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Trompe
L'oiel
Deceiving the eye
with Trompe L'oiel
"Fool me once shame on you.fool me twice, shame on me"
This old adage expresses the quintessential essence of trompe l'oeil
(tromp loy) art and murals. The French phrase translates as to trick, deceive or
fool the eye and that is exactly what it should when executed with skill and
artistry.
TROMPE L'OEIL IN DESIGN TODAY
A tromp l'oeil
landscape on a barren wall in a small room can trick the viewer into feeling
that the room is much larger an more open than it really is. A sunny vista
or an inviting garden path can pull the eye much farther tan reality would
dictate.
in a basement or any other room without windows, trompe l'loiel windows can be
painted to ad texture, interest an the deception of incoming
daylight. One could even specify the working window treatments to cover the
windows at night!
In large rooms, objects of large scale and detail can be rendered to make the
wall advance and give a cozy, more intimate feel to the space. Fireplaces,
armoires, shelves of books are just few of the items that can be successfully
rendered in these circumstances.
Ceiling too low? Have talented muralist paint a realistic sky in accurate colors
with fluffy clouds floating by. This will trick the eye of the beholder into
feeling that the ceiling is further away.
Need whimsy in a boring or overly sedate room? Paint a mouse hole with attending
rodent. Paint columns, arches or some other architectural detail that create
textural interest.
FOOL
PROOFING YOUR IMAGE
To pull off this attempt
at fooling the senses, there are a few requirements an rules of thumb you might
want to take into account.
Finding a capable artist is the first huddle. An artist that paints murals
may not have the talent necessary to render true trompe l'oeil. Make sure to
review prior commissions of the artist's work as a deceptive or illusionist
painter. Did the images rendered make you want to reach out to touch them? Did
her or she fool your eye at all?
A good illusionist will incorporate the following techniques. Make sure to look
for them in the professional you commission.
1- Objects in the imager are painted in true-to-life scale.
Each rendered object should be no smaller nor no larger than its real life
counterpart.
2- Shadows are everything. it is the accurate rendition of
shadows from the imaginary light source defined that provides depth and reality
to the image.
3-Details instill believability. The greater and more
accurate the details, the more likely the eye will accept the image as fact
instead of fiction.
4- Inanimate objects are best for depiction. Only the most
skilled artesian can pint believable people and animals in deceptive painting.
an exception to this rule might be something small like a mouse or or a number
of butterflies.
5- Scenes require perspective. Though a one point perspective
may be adequate, you will find that it reads realistically from only one
location within the room. an artists who can use multiple perspectives an
vanishing points will create an image that reads true from more locations within
the viewing area.
If you lack for competent artisans or are on very tight
budget, research wall covering companies. Many have acceptable options to
consider. In most cases be aware that a bad trompe l'oiel is worse than none at
all. If it can not be done well, retreat to an attractive mural. It may not fool
the eye but it will enhance the room. When done effectively, a trompe
l'oeil image tempts you to walk down a non-existent garden path or open a
fictional door or window. It energizes one's imagination as well as the room
that contains it. it can become the signature piece of your design plan for many
clients.
Written by: Interior designer & speaker for window fashions magazine. Susan Dudics-Dean
Illustrations