Over 200 years ago, artists who wanted to create lifelike drawings used optical tools like the Camera Lucida that enabled them to trace what they saw. Eventually the devices became rare, and today the only place you can get one is on Ebay (for several hundred dollars).
But now two art professors, Pablo Garcia & Golan Levin, have created a Kickstarter project to create a 21st Century version of the Camera Lucida called the NeoLucida, and make it cheap enough that anyone could afford one.
Basically the device is a prism on a stick. You look through the prism to see a projected image on paper that you can trace.
With a NeoLucida you can develop your drawing skills and get an appreciation for how the old masters may have worked to create lifelike works of art. Unfortunately, you might have to wait a while to get your hands on a NeoLucida. The Kickstarter project has been such a hit, that the entire initial product run is sold out. However, NeoLucidas will be available in 2014 through the project’s commercial partners, and if you want to try your hand at building your own NeoLucida, you can still sponsor the project and get 2 prisms plus instructions for just $12.
For more info on the project, check out the video below and Neolucida.com
Thanks, John Nack
This article was last modified on January 8, 2023
This article was first published on May 29, 2013
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
Recommended for you
How to Extract Images with Hair Using Photoshop’s Refine Mask
The following is an excerpt from Speaking Photoshop CS6 by Dave Bate. You can al...
Integrating 3D Text into Images with Photoshop
This is a technique you’ll have seen in countless films and TV shows, from...
How to Move Photos Between Lightroom and Photoshop
When it comes to working with photos, Adobe gives you two powerhouse pro tools,...