Here are some techniques and their definitions.
A crackle is an aged finish with
random worn cracks, crazes and splits in it that reveals the object or surface
underneath.
A modern crackle is a
“faux finish” technique used to resemble something that looks old and worn.
Artists achieve a crackle finish by
using a specially formulated, water-based latex polymer between a base coat of
paint and a topcoat of paint in contrasting colors.
The topcoat will chemically react and "crack" revealing the base coat and
achieving the worn aged look. (The
background picture on this page is a "crackle", with gray as the base coat and
white as the topcoat.) Skilled artists can also control the medium to
achieve a fine random crazing or larger directional cracks. Special care must be
taken in the timing of the layers of paint for this process to occur correctly.
En grisaille implies that there is little or no
color added to the painting which gives it a monochromatic look.
(Pronounced "fO" finish)
Faux finish is a French term that
means “fake” finish. The idea behind a faux finish is to make the viewer
think that the object or surface is made up of some other material than what it
actually is. In faux painting the artist creates this illusion by combining
skill with the manipulative techniques of special glazes and paints, as well as
sponges, rags, brushes, and other materials.
Faux finishes often allude
that objects are made of finer quality materials than what they actually are.
Common examples depict marble, stone, brick, wood grains, fur, and aged
crackling. You might see common plaster pillars that look like marble columns, or
cheap plywood doors or furniture that look like mahogany or oak. Concrete
floors can be painted to look like brick or expensive tile.
Faux finishes date back as
far as the Greek and Roman time periods. Faux finishes are often combined with
trompe l’oeil pieces and are a common decorative technique today. Faux
techniques are used on walls, floors, furniture and other objects.
(Pronounced "myoor
el")
Murals are pictures that are
painted directly onto a wall or ceiling surface.
The subject matter and techniques
for painting murals are extremely numerous and can include both trompe l’oeil
and faux finishes. Murals can be
fun and fanciful, they can be decorative to enhance visual appearance, or they
can have educational or historical value.
Murals have been enjoyed from
prehistoric times to the present. Artists were painting on walls long
before panels and canvas paintings were created. The mural has probably been the
most vital and formative kind of pictorial art throughout most of history.
(pronounced "trump-LOY")
Trompe l’oeil is a French term that translates as
“trick the eye”. The entire point of trompe l'oeil is to fool the viewer
into believing that what he or she sees is real when, in fact, it is only an
illusion created by the artist. You are supposed to believe (if only for a
moment) that you are seeing solid three-dimensional objects and scenic visual
space on a flat, two-dimensional surface. The artist can create this illusion by
skillful use of light, shade and perspective.
It is the nature of trompe l’oeil work to be painted directly on walls,
ceilings, and objects rather than on canvas.
Trompe l’oeil is up to the
artist and the imagination. In some
cases, the actual structure of the environment can be extended or modified in
paint and it becomes a part of the total trompe l’oeil effect. At other times, common scenes of windows, doors, columns,
walls, paths, gardens, bookcases, and other objects are painted where they
really don’t exist. You might see trompe l’oeil flower pots, benches, bird
houses, cloth lines, animals, birds, curtains, books and baskets.
These techniques and images can enlarge and open up a room, as well as
immerse you into a visual fantasy.
The earliest examples of
trompe l’oeil date back to the Greek and Roman times although it was probably
perfected in the Renaissance period. Trompe l’oeil has had its place in many
historical time periods and is a common decorative practice in homes, businesses
and public places today. A trompe l’oeil mural could cover an entire wall or
room, or it might just be a small detail on a surface where you would expect to
see such objects.
|
