Reptile (color test for unidentified print) 1968

M.C. Escher made this color test for an unidentified print, sometime in 1968, on a triangular sheet. The process is right there on the surface—a dance of testing and adjusting. Look at the way the orange is laid down, almost like a screen, giving it a kind of vibrant energy. The texture isn’t trying to hide, it's part of the story. It reminds me that art-making isn’t just about the end result; it’s about the doing, the messing around, the figuring things out. See the reptile motif? The way the color is both solid and porous gives the whole thing this cool, almost unreal quality. Escher's famous for his impossible constructions, and in this little color test, you can see him wrestling with the same ideas, playing with perception and dimension. It’s like he’s inviting us into his studio, showing us the magic behind the trick.