6 ms·

Renderings Created with Only a Pencil

234 points by surprisetalk 2y ago

kopirgan 2y ago
OMG! The most incredible thing I have seen in a long time. The casio watch I thought was an ad in the webpage!
lupire 2y ago
Strange title. It's equivalent to "pencil drawings" but trying to take the long way around to evoking a CAD model render, but not using the relevant parts of that term. "Photorealistic pencil drawings" is more clear description of the art.
- metadat 2y ago
  The term "render" is common vernacular in the art domain, and is in no way exclusive to "computational number crunching to produce an image". Also, as per HN guidelines, OP simply submitted the title directly copy-pasted from the article, so complaining about it seems a bit misguided.
- xcv123 2y ago
  The computing definition of the term came centuries after it was commonly used to describe what you are seeing in the article. "An artistic depiction of something."
- lmpdev 2y ago
  The term rendering in design/art predates computers by many decades, peaked around the turn of the 19th/20th century Still used frequently today and I think the original title is more apt
metadat 2y ago
I wish there were high-resolution scans making it possible to see up close what techniques were used to create these drawings. This is nuts!
- genter 2y ago
  You can buy posters for $32, presumably they are higher resolution.
- dools 2y ago
  Bolts too don’t forget
- mbivert 2y ago
  Google around for "hyperrealism", the techniques are well-documented. You can see in a few pictures the existence of a grid. It was originally used to transfer/scale drawings, but is also used as a substitute for untrained eyes who would struggle to get fair proportion otherwise. Then the rendering itself relies on pencils that are sharpened quite thinly: the thin lead will be less sensible to the paper grain, and provide a smoother result. If you want more texture, used a duller lead. An even softer texture, use a brush or a stomp. Generally, you'll want to draw quite big, so as to have enough room to articulate the details. Finally, the key difficulty, "trick" even, for hyperrealism, and for fine-arts in general, is patience: good results are often produced with plenty of time.
  - ljlolel 2y ago
    You can also see an iPhone held up on some which wouldn’t show up if it were all drawn by eye. So a photo was taken, printed, and then this was traced— which is still impressive it’s just a technique. The great renaissance artists used camera obscura.
shermantanktop 2y ago
The world of art was completely transformed by the introduction of photography in the 19th century, because the capturing of lifelike scenes was no longer part of the goal, and we entered an era dominated by the artist’s imagination. Now here we are on the internet and by far the most popular art is glammed-up photorealistic renderings of everyday scenes. The less detectable the artist, the better.
- mbivert 2y ago
  > The world of art was completely transformed by the introduction of photography in the 19th century, because the capturing of lifelike scenes was no longer part of the goal, and we entered an era dominated by the artist’s imagination. That's a common viewpoint, but it's not quite true, for multiple reasons. A camera is a rather limited tool: it will transform colors, sometimes unpleasantly (value compression, color shifts), and can never quite capture reality as an artist would. Then, while many paintings look lifelike, they still are absolutely out of reach of a camera. Landscapes in particular (e.g. [0]) are heavily staged: the light is invented, trees and mountains are moved around to fit various æsthetical choices, etc. Or, consider how Bouguereau's, while life-like from a distance, are much less so from up-close (see [1]): the artist is among others playing with transparency and opacity of the paint to increase the feeling on depth and realism. Art changed drastically during the 19th century, and photography played a role for sure, but IMO the decline of religion is probably a greater contributor. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Bierstadt_-_Among_the_Sierra_Nevada,_California_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Bierstadt_-_Among_... [1]: https://www.muddycolors.com/2023/02/bouguereaus-the-oreads-and-photographing-artwork-in-museums/ https://www.muddycolors.com/2023/02/bouguereaus-the-oreads-a...
  - dotancohen 2y ago
    > Art changed drastically during the 19th century, and photography played a role for sure, but IMO the decline of religion is probably a greater contributor. And we have new tools affecting art today, artificial intelligence chief among them. Interestingly, that coincides with a rise in religion in many Western nations fueled by the influx of Islam to Europe. I wonder how people will view the effects on art and sciences in 200 years. Today, many people view both AI's effect on art and the rise of Islam in Europe very negatively.
theodric 2y ago
This is so accurate that it really can only be compared to photography. I'd ask 'why,' but I know the answer already. Much respect to the artist.
AlexDragusin 2y ago
> The online attention hasn't always been helpful; Omori recounts someone commenting "You should have just taken a photo." And as his symptoms worsened, he stopped drawing altogether and resolved to burn his drawings. Amazes me how some people can be so daft to say such things to someone, maybe a way to feel superior or some messed up psychological aspect.
- dutzi 2y ago
  I think most people (safely) assume that saying such a thing won’t cause this response and some might say it because they find it a funny thing to say. I can imagine some people in my close circle of friends/family that might say it, but if they’ll find that it caused such a disastrous situation they will feel very bad…
- dotancohen 2y ago
  I agree with you. Such a stupid and shallow comment speaks only of the person who said it, and nothing of the intended subject. As a father who tries to raise three healthy children, though, I also marvel that such a shallow comment could have such an adverse affect on someone. I do realize that the man is a savant, thus already four or five standard deviations away, but perhaps our society should reconsider the early childhood learning strategies that produce such insensitivities. Maybe we should return to letting children insult one another and not intervene - thus enabling the children to learn to deal with such comments. It won't completely solve the problem for people like the man here, but it would certainly help.
  - peebeebee 2y ago
    I don’t even think that saying stupid and shallow comments speaks to the person who said it. Don’t we all say stupid and shallow things every day? It takes serious effort to filter thoughts in such a calculated way so it’s always the “perfect” thing to say. It might be even neurotic to constantly try this. We are all failed, but I’d like to think just most of us did not really had bad intentions. Maybe just a bad moment. Or some bad insight. :)
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
farkanoid 2y ago
Quoting Michael Nyqvist playing Viggo in John Wick: "I once saw him kill three men in a bar... with a pencil, with a fucking pencil." I can't believe these renderings were created /with a fucking pencil/
whatever1 2y ago
Something like this or maybe the Olympics keep reminding me how much better the real pros are compared to the average Joe.
- Cthulhu_ 2y ago
  And yet, the olympics can be quite accessible depending on the sport and individual dedication, like the Australian breakdancer or the famous Jamaican bobsleigh team.
habosa 2y ago
These are amazing. Some people just perceive light and the world around us differently and more perfectly than the rest of us. Reminds me of one of my favorite artists I’ve ever seen at a museum, Vija Celmins. Her ocean drawings are remarkable: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/vija-celmins-2731/explore-art-vija-celmins https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/vija-celmins-2731/explor...
14 2y ago
when I see things like this and people that are not just on another level but are at superhuman ability it really makes me wonder. I am pretty scientific minded and like to think of rational explanations but when I see things like this I wonder if this person is somehow distinctly different from myself. Do we have aliens among us? Is this Neo in the Matrix? I am not normally like that but how is it that some people have such a super ability like this, it is hard to comprehend.
achow 2y ago
Those who are curious about the tools part.. He uses Mitsubishi Uni pencils. His recommendation of sharpening the pencils "[Make the exposed pencil lead long] By making it sharp and long, the sharp will continue and it is easy to re-sharpen" His YouTube video [1] shows his collection of pencils (the various grades) and the meticulous attention to pencil sharpening - which seems to be in two stages, the first is using a normal mechanical pencil sharpener and then the second stage is handcrafting the length of the lead. [1] https://youtu.be/gSXBsItNMcM https://youtu.be/gSXBsItNMcM
- kqr 2y ago
  I have always argued that knife is the best way to sharpen pencils. Glad to have at least a little support in that!
- smokel 2y ago
  To make the point evenly round and extremely sharp, one can use fine sandpaper as a last step. For this kind of work with graphite the sharp point holds for quite a while. Color pencil artists tend to sharpen a lot more, and use automatic pencil sharpeners. And a lot of pencils. I prefer to sharpen a few pencils in batches. Especially when using charcoal pencils, things become messy real fast.
card_zero 2y ago
There's microscopic details, and very shallow depth of field, so the nut and bolt was drawn through a lens, if not from a macro photograph. Why isn't the artist visible in the reflections in #6? When Escher drew "hand with reflecting sphere" he drew every detail, including himself. What is reflected? Is that a Japanese toilet, or ... a go-kart with a bucket seat? What does the Casio use bluetooth for? (I searched and found out, it just lets you change the time via an app. Turns out you can buy absurdly expensive premium Casios, although they look much the same as cheap ones.)
- smokel 2y ago
  These kinds of drawings are indeed copied from photographs. There is no secret in that. Sometimes an artist uses multiple photos, and adds some personal imagination for details, but sometimes no creativity is added at all. The skill is mostly in the technique and perseverance. Note to avoid downvotes: nothing wrong with this, I also do hyperrealistic drawings.
  - cl3misch 2y ago
    The Instagram video linked in the article looks like he is drawing from the watch sitting on the table. No photograph is visible. That might be intentional though...
    - smokel 2y ago
      That's just for show. A grid is visible in the background of the drawing. Such a grid is used to set up the initial outlines, by copying it from the reference photo with a grid drawn on top of it (typically done in Photoshop). Other artists use a projector to trace. As another commenter mentioned, the depth of field removes any doubt that a photo is used as a reference. Picking up and placing back the watch to see details would constantly change the lighting, especially in the details. It is impossible to get such a level of detail by "drawing from nature", even in studio conditions. It's not a coincidence that paintings only became more realistic after the invention of photography.
- 2y ago
qingcharles 2y ago
I know a guy, in jail, with a weird brain injury[1] who they call the human photocopier. He has this ability. The problem is people are always asking him to "draw Mickey and Minnie and a big love heart with my wife's name in it" and it is close to impossible for him. He almost completely lacks the ability to draw anything novel. If you give him pics of Mickey and Minnie he can combine them and copy them perfectly. [1] he has an enormous scar from ear-to-ear from where apparently they had to do work on his skull as a small child because his brain outgrew it. He's not clear on the details as he was adopted at birth, his mother was an addict. https://imgur.com/a/pE6Y032 https://imgur.com/a/pE6Y032
nyc111 2y ago
In this video https://youtu.be/lVKT09eLTn8?si=ODZRS3cMvvDqlTOz https://youtu.be/lVKT09eLTn8?si=ODZRS3cMvvDqlTOz it looks like he traces only the rough outline and fills in the details free hand. If so it is amazing. It's amazing too if he traces the whole thing from a photo. Chuck Close transfers the photo into canvas in small squares and paints the squares, so his style is more mechanical.
simonmysun 2y ago
This reminds me of works of Maurits Cornelis Escher. I believe his extraordinary observation skills are only part of what makes his work so remarkable. His deep understanding of mathematics and geometry is equally crucial to his creations. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_with_Reflecting_Sphere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_with_Reflecting_Sphere [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Spheres_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Spheres_II [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still_Life_with_Spherical_Mirror https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still_Life_with_Spherical_Mirr...
kkarpkkarp 2y ago
There is a girl on Twitter who does perfect photo-like drawings of Formula 1 drivers, I think she deserves more publicity https://twitter.com/zielinskaaart https://twitter.com/zielinskaaart
- Cthulhu_ 2y ago
  FYI, "girl" is used to refer to children or adolescents; using it to refer to an adult can be considered demeaning and/or infantilizing.
camgunz 2y ago
I'm totally stunned by this, I think I'm in complete disbelief. It's truly incredible what humans can do; wow.
lockedinspace 2y ago
Cool, interesting, art is something else! No words needed :)
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
Etherlord87 2y ago
> This one in particular blew me away, where he nails the fonts traveling over a curved surface Did he? https://i.imgur.com/COKNqo7.png https://i.imgur.com/COKNqo7.png His work is very impressive in some cases and extremely impressive elsewhere. But I think the curving on the can might be one of the weakest aspects of his art. In particular he seems to make a classic example of drawing a sphere/cylinder like this: → ⦇ Where the arrow symbolizes the camera and the tangent of the silhouette never comes close to parallel to the viewing angle - the horizon is sharp. I could be wrong of course but I've seen (beginner!) tutorials teaching how to avoid exactly that. I remember when I was young, and when looking at art I had this depressive feeling I could never make something so beautiful. I have just now repeated this experience.

234 points by surprisetalk 2y ago

OMG! The most incredible thing I have seen in a long time. The casio watch I thought was an ad in the webpage!

Strange title. It's equivalent to "pencil drawings" but trying to take the long way around to evoking a CAD model render, but not using the relevant parts of that term. "Photorealistic pencil drawings" is more clear description of the art.

metadat 2y ago
The term "render" is common vernacular in the art domain, and is in no way exclusive to "computational number crunching to produce an image". Also, as per HN guidelines, OP simply submitted the title directly copy-pasted from the article, so complaining about it seems a bit misguided.
xcv123 2y ago
The computing definition of the term came centuries after it was commonly used to describe what you are seeing in the article. "An artistic depiction of something."
lmpdev 2y ago
The term rendering in design/art predates computers by many decades, peaked around the turn of the 19th/20th century Still used frequently today and I think the original title is more apt

metadat 2y ago

I wish there were high-resolution scans making it possible to see up close what techniques were used to create these drawings. This is nuts!

genter 2y ago
You can buy posters for $32, presumably they are higher resolution.
dools 2y ago
Bolts too don’t forget
mbivert 2y ago
Google around for "hyperrealism", the techniques are well-documented. You can see in a few pictures the existence of a grid. It was originally used to transfer/scale drawings, but is also used as a substitute for untrained eyes who would struggle to get fair proportion otherwise. Then the rendering itself relies on pencils that are sharpened quite thinly: the thin lead will be less sensible to the paper grain, and provide a smoother result. If you want more texture, used a duller lead. An even softer texture, use a brush or a stomp. Generally, you'll want to draw quite big, so as to have enough room to articulate the details. Finally, the key difficulty, "trick" even, for hyperrealism, and for fine-arts in general, is patience: good results are often produced with plenty of time.
- ljlolel 2y ago
  You can also see an iPhone held up on some which wouldn’t show up if it were all drawn by eye. So a photo was taken, printed, and then this was traced— which is still impressive it’s just a technique. The great renaissance artists used camera obscura.

shermantanktop 2y ago

The world of art was completely transformed by the introduction of photography in the 19th century, because the capturing of lifelike scenes was no longer part of the goal, and we entered an era dominated by the artist’s imagination. Now here we are on the internet and by far the most popular art is glammed-up photorealistic renderings of everyday scenes. The less detectable the artist, the better.

mbivert 2y ago
> The world of art was completely transformed by the introduction of photography in the 19th century, because the capturing of lifelike scenes was no longer part of the goal, and we entered an era dominated by the artist’s imagination. That's a common viewpoint, but it's not quite true, for multiple reasons. A camera is a rather limited tool: it will transform colors, sometimes unpleasantly (value compression, color shifts), and can never quite capture reality as an artist would. Then, while many paintings look lifelike, they still are absolutely out of reach of a camera. Landscapes in particular (e.g. [0]) are heavily staged: the light is invented, trees and mountains are moved around to fit various æsthetical choices, etc. Or, consider how Bouguereau's, while life-like from a distance, are much less so from up-close (see [1]): the artist is among others playing with transparency and opacity of the paint to increase the feeling on depth and realism. Art changed drastically during the 19th century, and photography played a role for sure, but IMO the decline of religion is probably a greater contributor. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Bierstadt_-_Among_the_Sierra_Nevada,_California_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Bierstadt_-_Among_... [1]: https://www.muddycolors.com/2023/02/bouguereaus-the-oreads-and-photographing-artwork-in-museums/ https://www.muddycolors.com/2023/02/bouguereaus-the-oreads-a...
- dotancohen 2y ago
  > Art changed drastically during the 19th century, and photography played a role for sure, but IMO the decline of religion is probably a greater contributor. And we have new tools affecting art today, artificial intelligence chief among them. Interestingly, that coincides with a rise in religion in many Western nations fueled by the influx of Islam to Europe. I wonder how people will view the effects on art and sciences in 200 years. Today, many people view both AI's effect on art and the rise of Islam in Europe very negatively.

theodric 2y ago

This is so accurate that it really can only be compared to photography. I'd ask 'why,' but I know the answer already. Much respect to the artist.

AlexDragusin 2y ago

> The online attention hasn't always been helpful; Omori recounts someone commenting "You should have just taken a photo." And as his symptoms worsened, he stopped drawing altogether and resolved to burn his drawings. Amazes me how some people can be so daft to say such things to someone, maybe a way to feel superior or some messed up psychological aspect.

dutzi 2y ago
I think most people (safely) assume that saying such a thing won’t cause this response and some might say it because they find it a funny thing to say. I can imagine some people in my close circle of friends/family that might say it, but if they’ll find that it caused such a disastrous situation they will feel very bad…
dotancohen 2y ago
I agree with you. Such a stupid and shallow comment speaks only of the person who said it, and nothing of the intended subject. As a father who tries to raise three healthy children, though, I also marvel that such a shallow comment could have such an adverse affect on someone. I do realize that the man is a savant, thus already four or five standard deviations away, but perhaps our society should reconsider the early childhood learning strategies that produce such insensitivities. Maybe we should return to letting children insult one another and not intervene - thus enabling the children to learn to deal with such comments. It won't completely solve the problem for people like the man here, but it would certainly help.
- peebeebee 2y ago
  I don’t even think that saying stupid and shallow comments speaks to the person who said it. Don’t we all say stupid and shallow things every day? It takes serious effort to filter thoughts in such a calculated way so it’s always the “perfect” thing to say. It might be even neurotic to constantly try this. We are all failed, but I’d like to think just most of us did not really had bad intentions. Maybe just a bad moment. Or some bad insight. :)

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

farkanoid 2y ago

Quoting Michael Nyqvist playing Viggo in John Wick: "I once saw him kill three men in a bar... with a pencil, with a fucking pencil." I can't believe these renderings were created /with a fucking pencil/

whatever1 2y ago

Something like this or maybe the Olympics keep reminding me how much better the real pros are compared to the average Joe.

Cthulhu_ 2y ago
And yet, the olympics can be quite accessible depending on the sport and individual dedication, like the Australian breakdancer or the famous Jamaican bobsleigh team.

habosa 2y ago

These are amazing. Some people just perceive light and the world around us differently and more perfectly than the rest of us. Reminds me of one of my favorite artists I’ve ever seen at a museum, Vija Celmins. Her ocean drawings are remarkable: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/vija-celmins-2731/explore-art-vija-celmins https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/vija-celmins-2731/explor...

14 2y ago

when I see things like this and people that are not just on another level but are at superhuman ability it really makes me wonder. I am pretty scientific minded and like to think of rational explanations but when I see things like this I wonder if this person is somehow distinctly different from myself. Do we have aliens among us? Is this Neo in the Matrix? I am not normally like that but how is it that some people have such a super ability like this, it is hard to comprehend.

achow 2y ago

Those who are curious about the tools part.. He uses Mitsubishi Uni pencils. His recommendation of sharpening the pencils "[Make the exposed pencil lead long] By making it sharp and long, the sharp will continue and it is easy to re-sharpen" His YouTube video [1] shows his collection of pencils (the various grades) and the meticulous attention to pencil sharpening - which seems to be in two stages, the first is using a normal mechanical pencil sharpener and then the second stage is handcrafting the length of the lead. [1] https://youtu.be/gSXBsItNMcM https://youtu.be/gSXBsItNMcM

kqr 2y ago
I have always argued that knife is the best way to sharpen pencils. Glad to have at least a little support in that!
smokel 2y ago
To make the point evenly round and extremely sharp, one can use fine sandpaper as a last step. For this kind of work with graphite the sharp point holds for quite a while. Color pencil artists tend to sharpen a lot more, and use automatic pencil sharpeners. And a lot of pencils. I prefer to sharpen a few pencils in batches. Especially when using charcoal pencils, things become messy real fast.

card_zero 2y ago

There's microscopic details, and very shallow depth of field, so the nut and bolt was drawn through a lens, if not from a macro photograph. Why isn't the artist visible in the reflections in #6? When Escher drew "hand with reflecting sphere" he drew every detail, including himself. What is reflected? Is that a Japanese toilet, or ... a go-kart with a bucket seat? What does the Casio use bluetooth for? (I searched and found out, it just lets you change the time via an app. Turns out you can buy absurdly expensive premium Casios, although they look much the same as cheap ones.)

smokel 2y ago
These kinds of drawings are indeed copied from photographs. There is no secret in that. Sometimes an artist uses multiple photos, and adds some personal imagination for details, but sometimes no creativity is added at all. The skill is mostly in the technique and perseverance. Note to avoid downvotes: nothing wrong with this, I also do hyperrealistic drawings.
- cl3misch 2y ago
  The Instagram video linked in the article looks like he is drawing from the watch sitting on the table. No photograph is visible. That might be intentional though...
  - smokel 2y ago
    That's just for show. A grid is visible in the background of the drawing. Such a grid is used to set up the initial outlines, by copying it from the reference photo with a grid drawn on top of it (typically done in Photoshop). Other artists use a projector to trace. As another commenter mentioned, the depth of field removes any doubt that a photo is used as a reference. Picking up and placing back the watch to see details would constantly change the lighting, especially in the details. It is impossible to get such a level of detail by "drawing from nature", even in studio conditions. It's not a coincidence that paintings only became more realistic after the invention of photography.
2y ago

qingcharles 2y ago

I know a guy, in jail, with a weird brain injury[1] who they call the human photocopier. He has this ability. The problem is people are always asking him to "draw Mickey and Minnie and a big love heart with my wife's name in it" and it is close to impossible for him. He almost completely lacks the ability to draw anything novel. If you give him pics of Mickey and Minnie he can combine them and copy them perfectly. [1] he has an enormous scar from ear-to-ear from where apparently they had to do work on his skull as a small child because his brain outgrew it. He's not clear on the details as he was adopted at birth, his mother was an addict. https://imgur.com/a/pE6Y032 https://imgur.com/a/pE6Y032

nyc111 2y ago

In this video https://youtu.be/lVKT09eLTn8?si=ODZRS3cMvvDqlTOz https://youtu.be/lVKT09eLTn8?si=ODZRS3cMvvDqlTOz it looks like he traces only the rough outline and fills in the details free hand. If so it is amazing. It's amazing too if he traces the whole thing from a photo. Chuck Close transfers the photo into canvas in small squares and paints the squares, so his style is more mechanical.

simonmysun 2y ago

This reminds me of works of Maurits Cornelis Escher. I believe his extraordinary observation skills are only part of what makes his work so remarkable. His deep understanding of mathematics and geometry is equally crucial to his creations. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_with_Reflecting_Sphere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_with_Reflecting_Sphere [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Spheres_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Spheres_II [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still_Life_with_Spherical_Mirror https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still_Life_with_Spherical_Mirr...

kkarpkkarp 2y ago

There is a girl on Twitter who does perfect photo-like drawings of Formula 1 drivers, I think she deserves more publicity https://twitter.com/zielinskaaart https://twitter.com/zielinskaaart

Cthulhu_ 2y ago
FYI, "girl" is used to refer to children or adolescents; using it to refer to an adult can be considered demeaning and/or infantilizing.

camgunz 2y ago

I'm totally stunned by this, I think I'm in complete disbelief. It's truly incredible what humans can do; wow.

lockedinspace 2y ago

Cool, interesting, art is something else! No words needed :)

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

Etherlord87 2y ago

> This one in particular blew me away, where he nails the fonts traveling over a curved surface Did he? https://i.imgur.com/COKNqo7.png https://i.imgur.com/COKNqo7.png His work is very impressive in some cases and extremely impressive elsewhere. But I think the curving on the can might be one of the weakest aspects of his art. In particular he seems to make a classic example of drawing a sphere/cylinder like this: → ⦇ Where the arrow symbolizes the camera and the tangent of the silhouette never comes close to parallel to the viewing angle - the horizon is sharp. I could be wrong of course but I've seen (beginner!) tutorials teaching how to avoid exactly that. I remember when I was young, and when looking at art I had this depressive feeling I could never make something so beautiful. I have just now repeated this experience.