Oil painting on velvet

People who see these works for the first time cannot understand if it is a hologram or not. A group of Pyatigorsk painters has revived an ancient Chinese technology of oil painting on velvet, invented about 1000 years ago. The idea emerged nearly 10 years ago and it was only recently and by trial and error that the painters managed to restore the technology. 
It is impossible to correct anything once painted on velvet, unlike canvas paintings. At first, one painting took about 6 months to complete. Now that the painters have mastered the technique, it takes about 6-8 weeks. One velvet painting may cost anything from $80 to $3,500. 

The paintings seem to be three-dimensional. The colours change depending on the viewpoint, light and even weather, because of the velvet's texture. The painters wanted to create a web-site, but it is impossible to display the paintings’ charm through photographs. About 20 velvet paintings are being exhibited in a Pyatigorsk hydropathic establishment at the moment.