of Bridges Conference (2005)
[4] Marcus, Jan, “Sierpinski,”http://gallery.bridgesmathart.org/exhibitions/2011-bridges-
conference/janmarcus, last accessed May 5th, 2011

514