From the hills of Tuscany to English country scenes, The Art of Illusion shows artists how to create stunning, three-dimensional murals on walls and furniture. The book starts by helping readers develop a workable design, draw it to scale and transfer it to the painting surface using the principles of three-point perspective.
Artists will then study techniques for surface preparation and color mixing before starting on the projects. Several classically inspired themes are included such as a Tuscan view, a Tiepolo mural, Roman gods and creatures "en grisaille," along with English country cattle murals.
Janet Shearer is a highly respected trompe l'oeil artist and teacher whose workshops attract students from around the world. Her work can be seen in homes and businesses worldwide including London's Heathrow airport. She lives in Cornwall, England.
Date Published 9/1/2000
Ratings
Rated By: Sara A Thacker
From: Texas
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Comments: Wow I hadn't painted for 23 years before buying this book. I have painted 3 murals that look wonderful by using Janet Shearer's methods. I love this book.
Rated By: McKenzie Birnie
From: LaVerne, CA
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Comments: My best friend I just finished a 55 sq. ft. mural, (my third large one) and I took Jane Shearer's book with me every day for reference and technical support. Her wonderful color brews and sensible methods helped me make this my most successful project yet. This book is for people with some experience in painting and composition. Thanks, Jane.
Rated By: "bud52"
From: Unavailable
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Comments: The ARt of Illusion: A Trompe L'Oeil Painting Course The book was a great book. Very detailed in explanation and diagram of projects to be done.
Rated By: A reader
From: Unavailable
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Comments: It is the most complete book I found for getting started Some reviews say the book is to advanced and some reviews say it is not advanced enough. If you're looking for a book to teach you basic brush strokes and how to paint, this is not the book for you, some knowledge is required. If you have some painting skills and want to take it to a new level and paint murals, I found the book very helpful. I had very little painting experience but wanted to do a full room mural for my daughter's room. I searched and searched and could not find a book that met my needs. I got through it and did pretty good guesswork on the perspective but watching how items changed as I moved them around the room. This book would have been extremely helpful and saved me a lot of time and effort if I had it then. Even though I had finished that mural I bought this and it has been very helpful in doing my second mural which is far more complicated.
She covers several ways of doing things and gives tips on each technique such as how to transfer you plans to the wall. She covers all the basics: planning out the project, perspective, how to handle shadows, how to achieve depth and distance in background elements and the use of color. She talks about lots of tools and how to use them for different affects and what to do if you don't have them or want to invest in them.
I loved the examples and she had a good mix of projects in both complexity and range of styles. She explained how she got all the details in a simpler piece and showed some more complex ones later. I found her writing style and the details easy to follow and very informative. The book does not cover it all. It doesn't contain how to information for different faux finishes such as stone or brick or every detail of her examples. It does give the basic techniques use to create different affects used in her examples. I cannot speak for the experienced artist, but for me it has been a valued addition to my library. I found the information and exercises very helpful. I have recommended the book to others who have been interested doing what I have done.
Rated By: KShaub
From: Unavailable
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Comments: A must have for artist and beginners alike I am a decorative painter and this was my first book on murals, many followed, but this remained a favorite.It gives You step by step instructions-for less advanced painters, yet it is sophisticated for real artists looking for inspiration, new ideas. Well, it won't teach You to draw,but if You have any kind of art training,You'll learn easily from this book.Mural painting is not something You learn overnight,but this will be a useful tool that will answer many of Your technical questions,and grow with You for years to come.
Rated By: Moshe Vanunu "The Book Holder"
From: Israel
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Comments: Start here to become a mural painter Janet Shearer is a very talented mural painter. Her book is wonderful for explaining all you need to start your mural painting journey. She has done fascinating murals: The Monk, Tuscan View, The Arches and others. what the book won't teach you is how to draw...
Realy a must have book for wanna be mural painters. I have it too.
Rated By: Sonya "readaholic"
From: Dallas, TX
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Comments: For Adventurous Beginners to Advanced Painters I enjoyed this book even though it was much more advanced than my own skill level. I still plan on attempting some of these projects. I'm not going to let a little thing like skill stop me! LOL. Actually, I read a faux painting book that recommended practice on a piece of board or the walls in your garage before trying a new technique, so my garage will probably be covered with various murals and faux techniques.
I first plan on using a projector to get the basic outline and proportions correct then to use the instructions in this book to get the shading and paint techniques just right.
I've taken some classes in the past, watercolor, oil, etc. but I am not artistically gifted. I thought the author did a good job in the prep chapters on equipment, basic instructions, preparation and design/perspective. After this review, she begins several projects. It would have been nice if the first 1-2 projects were at a beginner level and progress to more advanced. I think her murals are very nice even though about half of them are not my own style (several animal/country themes). The photography was great and I though the photos of the steps were clear though it did not take you through every brush stroke. I do think this book is targeted to the intermediate and advanced artist OR for an adventurous beginner.
Rated By: One Patriotic Citizen
From: Fairfax Station, VA
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Comments: This Book is a Fabulous Exercise for All Artists After reading countless books on the art of Trompe L'oeil, I just can't speak highly enough of this one. This book is marvelous! Ms. Shearer uses easy-to-understand steps and does a terrific job of giving hints to those of us trying to improve our perspective and other techniques in making our murals more realistic. Most importantly, it gives tips that assume anyone can paint, yet it doesn't assume you are in Kindergarten! I think this is the most comprehensive and easy-to-follow book ever written on the subject, and the talent she shares can improve any artist's murals - from beginner to the top professionals.
Rated By: A. Cheek "Photo Chick"
From: Nashville, TN
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Comments: Great for someone who's already an artist While the murals in this book are absolutely gorgeous, they are very advanced. There's a lot of info on perspective, how to get it right, etc., and that chapter is golden. However, the how-to's on the actual painting, I feel, is lacking. The author paints movie sets for a living, if that gives you an idea of her skill level. I'm afraid I will shelve this book and pull it out only for inspiration, as it's not going to be something I can use as a reference other than to look at the paintings. A fabulous book for advanced mural-painters or artists looking for a new canvas, but too advanced for a beginner or intermediate.
