3D Living Pictures

What are 3D Living Pictures?

Works of art, book illustrations and photographs can provide powerful inspiration for drama activities. Images can easily be brought to life through freeze frames, thought tracking and improvisation to create a 3D Living Picture.

Choose an image that depicts a range of characters. The picture should be big enough to be seen by the whole group – ideally projected on to the wall – or a large poster displayed where everyone can talk about it together.

What are 3D Living Pictures?

Works of art, book illustrations and photographs can provide powerful inspiration for drama activities. Images can easily be brought to life through freeze frames, thought tracking and improvisation to create a 3D Living Picture.

Choose an image that depicts a range of characters. The picture should be big enough to be seen by the whole group – ideally projected on to the wall – or a large poster displayed where everyone can talk about it together.

Market Scene, Northern Town (1939) by L.S.Lowry

Lowry is recognised for his portrayals of busy urban landscapes in the north of England filled with ‘matchstick men’. Pendlebury Market in Salford was near to Lowry’s home.

Mimi’s Colorful World (2022) by Shiila Lippold

Written by by Ulrike Haas and Nicola Boyne. Illustrated by Shiila Lippold. Pub. ulila Verlag. Diversity and inlcusion in a hidden object book.

Scene de Patinage by Pieter Breughel the Younger (1613)

“Scene with ice skating” by the Flemish painter from Brussels.

The Day The Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers

By Drew Daywalt (Author), Oliver Jeffers (Illustrator). Published by Harper Collins Children’s Books (2014)

Black Belt by Archibal Motley (1934)

Black Belt is Motley’s first painting in his signature series about Chicago’s historically black Bronzeville neighborhood. Motley sought social change through works that he hoped would speak across racial divides.

Children’s Games by Pieter Bruegel (1560)

Children’s Games is an oil-on-panel by Flemish Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, painted in 1560 (Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). At least 80 games have been identified.

Ford Madox Brown painted 'Work' between 1852 and 1865. The painting is of a lively street scene in Victorian Hampstead, London and shows a group of navvies (road-diggers) hard at work as well as a spectrum of social classes ranging from the homeless and the unemployed to a chickweed-seller, an MP and political protestors.

Work by Ford Madox Brown (1852-1865)

This lively street scene in Hampstead, London shows a group of navvies (road-diggers) and a range of social classes including homeless and unemployed people, a chickweed-seller, an MP and political protestors.

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers

“An optimistic snapshot of contemporary life, this heartfelt hug of a book ought to become a classic” The Guardian. Published by Harper Collins Children’s Books 2017

The Snail and the Whale (2006) by by Axel Scheffler

Illustration from the book by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Pub. Puffin Books.

Crowd#9 (Sunset 5) 2013

From the series Face in the Crowd by Los Angeles photographer and filmmaker Alex Prager (b. 1979). Her work consists of photographs and films whose common denominator is a meticulously crafted mise-en-scène.

The Seven Silly Eaters (2000)

Illustration by Betty Fraser from the book by Mary Ann Hoberman. Pub. Clarion Books.

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1880-81)

Le Déjeuner des Canotiers (1881). It is now in The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

Examine the picture with the participants, highlighting any issues you want to discuss such as relationships between the characters and where the picture is set. Explain that the group is going to bring the picture to life by making a three-dimensional tableau. Invite the participants to look carefully at the picture and to place themselves in the space as one of the characters. As they enter they should say who they are and make a freeze frame of their chosen character as accurately as possible.

When you have enough people to represent all (or most of) the characters, you can move onto thought tracking. Walk amongst the characters, tapping them on the shoulder one by one to hear their thoughts. When you have heard them all, explain that the picture will come to life for a few moments when you clap your hands. If it is a complex picture you can use spotlighting to find out what is happening in different parts of the tableau. As you walk around the group, invite each sub-group of characters to come to life and be heard. As you move away, they should freeze back into a tableau.

Explore this technique in our online course The Inspiring Drama Teacher.

Examples of Artists
Hieronymus Bosch
Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Leonora Carrington
William Hogarth
Frida Kahlo
L. S. Lowry
Ford Madox-Brown
Rembrandt
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Diego Rivera
Jan Steen
Adolphe Valette

Photographers
Cartier-Bresson
Alex Prager

Illustrators
Martin Handford (Where’s Wally?)

Have a look at these great pictures!
David’s Collection (Padlet)

Also see:
Freeze Frames
Guide to Freeze Frames

Browse all the Drama Strategies!

3D Living Pictures

Bring characters from works of art, book illustrations and photographs to life through drama.