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The
Art
of
Illusion
A
Trompe
L'oeil
Painting
Course
ISBN 1-58180-097-5 by Janet Shearer
the Art of Illusion book review
This was the first book on mural painting that I ever read (and
bought!), and I was blown away by the possibilities. Shearer spends a
fair amount of time teaching perspective, which can be really tedious
and boring, but she actually makes your work easier if you take the
time to learn the basics, and she goes through several methods and
gives little tricks. Most artists I know eyeball the whole thing more
than they actually work out the geometry, but there may be times the
more complicated methods are necessary. She goes through common
tools really well, including those that are really most useful, and
describing their uses in a way that's easy to understand.
While some of her fabulous murals may seem intimidating, they all
contain elements that I use in almost all my work, and I learned many
of my standard techniques from looking at this book over and over
again. Clouds, waves, stone, cracks, floors that continue on from
real floors, and folds in fabrics were just some of the skills I
learned largely through studying Shearer's work.
A beautiful book for reference and learning or just to enjoy her work!
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The
Trompe l'Oeil
Home
ISBN 0-8230-5446-2 by Roberta Gordon Smith
the-Trompe-l'Oeil-Home-book-revie
Gordon-Smith highlights lots of specific projects here, rather than
teaching a lot of mural painting basics. There are a few pages of
general painting advice, and it is hepful. She really focuses on trompe
l'oeil, obviously, although there are some projects, like the Space
Scene, that really don't fit into the trompe l'oeil category. There are
fairly specific instructions for at least one technique in each of the
paintings, so it's a good reference to learn new skills. Her
style tends to be a little more soft focus. I specifically learned a
lot more about layering a landscape scene, painting folds and flowing
fabric, and lots of architectural details. This book is especially
strong on architecture-she shows how to make faux wood panels,
stone pediments, niches and archways completely come to life. Highly
recommended for the slightly experienced painter, or a beginning mural
painter who has some art skills already.
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How
to
Paint
Murals
and
Trompe l'Oeil
ISBN 1-58180-030-4 by Victoria Ellerton with Simon Brady
How-to-Paint-Murals-and-Trompe-loeil-book-review
Some very specific projects, even including the color palettes and a
paint directory. Some of these projects are more out of the ordinary,
like the black people silhouettes (very cool-even inspired me to
convince a client to let me use that technique) and a stylized night
sky with a city skyline silhouette (still trying to find a place for
that idea...). Alot of these designs are really modern and graphic,
while others are soft and flowing. There are just a few examples of
actual trompe l'oeil, but they are impressive. There are several pages
of practical advice, and a nice section at the end of inspirational
photos from many different artists in many styles. Some of these
inspirations are so good they may intimidate any but the most talented
and experienced artist. If you are looking for murals that do not fit
into the standard landscape or garden plan, this just might be the book
for you.
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Marvelous Murals You Can Paint
ISBN 0-89134-969-3 by Gary Lord and David Schmidt
Some really good techniques taught here, like clouds, rocks, wood and
mountains and a sunset sky. There are actually several ways
presented to do clouds, with special attention to doing clouds with a
spray gun, which would probably be considered a pretty advanced
technique. This is the first book I have found that gets into topics
like scaffolding, which I would also think is more for a slightly
experienced painter. There are sections on color, perspective, tools,
and a nice discussion of room preparation, which can often be
overlooked but is critical to your success. A small chapter on
stencilling is included, which can be very helpful if you are
intimidated by just starting to paint on your own.
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Decorate Your Home with Trompe
l'Oeil
ISBN 08069-7141-X by Jocelyn Kerr Holding
Decorate-Your-home-with-Trompe-loeil-book-review
Beginning with the origins and history of trompe l'oeil, Holding's book
covers alot more than just mural painting. There's a very large section
on color theory-probably more than the beginner would care about, but
its very well done. Her chapter on perspective breaks things down
exceptionally well, and shows how different perpsectives can be useful
in different kinds of paintings. This part would be great for
someone just starting out in murals. The sections on technique are
broken down into single skills, and also very carefully
demonstrated. I really liked that she showed how to imitate
several different kinds of stone and marble, which would be especially
helpful in faux painting furniture.
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The Painted House
ISBN 0-8212-2454-9 by Graham Rust
The-Painted-House-book-review
Wow. Definitely not for the beginning painter, unless you
are able to be totally inspired and not intimidated by someone else's
talent. I have to assume the point of this book is to get your
imagination going, and opening you up to the infinite possibilities of
mural art. The average person would not have a home that could
accomodate this kind of painting, and only the very lucky professionals
get to work on this scale. The subjects range from a
shellfish feast to an Egyptian doorway to Mardi Gras in Haiti!
There is very little instruction, but a lot of description and
explanation. However, if you want to look at examples of some masterful
and gorgeous work, you will fall in love with this book.
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