Few Ships and Our New Fan-Group

Triggered by some of your comments (from this particular post), where you slowly started to complain about our optical illusion quality as of late, I decided to run a social experiment. I’ve set up a Facebook fan-group, where everyone is invited to join, and hopefully share optical illusions we haven’t already posted to this site. Members have already started sending their stuff, and the group is growing rapidly. If we manage to exponentially add our friends there, we’ll get bunch on new material to choose from. Best illusions will regularly be posted to this site, and additionally I’ll run some contests (hint) where we shall reward the most active users – those bringing in most interesting stuff, and inviting most friends. Let’s see how this goes, and maybe I’ll move the “Submit your illusions” story completely to our new Facebook fanpage.

In the mean time, Rob Gonsalves has created another interesting tessellation. Boats were his motive once again, only this time they don’t fade into arches, but transform to trees instead. How many ships can you see in this picture? Can you spot where they stop being ships, and start behaving as trees? I love Gonsalves, and hope you share my view…

Rob Gonsalves - Sailing is Land Optical Illusion

33 Replies to “Few Ships and Our New Fan-Group”

  1. This isn’t really an optical illusion, someone has drawn some boats, and then some trees which look like boats. Big whoop.

  2. @OWNAGE
    Wow, if you don’t like it, don’t comment.
    And if you think you can do better, show us, submit your own illusion, one that will pass your standards.

  3. Vurdlak, I think the concern may be that you use the term “illusion” much more broadly than many of us. Perhaps it is an effect of a concept for which the English word is an imperfect match for the word in your language.

    If so, this picture is perfect for this post. I think you will agree that different people would put the line dividing ships and trees in different places. So too would some of us classify visually interesting effects as illusions or not.

    And just because something is not what I would call an illusion does not mean it is not interesting, or not good. In this picture, for example, I do not mistake trees for ships or ships for trees. but it does make me think about what defines each.

    I will join your Facebook group, and want to thank you for the interesting material you have collected and posted for our enjoyment and contemplation.

  4. I count 8 boats. My favorite illusions are in the Multiple Meanings category, and I’d like to see more of them. Thanks.

  5. Just joined the fan-page, but only to show my Facebook friends that I regularly visit this site. I don’t agree with the ‘bad quality complainers’. There are just not enough different kinds of optical illusions (in the English definition) to post every day a nice new one, so I’m happy with posts like these.

    I would say there are 5 boats.
    Those three in the centre are just trees with horizontal branches. :)

  6. @ Rawr

    i went to the other side of the room and still couldn’t see the voats as trees. How far did you go??

  7. To paraphrase Shakespeare, “There are more illusions in heaven and eath, Horatio, than are dreamed of in your philosophy.”

  8. I agree, a lot of your posts aren’t actual illusions but they are very interesting and entertaining nonetheless. I love your site. Keep up the good work.

  9. All you nay sayers need to get a New World Dictionary and look up the term “illusion”. This picture is most definately an illusion. Give the rest of us a break!
    Keep up the good work Vurdlak and thanks for your dedication to your site. JA

  10. I have optical illusion of the day but sometimes it dosen’t change for three days.The counting dogs one was very distracting after a few days.

  11. Ok, for those saying this isn’t an optical illusion, maybe you should look at the definition of an optical illusion again. According to a dicitonary, it is an optical phenomenon that results in a false or deceptive visual impression. Last time I checked, the trees can give a deceptive visual inpression of a ship, and a ship can give a deceptive visual impression of a tree. For example, look almost directly in the middle of the picture at the tall close tree. Directly to the left of that tree in the far background, there is a tree/ship. Which is it? Almost impossible to tell. If you were to only look at the left side of the picture, then it is a tree. Likewise, if you only looked at the right side, this is a ship. Deception? I think so! Don’t listen to the haters and keep up the good work!

  12. 8 homies .. sails dont bow up so no more.. the island the boats are turning around make the illusion… look for rudders

  13. hey nate! everyone’s entitled to their opinion. i think its not complex as i would have expected, but its not too bad(i guess?)

  14. I think the site is great and the discussion about “illusions” is just semantics. The French might call them “trompe l’oeil”.

    The ships and trees are very interesting images, especially for a West Coast sailor. One tactic for avoiding collisions in marinas that would hold true in this scene is to keep an eye on moving masts (or trees) to identify when and where altercations might occur.

    My current project is trying to teach my wife how to view stereographic pictures without the use of a scope.

  15. I think this is a beautiful illusion! Well picked this has been my favorite so far- very simple and mesmerising!

  16. you know, there has been no real decrease in the quality of your illusions, only a decrease in the intelligence of some of your readers, and I am appalled that you have let people troll you onto facebook (largely because I hate facebook :P)

    I must agree with Nate, if you don’t like it, don’t comment, but judging by ownages pic, I’d say that his intentions revolve around nothing but mindless trolling, and is best off ignored.

    Illusions come in many shapes and forms, and can really only be classified as some visual or auditory cue that tricks you at first, and some people consider some things illusions that others do not, heck you may even be able to see fewer illusions now than you could in the past, why? the other illusions don’t trick you any more… they’re still illusions, you just can’t recognize them anymore.

    1. Okay, and first, @Justice193,

      I agree with pretty much all of what your saying, but you said visual or audible, well don’t forget physical, and yes that’s a form too, it tricks your motor skills as well. And dude, I’m in freaking 8th grade, and I’m discussing this with you like one of those shows like, (and I know not EVERYONE watches them but,) on Family Guy, when Brian gets on that talk show and become the classic “Rich Bitch”. My point is, why do I need any further education??? Just in case I’m not that one guy that can talk like I AM talking, not getting into the subject like i AM doing, or not discussing it maturely or whatever like i AM doing?? Hah!! Yeah right…

    2. Oh yeah and second:

      How old are you and what grade are you in? Are you in one? What’s your I.Q.? and how smart ARE you on this subject?

  17. Illusion or not, this painting is beautiful. And one can use the term illusion very loosely especially if one OWNS said website. i mean.. if vurdlak wants to call them crayola drawings, he can. who are we to judge?

  18. These are my fav kind of drawing — transitions. u should post Gonsalves’ other drawings. they’re awesome!

    anyway i see 8 boats as well

  19. There are 9 ships, though he didn’t mean for the 9th or maybe 8th to be ships, he must have accidentally drawn them, but I’ve confirmed 9 sips altogether.

    English= I’ve proved that there are 9, but that don’t mean he meant for them to be 9!

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