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 Trompe
L’oeil Introduction
If
a window wants a view or a cupboard lacks contents the time honoured
tradition of trompe l’oeil can fool all into seeing the non existent.
The most amazing examples take an artists talent but convincing illusions
can be created using simple designs and techniques.
Origins
Trompe L’oeil – literally meaning ‘to deceive the
eye’ – has been used for centuries to surprise, delight and add an
extra dimension to flat surfaces such as walls or floors.
The art of illusion was first practised by the ancient
Greeks. It was said that the painter Zeuxis created such realistic grapes
that birds tried to eat them and that his rival Appleles painted draperies
so real that passers by tried to lift them to see what lay beneath. The
practical Romans also used trompe l’oeil, both in murals and to add
architectural detail to their homes.
The art then fell into a decline until the Renaissance, when
painters began to add trompe l’oeil props, like false frames on a
portrait. It was also used to create perspective in murals and to create
inlay work in churches, showing cupboards half open to reveal the articles
within.
Trompe L’oeil was at its most popular in Europe during the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This was the heyday of the classic
trompe l’oeil, when small objects like books or china were shown on
shelves (complete with dust) and architraves, doors or windows complete
with views were painted on blank walls.
In Europe trompe l’oeil is still popular in areas like the
Italian town of Camogli, where for every real portico, window or shutter,
another is made entirely of paint. The craft has also found a new role in
institutions such as hospitals, where it brings fun and surprise to wards
and corridors.
 Basic
techniques
Trompe l’oeil is a visual tease which tricks the eye into
seeing a painting as a three dimensional solid form.
An artistic talent and a working knowledge of perspective is
needed to make a painted surface look ‘real’. However, many paint
techniques such as marbling and wood graining are incorporated into trompe
l’oeil, and effective results can be achieved using these in a simple
way. Stencils are the best way to begin as they allow the painter to
concentrate on the all important shading without having to worry about the
outlines.
Stencils – Stencils provide a ready made template for
creating architectural details or adding a trompe l’oeil centre piece to
a frame – a fruit bowl or flowers in a vase, for example. Borders can be
used as a substitute for a cornice or frieze though they may need careful
shading to achieve a realistic effect.
On a more advanced level, related designs can be used to
create panels or false frames enclosing a real object, another stencilled
one or a freehand trompe l’oeil view. Individual stencils, such as a
ribbon used to ‘hang’ a painting from a trompe l’oeil picture rail,
add a witty touch to the composition.
Stencils make an equally effective treatment for the floor.
For a tiled effect which looks equally good on a wall, the surface can be
divided into squares and a pattern stencilled inside each. A central panel
can be stencilled to create a ‘rug’, with a turned up corner as an
added touch of realism.
Paint techniques – Paint techniques such as marbling, wood
graining and tortoise shelling deceive the eye like trompe l’oeil, while
disguising inferior materials. Plaster can be painted to look like marble,
softwood like mahogany and board like tortoiseshell or semi precious
stone.
Paint techniques are often used within a trompe l’oeil:
marbling adds character to urns, pillars and tiles; a painted handrail by
the stairs can be wood grained; or a tortoiseshell picture frame mounted
round a stencilled masterpiece.
Murals – Some of the most stunning trompe l’oeils are
found in murals. To make a wall appear to have a door opening into another
room, or give a non existent window a wonderful view requires considerable
artistic skills.
More planning and consideration of setting goes into this
form of trompe l’oeil. For the deceit to be completely effective, the
painting must fit into the setting exactly, so that subject matter relates
to the surroundings. For example, a row of books painted on a cupboard
door below a bookshelf blends in with the setting and is quite believable.
The eye is not easily fooled, so it is essential that the
objects appear to be life sized: in addition to this, the correct linear
perspective is needed to give depth to a flat surface. This perspective
will work fully from only one point of view, so the most obvious viewing
point must be located.
Another important consideration is the use of light and
shade. The designer needs to think of the light sources in the room and
when the painting is most likely to be viewed so the necessary shadows can
be painted in. Painting light falling onto an object is an effective way
of giving it a realistic form, provided it fits in with the overall
composition and positioning of the trompe l’oeil.
The materials – Acrylic paints which dry fast are often
used for stencils and sometimes for murals. Acrylic colours work best when
they are thinned down, rather than applied in a thick consistency. They
should be painted on with a stubby stencil brush to prevent runs. Special
stencil crayons and paints are also available.
Water based paint (emulsion) can also be used for trompe
l’oeil effects and is useful as a colour wash when thinned. Standard
paint brushes can be used for large surfaces and artists brushes are
useful for adding finer details.
Glaze mix – 60% scumble glaze, 20% eggshell paint, 20%
white spirit – is a good mix for decorative paint techniques.
A range of specialized brushes is needed for the different
techniques, from badger hair softening brushes for blurring the effect to
graining brushes for wood grain and lining fitches for marbling.
Preparing the surface – Walls should be clean or freshly
painted and as smooth as possible. The paint chosen for the walls should
be the same as the paint to be used for the design; use emulsion for
designs in water colour paints and eggshell for walls when oils or scumble
glazes are to be used. Doors and furniture need to be sanded, cleaned and
painted with egg shell finish. Paint finishes such as sponging, dragging
and combing make an effective, soft background for may trompe l’oeil
designs.
Creating perspective – Any vista needs a ‘vanishing
point’, the spot where lines drawn from perpendicular points meet at the
horizon. To create depth you need to find the diagonal vanishing point, by
drawing a triangle bisected by a vertical line. The horizontal line is
drawn across the triangle about a fifth of the way up. A diagonal line can
then be drawn from the left hand corner of the triangle to bisect the
centre point. When this line is continued it will give a guide for
positioning elements in the design such as trees, urns or arches.
Applying the design – After preliminary sketches, a design
is drawn up in details. A grid is drawn over the design and each square is
numbered. This is the increased in size and transferred to the wall by
using a spirit level and chalked string to draw the horizontal and
vertical lines, keeping the same proportions as the diagram.
Each part of the picture is then transferred to the wall,
square by square, until the design is complete. The mural is painted one
colour, not one section, at a time to prevent smudging, and can be
outlined for greater definition if necessary.
Courses
If you offer trompe l’oeil courses / evening classes /
demonstrations - please contact us
to advertise your details here.
There are lots of books available to learn the skills from
home.
To
learn proper trompe l’oeil techniques the best starting point is to
contact polytechnics / colleges to see if they have any organized courses.
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