Theatrical Painting Techniques

About

Painting has a long history in theatre.  Because shows take place in distant, often imaginative, locations, it is impossible to create or recreate these places using real materials such as brick, stone, etc.  The use of various painting techniques allows the scenic artist to recreate locations using common, light-weight materials.

Woodgrain

Through the use of various shades, paint can be used to recreate the patterns found in natural wood.  This is very useful in such applications as:
  • A fake wood floor
  • Wood paneling on walls
  • Natural wood doors
This is an instructional video from the National Theatre on how to create the woodgrain effect using paint.
As you watch this video, please fill out the Cornell Notes sheet.  In the notes section, write detailed notes on how this technique is done.  At the bottom, summarize the entire process.

Marble and Concrete

So, you have been hired to be the Scenic Designer for a show that has an interior set.  You need to create a very rich-looking ballroom with marble columns, but your budget will not allow you to buy REAL marble columns...and they might fall through the floor.  What do you do?  The marble painting technique is great for creating:
  • Columns
  • Staircases
  • Floors
This is an instructional video from the National Theatre on how to create marble and concrete using paint!
As you watch this video, please fill out the Cornell Notes sheet.  In the notes section, write detailed notes on how this technique is done.  At the bottom, summarize the entire process.
After you finish painting, please fill out this reflection.  You should create an honest reflection of your work, thoroughly explaining the things you did well, and acknowledging those things you still need to work on.  

Scumbling

As a scenic artist, you will be called on to paint drops for shows.  The scumbling technique can be very useful when creating a sky (as the video shows), a field of grass, bricks, or any other instance when you need to mix colors.  For this technique, you need two shades (a light and a dark) of the same color, some water, and paint brushes.
As you watch this video, please fill out the Cornell Notes sheet.  In the notes section, write detailed notes on how this technique is done.  At the bottom, summarize the entire process.