Surprise! Trick Art Design Ideas Recommended for the School Culture Festival

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

Trick art that makes flat pictures look three-dimensional or change depending on where you view them from.

This fascinating art that uses optical illusions doesn’t just captivate children—adults get drawn into its world, too.

If you’re thinking about incorporating such trick art into your school festival exhibit, this is a must-read!

In this article, we introduce recommended trick art designs to display at a school festival.

You might think, “Handmade sounds difficult,” but with a few tricks—like how you add shading—it’s surprisingly easy to pull off!

Give it a try!

Surprising! Trick Art Design Ideas Recommended for School Culture Festivals (21–30)

a dangerous gamble

It’s a piece of trick art so realistic that the gaping hole below makes you hesitate to even step onto the painted bridge.

The key here is how convincingly you can depict the deep, pitch-dark void spreading at the bottom of the hole and the lofty sky above.

For a large, seemingly bottomless hole, blend the boundary between the darkest blacks and the slightly lighter areas as you paint.

It’s an illusion illustration with just the right amount of thrill—enough to make visitors a little scared to take that first step, yet excited and tingling with anticipation!

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hiyori

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Be about to be swallowed by an animal

A classic piece of trick art that looks like it’s popping out of the screen.

A fun twist on this is a design that makes it look like you’re about to be swallowed by an animal.

The key is to choose scary animals with sharp teeth—like sharks or dinosaurs—as your motif.

Emphasize the mouth area so it looks wide open with prominent, razor-sharp teeth to boost the impact.

Use smooth paint gradients to create a three-dimensional finish, and you’re done.

It could be fun to take several photos where it looks like you’re being swallowed and turn them into an album!

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Yuuki

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In conclusion

We introduced recommended trick art ideas for school festivals.

From popping 3D letters and objects that appear to float, to works that reimagine famous paintings, there were plenty of surprises to wow visitors.

Although creating them takes time, by working together as a class you can build a wonderful exhibition space that leaves a lasting impression.

On the day of the festival, the venue will surely be filled with smiles as people enjoy the trick art and take commemorative photos.