I’ve always loved illusions.
I remember my parents had a couple illusion books in their library and I’d spend hours with my nose burried in them, trying to figure out how a flat image could appear 3D and how a picture could look like it was in motion. I loved studying the shadows and lights in all the shapes.
As a makeup enthusiast, it is one of my greatest challenges (and obsession) to try and make something look as real as possible. I’m a detail lover, in paintings and in real life. Every little detail matters. Especially the most insignificant ones, sometimes.
When it comes to painting, I am completely self-taught and always learning but I think I am starting to understand how light and shadow work. If you’re going to learn to paint realistic things, pay attention to the details, to the different shades in a color. Don’t look at the main picture (yet), but focus on a small spot and analyse all the different shades and areas of light and shadow.
You will find down below a few illusion makeups that I’ve done over the years, some inspired by the lovely and talented Mimi Choi, aka Mimles, others by simple every day things like honey or a glass of water.
If you are too mesmerized by illusions, you should check out the work of Designdain and Marcello Barenghi. These fantastic artists have different styles but one thing they have in common is their sense of detail, which now you know me a bit more, fascinates me =)
Sarah
I hope you enjoy my humble illusions ; let me know in the comments if there’s anything you’d like me to try and paint/draw !