I have received so many great compliments and comments on the new “Old Masters” background that is now in my studio. Most ask if it is a backdrop. It is a wall that I painted in my studio to look like a traditional “Old Masters” backdrop. Because I have received so many good compliments and questions about how I created the look I wanted to share some photographs of the wall in its various stages. I did not want to purchase another backdrop but I wanted that “Old Masters” look for my images. I went to the local big box hardware store and purchased several pints of mismatched tinted paint. I was not concerned about the exact colors and shades to be used in the background. I was more interested in how the colors interplayed and complemented each other. 

The First Phase. I painted a base coat of brown then added some highlights of green and light brown. I used a sponge to apply the highlights then softened them with a dry brush. I applied the highlights in a random pattern that looked good to me.

Phase Two. I added additional highlights of red. yellow, and dark brown. Again I used a sponge to apply the highlights and used a dry brush soften them up a bit. I also wanted more dark brown around the edges to provide some interior/exterior contrast. Again, I just applied the highlights randomly, just doing what looked good to me. I knew that if I did not like the finished product I would paint over it and start anew.