Realistic depiction of the human body has been important in Western art for centuries. The illusion of three-dimensional space being created on a two-dimensional painting is also a central part of Western art. Non-Western art may or may not focus on the human form, however. For example, geometric patterns are much more important than the human form in some forms of Islamic art. many Western paintings are done on canvas, while many traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese paintings have been done on thinner rice paper
