The trompe l'oeil wine murals has been a part of a small but lucrative niche within my mural painting business. It has
become a great alternative to offer a customer who wants a mural but doesn't have the space that a mural deserves. Although
there is great money involved in painting murals once you are established, sometimes painting a smaller niche holding wine
bottles, a vase, or maybe even a window overlooking a customer's favorite travel location can make a more dramatic
statement.
This trompe l'oeil niche has served its purpose time and again. Whether placed in a more traditional setting such as a wine
or as a final touch on a kitchen wall, it is a quick project that always gets its due of second glances.
I love painting this wall niche with all of its variations. It is full of simple but fun techniques. Over the years I have
learned to use my techniques in an order that maximizes speed without sacrificing the quality of the finished work of art.
When techniques are used correctly, the trompe l'oeil mural should take no more than three hours to paint in its entirety.
The final mural is perfect to admire while enjoying a nice cabernet with a very pleased customer.
Step 1: I like my piece to have depth and texture. To accomplish this, I recommend using subtle faux finish for the
background. In the instructional photographs, you can see that I first applied a frottage finish using a brownish taupe
with a touch of orange. Be sure to make enough of the glaze to use later when painting the mural.
Step 2: Once the glaze for the background dries thoroughly, use a pencil and level to sketch the niche into the wall. To
accurately sketch the wine bottles, I use the actual bottles and carefully trace around them. This saves time while
recreating the realistic size and shape of each bottle.
Step 3: Begin planning your mural! Add some brown to the glaze from Step 1. This is used to create shadows which are
consistent with the light source. The shadows in my example appear to the right of the bottles, only slightly lower in
height. I also add shadows below the shelf, under the arch, and on the back wall (to the left).
Step 4: Next, add a darker shadow. Using two different shades for the shadows will create more depth for a more realistic
piece. For this I add more brown and a touch of blue to my original glaze. This will be applied to the lower corner of the
bottles' shadows and the upper left corner of the background. At this time, I also create a highlight area where the light
hits the inside wall on the right side, as as on the top of the shelf. For this, I use the same glaze with some white added
to it.
Step 5: It is now time to prime the bottles. Using blue paint with a little brown mixed into it, paint each bottle leaving
the label areas blank. Let this dry.
Step 6: This step requires a wet-on-wet technique. We now add a second coat of the blue/brown paint. Paint one section of
the bottle at a time. While the paint is still wet, use another brush to apply some white on the left upper side of the
bottle. Blend it outward into the darker paint. Do the same on the bottom of the bottle. Repeat on each bottle, then let dry.
Step 7: For the labels, I use white paint with a touch of brown. After painting the label, I use another brush loaded with white white paint and apply it vertically down the label, just left of center. Let dry.
Step 8: To paint the foil on the top of each bottle, I use the same process as the labels but with darker tones. Use brown paint and add the highlighted are with off-white paint, then let dry. Add a couple of horizontal pin stripes to it and the foil is complete.
Step 9: Adding distressed areas to the wall around the niche will help create a realistic mural. To do this, I use brown/blue paint with an off-white for highlighted accents. Be sure not to overdo your amount of distressed areas.
Step 10: Add details to the wine bottle labels. I recommend recreating labels from the customer's favorite bottles of wine. The more colorful and decorative the labels are, the better.
Step 1: I like my piece to have depth and texture. To accomplish this, I recommend using subtle faux finish for the
background. In the instructional photographs, you can see that I first applied a frottage finish using a brownish taupe
with a touch of orange. Be sure to make enough of the glaze to use later when painting the mural.
Step 2: Once the glaze for the background dries thoroughly, use a pencil and level to sketch the niche into the wall. To
accurately sketch the wine bottles, I use the actual bottles and carefully trace around them. This saves time while
recreating the realistic size and shape of each bottle.
Step 3: Begin planning your mural! Add some brown to the glaze from Step 1. This is used to create shadows which are
consistent with the light source. The shadows in my example appear to the right of the bottles, only slightly lower in
height. I also add shadows below the shelf, under the arch, and on the back wall (to the left).
Step 4: Next, add a darker shadow. Using two different shades for the shadows will create more depth for a more realistic
piece. For this I add more brown and a touch of blue to my original glaze. This will be applied to the lower corner of the
bottles' shadows and the upper left corner of the background. At this time, I also create a highlight area where the light
hits the inside wall on the right side, as as on the top of the shelf. For this, I use the same glaze with some white added
to it.
Step 5: It is now time to prime the bottles. Using blue paint with a little brown mixed into it, paint each bottle leaving
the label areas blank. Let this dry.
Step 6: This step requires a wet-on-wet technique. We now add a second coat of the blue/brown paint. Paint one section of
the bottle at a time. While the paint is still wet, use another brush to apply some white on the left upper side of the
bottle. Blend it outward into the darker paint. Do the same on the bottom of the bottle. Repeat on each bottle, then let dry.
Step 7: For the labels, I use white paint with a touch of brown. After painting the label, I use another brush loaded with white white paint and apply it vertically down the label, just left of center. Let dry.
Step 8: To paint the foil on the top of each bottle, I use the same process as the labels but with darker tones. Use brown paint and add the highlighted are with off-white paint, then let dry. Add a couple of horizontal pin stripes to it and the foil is complete.
Step 9: Adding distressed areas to the wall around the niche will help create a realistic mural. To do this, I use brown/blue paint with an off-white for highlighted accents. Be sure not to overdo your amount of distressed areas.
Step 10: Add details to the wine bottle labels. I recommend recreating labels from the customer's favorite bottles of wine. The more colorful and decorative the labels are, the better.
