Visual arts refer to art experienced primarily through vision. 3D visual optical art is one of them. Artists use their rich imagination and experience to combine light and objects to give viewers an unforgettable visual experience. However, the design process involves much trial and error; therefore, it is often very time-consuming. This has prompted many researchers to focus on proposing various algorithms to simplify the complicated design processes and help artists quickly realize the arts in their minds. To help computer graphics researchers interested in creating 3D visual optical art, we first classify and review relevant studies, then extract a general framework for solving 3D visual optical art design problems, and finally propose possible directions for future research.