My first layered art - Teacher's Apple

I have been seeing all the layered art pieces lately and have been just loving them!

So I finally decided to try to do my own when my wife wanted ideas for gifts for our kids teachers (it has become a tradition for us).

I decided it wanted to try to replicate a classroom in an apple. Not realizing how lofty a challenge this would be… but I came up with a design I liked. If I were to do this again, I would add more color (for the tables and chairs), but I was in crunch-time to get these done before the last day of school!


I personalized the inside with the teachers name, and a phrase on the back.


I thought, “why should just the inside be layered?” So I layered the stem and leaf on the outside also.


It was seven layers in total, and I just barely got it all to fit on one sheet!

[Edit: Added a colored version.]


I colored a few of the layers to see how it would look. I think I just prefer the natural wood look (but maybe my colors are too bold).

This view seems to highlight the optical illusion also.

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This is a wonderful, awesome gift! I’d say you are a natural when it comes to layered design. Do more of them!

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Looks great!

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This is amazing!

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Welcome the the community!

There is so much inspiration available on this forum! I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave this a try. I definitely would create more of these layered art pieces if I can find another scene I want to recreate.

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I love the angle on the desks. It gives a whole additional dimension/depth to the scene.

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Yeah! I was worried that it wasn’t going to work at first, but it really does give the effect I was going for.

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Wow! Nice job!

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You nailed it! :star_struck:

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Turned out great. Nice job!

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Apple of your eye! Great job.

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Great gift!
You could easily sell this design!

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That is absolutely amazing. Definitely could sell the design!

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Fantastic! Well done.

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this is amazing!

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A real class act, Bill! Love it!

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Thanks! I don’t usually design “artistic” creations. Most of my designs are generally more technical. But I am glad I stepped out and gave this a try, I was really happy with the result!

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I decided to try to add some color to some of the layers.

The picture was actually taken sideways and rotated. It gave it an interesting and deceiving look. The cut of the children in the photo is make to look like the right side is closer, even though in this photo the right side is further away.

I was trying to make it look like an apple with the red border and the green leaf, but I feel like it made it more “Christmas” like…

[Edit: Added this photo to the original post.]

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I love the shadows it casts…makes it look like even more kids in the classroom. Very cool!

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You are right.

I had a couple of people tell me they loved the shadows it cast. One even called it shadow box, but I never thought of it like that.

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