TROMPE LE'OIL

    TROMPE LE'OIL is a French term literally meaning "trick the eye." Sometimes called illusionism, it is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three-dimensions, instead of actually being a two-dimensional artwork. It's a type of painting, with various styles, which give the appearance of dimensionalism or photographic realism, .

   Di sotto in su, meaning from below, upward in Italian is specifically applied to ceiling paintings. The elements above the viewer are rendered as if viewed from  a true vanishing point perspective.  The employed perspective along with techniques such as foreshortening, give the impression of greater space to the viewer below.

   Quodibet is a fanciful form of architectural Trompe-l'œil which features realistically rendered paintings of such items as paper-knives, playing-cards, ribbons and scissors, apparently accidentally left lying around. They are painted on walls, or added as small features to areas, playfully exploring the boundary between image and reality.

 Quadratura is a more fully integrated approach to architectural illusion, and is used to "open up" the space of a wall or ceiling. Due to its reliance on perspective theory, it more fully unites architecture, painting and sculpture, giving a more overwhelming impression of illusionism.

What makes an ideal trompe l'oeil painting?
     First, the objects rendered must be full-size and look believable from a foot away from the picture surface.
     Second, the objects painted tend to be relatively flat so that the human eyes cannot detect any lack of real depth to them. One option is to overlap flat objects -- such as envelopes or currency -- to create the illusion of depth and space. Another option is the use dramatic lighting so that the shadows painted underneath the objects will create the depth deception. 
   Third, A variety of painting techniques are used to create realistic-looking textures in the artwork. Broken glass, scarred wood, satin ribbons, rusted metal, crinkled paper, smeared chalkboards, and frayed string are just of a few of the textures a professional trompe l'oeil artist needs to be able to paint to fool the eye of the viewer. The more textures in a trompe l'oeil painting, the more realistic it will appear.
   Finally, a quality trompe l'oeil painting also has to be a work of fine art. An eye-catching subject matter, an artful composition, and a well-thought-out visual statement are essential. It is not enough to simply paint a flat piece of paper or coin on a bare background; the fine art aspects should intrigue the viewer enough to become involved with the painted subject matter.