In other aspects Three Musicians departs from the first phase of Cubism, which was concerned with analyzing three-dimensional forms. This work is overwhelmingly two-dimensional; the patterns in the central musician's clothes are rendered as they would be if pressed flat on a table, not wrapped around a real body. Though this work was painted with oil on canvas, the sharp corners of the shapes suggest the cut-and-paste collage—a technique used by Picasso years before he made Three Musicians. The varied colors in Three Musicians help to create a relaxed mood, and they can be contrasted with the limited greens, greys, and browns in early Cubism.