A Bit of a Trompe L'oeil

In a previous post, I mentioned my electric company won't hook me up to their fiber line unless I pay around $15,000, but they're giving the exact same service to other people for $100. The CEO of that company has resigned. It sounded unexpected in the paper I saw. I'm not saying its karma. I'm not saying it's the result of prayers. I'm not saying people reap what they sow. I'm not saying those things. And I'm not necessarily saying I'll be looking at my ISP to see if they get theirs next. What I'm saying is maybe something will change on the fiber front. Who knows?

In the same post linked above, I talked about my YouTube "studio" and how I either needed to move it to another room or get a new background. This week I decided to buy some 18"x18"x24" cardboard boxes from Walmart and paint them. I have a ton of hobby paint I've been needing to get rid of. That was the deciding factor. I cut two boxes along one of the seams and fitted them together to make a backdrop. Since the plan is for me to sit in a chair, it's both wide enough and tall enough. Actually, it's too wide. No complaints, though. I can use it to brace it. I could always cut the extra away.

The background will be of book shelves. I've painted the shelves already, though they'll need touching up, and started on the books, which need to be more detailed than I'd like. The good news is I don't have to paint the area that goes behind the chair. I only have to paint around it to give the impression I'm sitting in front of a bookcase. I don't even have to paint to the edges of the boxes. The difficulty is the details. To get a realistic look, I'm going to have to paint a highlight on the edges of some of the books and work in shadows and stuff. I was hoping it would be simple. It's very similar to real painting. I'm going to have to find the balance between simple and realistic. It's kind of like a trompe l'oeil. See examples, here, here and here. And here. Maybe I'll be inspired to do one in my bathroom. I've had the thought more than once. It's just a massive amount of work.

I haven't painted anything since my dad passed away. I've tried a couple of times. If this wasn't necessary, I don't think I'd be doing it. I still need to do a painting of a bear for one of my cousins. This might be good practice for that.

Have a great weekend.