VizPar, Inc.
3-D Lenticular Fine Art

By Ken Hall

Someone once said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. Trying to grade or critique something as subjective as music is pure folly, the argument ran, since what is tin to one person's ear might be pure gold to another.
Imagine the dilemma faced here, then, in trying to explain three-dimensional artwork (also called lenticular imaging) in a 2-D medium. Talk about folly! As Loren Haase, president and founder of VizPar, Inc., in Wylie Tex., explained, "You really have to see it to believe it."

And he's exactly right. The impact his 3-D line carries is instant and dramatic. So much so that one gallery built a display of VizPar 3-D prints between a wall full of G. Harvey prints on one side and Kinkade on the other. It was the VizPar prints that got all the attention, with 450 sold in a three-month period.

Images presented as 3-D lenticular art appear to be floating in front and other parts receding back into the wall on which the flat print is displayed. The appearance of depth increases proportionately as the size of the print increases.

Most of my customers are art galleries and frame shops in strip centers and shopping malls," Haase said. "The biggest marketing problem I face is just getting people to try our product. Some won't just because it's unlike anything in their line, others because they think it's a gimmicky, mass-produced product. The reality is, our 3-D prints are very similar to giclees. We use much of the same equipment and materials as many high-end giclee printers."

Haase, with the help of his wife, Kim, VizPar's director of marketing, have enlisted some of America's finest painters to commission their work for transference to the 3-D format. Currently, the firm has five regular contributors:

• Ron Walotsky (1943-2002) - The late artist encompassed influences from other genres -- notably psychedelia and high fantasy -- to create a multi-faceted body of work that's full of flair, perception and realism.
• Stephen O. Gunter - The "Painter of the South" is a self-taught artist who is influenced by nature and the mystique of the Old South. He was born and raised in South Carolina and continues to live there. Gunter specializes in acrylic on canvas and strives for photo-realism in his work.
• Rick Kelley - This artist was our cover subject in March 2003. His wildlife and western art is a visual journey of his life's travels and adventures. Each piece is a fond memory of the wildlife Kelley admires, preserves and portrays through each wildlife painting.
• Don Wallstedt - A resident of Jacksonville, Fla., Mr. Wallstedt began his career as a computer graphic artist and used this medium as a venue to share his artistic concepts. His dramatically free styled pieces transfer well from traditional 2-D into 3-D lenticular art.
• Roberta Wesley - Realism is this artist's forte. She started drawing at age 12 and has worked in commercial art and portraiture. She experimented with many different media before settling on alkyd, a unique type of paint that allows for rich detail and luminous color rendition.

By having these artists in his stable, Haase is slowly overcoming the quirky stigma often associated with lenticular printing. He exhibits regularly at shows like Decor Expo and the West Coast Art & Frame Show. "Artists are always impressed. It seems that people who yearn to experience something new in art love our prints," he said.

But the process by which Haase transfers a 2-D rendition into a 3-D piece is neither quick nor easy. "Each painting requires between 20 and 40 hours of work," he pointed out. "Most people have neither the time, expertise nor desire to endure that." As a result, he has no competition to speak of.

Most projects begin with a piece of conventional, 2-D artwork. Through digital computer imaging, Haase painstakingly cuts out each individual element he wants to give the 3-D effect and "fills in the holes" electronically.

The lenticular process (lenticular meaning "of the lens") involves using just that -- special lens material to create effects on a printed page. The combination of print and lens allows the viewer to see the effect of depth within the print.

Sophisticated equipment is involved. Haase uses three printers: two Mutoh Falcons and an Epson 7600. And, as with giclee reproductions, most of his work is "print on demand." Very little product is warehoused. "We fill most of our orders as they come in," Haase said.

VizPar (short for "visual parallax") was launched in 1997, almost exclusively as a consulting firm, with Haase teaching over 30 companies the art of designing and printing lenticular images. "Ultimately, that grew frustrating," he said. "It was very difficult teaching people how to create masterpieces and then just walking away."

So, after consulting (and four years of continual research and development) he began producing 3-D art on his own, first with photographs in the public domain (still available, many breathtaking) and later partnering with the artists named. Pieces are available in sizes ranging from 8" x 10" to 32" x 21", framed or unframed (he uses Wall Moulding material). Wholesale prices start at $12.45 for an unframed piece and there are no minimums. New dealers enjoy a 10% discount on first-time orders.

To place an order, you may go to the company's dealer-only website at www.illusionArtCompany.com -- or call toll-free at 1-866-645-1568. The fax number is 1-972-429-4745. The e-mail address is loren.haase@vizpar.com.

Loren Haas is the president and owner of VizPar, Inc.

"Jesus" by Stephen O. Gunter 

"Land of the Free"
by Rick Kelley

"Sanctuary" by Roberta Wesley

"Koi Fish" by Ron Walotsky

"Space Rangers"
(standard 3-D print)

"Primitives"
by Don Wallstedt