Magical Illusions|Optical Illusions and Magic tricks revealed

Astonishing pavement artist Julian Beever has been at it again with this superb Christmas painting. The red post box and the railings are real, but the main picture is all about clever chalk work, drawing on the flat surface of the pavement to create a convincing illusion.

Pedestrians step around the apparent hole in the pavement, and peer down into the chasm below. There they see a rosy-cheeked Santa, with Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, sifting through a pile of letters from hopeful children.

Julian created this work of art whilst in Dover, England to spend Christmas with friends. Here you see him posed, with his 21-month-old daughter Jane, moments after finishing the chalk picture.