Keep Your 'Test' Samples

I often shop at our local Lidl supermarket. It does a range of garden, hardware, clothing and craft items. They take in the different things, usually just for one week, depending on the time of year.

I like their stretched canvases; they are a good quality and a very good price. I’m not so keen on the paint brushes though.

They sometimes have acrylic paints and acrylic pastes. Recently they had some acrylic pastes that I hadn’t seen before so I bought a box to try.

Whenever I get new items I try them out on a piece of thick paper or thin card. Then I keep the card with the paint/paste, this helps when I consider using it at some time in the future. I just need to check how it looks to see if it will give me the effect I want.

Obviously once you’ve used an item a few times you know what to expect. However this is a handy tip for the times when you buy new items or for things you only use occasionally.

I have included a couple of photos of the samples I have with the paints and pastes.

As you can see I’m not too fussy about it being very neat!

The lower one is a box of acrylic pastes. It had gold satin, aluminium, crystal (clear), nacre (mother of pearl) and the standard white paste.

Looking for Inspiration?

These types of sample cards can be handy when you want to paint something but don’t know what. They can provide a starting point for a painting when you consider what you can use them for.

That’s what I did when painting this picture of Yoda, from Star Wars. I had bought some metallic paints and wanted to use them. The sheen from the gold and bronze paints made a good ‘alien world’ background.

(As I've mentioned in other posts it is a good idea to paint around the edge of the stretched canvas as it allows you to hang the picture unframed if you want, that is what I did with this one.)

Acrylic Painting, How to buy the Right Equipment for using with Acrylic Paints [Kindle Edition]

I've just added this new report that you may be interested in if you have a Kindle.

It is a collection of articles and reports I have written. It covers acrylic paints, suitable brushes to use with acrylic paints, the best painting surfaces, acrylic mediums, and colour mixing tips too.

Here's the link if you want to check it out

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LO6REI

You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser, however there is also a link on the right hand side of this page too.

How to Paint a Textured Background

Painting in backgrounds in landscapes is fairly straightforward. However when painting still life or animal portraits the background area is often a cause for concern.

Painting in backgrounds is a common problem. This post is about a way to use cheesecloth to give a lightly textured background.

The following background techniques would usually be painted before the main part of the picture.


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How to Paint a Textured Background using Cheesecloth


I like the background of a picture to have some texture or subtle colour. This has two benefits.

Firstly, by breaking up a flat background the painting is more interesting.

Secondly, if you smudge the main area of the painting it is a lot easier to repair the background area. When the background is a flat colour, all the background would need to be over-painted. With a textured background you can (often!) touch up some areas without needing to repaint all the background.


Using Cheesecloth is Easy

For an interesting background texture you can use cheesecloth or muslin. This technique can also be effective with voile and lace fabrics too. Try to experiment with whatever loosely woven fabrics you have.


Use the Fabric like a Stencil

Start by spraying your painting surface with water and then place on your fabric.

Next, brush or use a sponge to apply a thinned paint over the fabric. Try not to use too watery paint or it will run underneath it and you won’t get a texture. If this happens just dry everything off with some paper towel and try again.

Let the paint dry for about 10 to 15 minutes (depending on conditions) and then remove the fabric before the paint is completely dry. The impression of the fabric will be left in the painted background.


Alternately use the Fabric for an Impression

Another way to use the fabric is to paint the background and then press the fabric into the painted surface for a different look.

In this case the fabric will soak up some of the paint giving thicker and thinner areas that will provide some texture.


When I Paint in the Background

When I paint pet portraits I have found the easiest thing is to lightly draw in the pet portrait shape and then paint in the background area. When using a stretched canvas I paint around the sides at this stage too.

This way I can leave the majority of the portrait area unpainted. A really textured background would need a thickly painted portrait to cover it otherwise.

Then towards the end of the picture I tidy up any background areas that need it and finally paint some of the fur over the background paint. This blends both areas a little and adds to the texture of the pet fur.

This would work equally well with flowers or other subjects that are the main focus of your picture.


Abstract Themes

These painting techniques will work well for abstract pictures too. However in abstract pictures these techniques could be used at any stage.

They would be handy to use after the whole picture has been painted to add some extra interest. Then you can just define a few of the areas to bring them forward.

That is, paint most of the picture, apply the texture, and then emphasis a few of the areas once the texture has dried.

These highlighted areas would be a good place to use some acrylic mediums to give either a gloss finish or perhaps metallic highlights.


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I hope you find this helpful.
There is no right way to paint, just different ideas for achieving the look you want. :-)

How to use Fabric to Produce Colour Matching Artwork

When you’re decorating a room you will often replace the curtains, cushions and other soft furnishings. You can use some of the new fabrics to create your own colour (and pattern) matched art.


What size?

Choose your stretched canvas so that it is the size you want for the completed picture. This choice will probably depend on where you intend to display the canvas.


Then you have a couple of options...

1. You can stretch the fabric over the canvas, and staple it on at the back. Seal the fabric with a clear acrylic medium and leave to dry. You now have a completed piece for displaying.

When you’re using a medium to heavy weight fabric (cotton works best) you can fix it over just the stretchers. (In the same way as a stretched canvas, but without the canvas)

If you’re good at woodwork you could make up a wooden frame to stretch the fabric over.

2. Or once you get to this stage you can prime the fabric with a matt acrylic medium and once it is dry you can add some paint to enhance the look and make a totally original piece of art.

If you’re using a fabric with a pattern you will need to use transparent or thinned colours if you don’t want to cover up the original fabric pattern.


Use your imagination

This is an interesting way to make matching artwork when you are decorating.

You can use some of the leftover fabric and add additional colours or patterns. This way the artwork will match those colours and patterns used in the room without being exactly the same.

Top Tip Be sure to buy some extra fabric it you want to try this idea.

You could add some metallic paints to decorate the fabric, or paint some thicker paint onto certain areas to make it more three dimensional.



Fabric weights

If you wanted to do this with a thinner fabric you can glue the fabric onto a stretched canvas. However if the fabric is strong enough you can just staple it onto a stretched canvas instead. Just stretch the fabric and staple it onto the back of the frame for the best result.

To do this start in the middle of the opposing sides and work out towards the corners. I find it best to do just the middle section of the top and bottom sides, then the middle section of the left and right sides before getting all the way to the corners. It helps to get the fabric smooth and flat.

If you have trouble getting a tidy result you can always remove the staples and start again.

As I mentioned already if you’re using a strong cotton type fabric you have the option of fixing it to just the stretchers (without the canvas). However I like to use a stretched canvas as I think that having the canvas underneath the fabric makes the final piece stronger and it’s easier to paint onto as well.


You could sew

If you wanted to use a few different fabrics you could always sew them together to make up a fabric section big enough to cover your stretched canvas. And then carry on from there.

You can really use your ingenuity to produce something wonderful.


Other additions

This idea works really well with patterned fabrics. You can just pick out some of the pattern to enhance, either with additional paints or adding some of the unusual acrylic mediums. Some of these acrylic mediums have things added to them (like small beads) to produce an interesting look.

Acrylic paint also acts as an adhesive so you could add small objects to the wet paint.


The Best Top Tip

Be sure to staple the fabric onto the back of the stretched canvas so that (when the canvas is hung) the stapled area will be facing the wall. Spend a bit of time getting the corners looking neat and tidy too. This means that you can hang the artwork without a frame and it will look great.

This is a modern look and (with no need to pay for framing) it will save you some money too.

Making your own original artwork can be easier than you think.

Acrylic Painting Technique – Make a Print Unique (Part 2)

The top photo is the black and white photograph I cropped from the original photo.

The lower image is my completed painting.

Using acrylic paints and mediums

In this second part I'm trying a mix of two painting techniques.

I'm still using the same photo of my parents that I used in last month's posting, but this time I printed it onto a thinner photographic paper. The photo paper is a matte General Use one of 120gsm, for using with inkjet printers. As before, if you want to try this you need to make sure that your printer ink is not affected by water once dry. My printer uses pigmented inks that are waterproof when dry.

This time I started with the same photo and cropped out the part I wanted to use. I didn't like the background in the photo so I cut it off. Last time I painted it out but this time I want to try to use the paint as thin washes.

I then printed out the cropped photo in black and white. I'll add the colour using the paints.

Seal the Back of the Paper – First Technique

As this is fairly thin paper I sealed the back of my (cropped) print with Acrylic Gesso. Once dry I'm hoping that it will stop the paper from buckling too much when I apply the washes. This technique is explained in the blog posting of the 20 January 2009.

I left this overnight to make sure that it was fully dry.

Use washes of colour

I used washes of colour to paint the print. This makes painting the faces a lot easier as the lines and shading are already in place. No worries about getting the faces looking good either. :-)

In this example I still wanted to change the black of my mother's top to something lighter and this had to be painted with thicker paints. However the rest of the painting was put in using thin washes of colour.

I used a light random wash for the background as the portraits are the main focus of the picture.

The Result

I didn't spend too long on this painting. The original print was very low resolution so the printed image is not too clear, which I really like. So when I added the colour I did not want to be too precise. I think that it makes the final result look more like a painting than a coloured photo.

Using the gesso on the back helped to stop the paper from stretching too much but it still buckled a little bit when wet, however on the whole it was fine.

I'm fairly pleased with the result.

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This example used a 'budget' weight of photographic paper compared to the one in last month's example. If I hadn't put the acrylic gesso on the back of it the paper would have stretched too much to get a good result. The paint would have puddle in the lower areas and looked terrible.

I prefer the painting from last month as it looks like a 'proper' painted portrait. However this example using washes gives a very good likeness and was painted in a fraction of the time too.

It really depends on the look you want and the photo you are using.

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Acrylic Painting Technique – Make a Print Unique Example

Example using acrylic paints and mediums


Here is an example of starting with a print and painting over the top of it. This is an easy way to paint an original picture without needing to draw! (This is an example to go with the article of the same name below.)

I don't paint a lot of portraits (human ones). I paint a lot of pet portraits and I must say I find painting fur a lot easier than skin. :-) Anyway I thought this would make a good example.

This is a photo of my parents. I don't have many photos of them together in their later years. This particular photo was taken on a holiday to Saudi Arabia. It's a fairly typical holiday ‘snap’.

There are a couple of things that are unfortunate. The top of the wall being in line with Dad’s head is the aspect that I think needs most attention. Also Mum never wore all black outfits; she wore it on this occasion due to the customs of the country they were visiting.

What I did

I printed out the photo on 190g/m² photographic paper; this is a thick quality paper. My printer uses pigmented inks that, once dry, don't run if they get wet.

Even though I made the print 9 by 7 inches (about 22 by 17 cm) I found it was quite small when painting some of the detail. So the picture needed to be done in a loosely painted style.

The Background

Titanium White is an opaque colour so I used a lot of it in the mix to paint the background and to get rid of the rear wall. I used the paints with the minimum of water so the paper wouldn’t buckle too much.

Keep a Copy of the Print for Reference

Once the background was dry I painted in my folks. I used the print to know where to paint the darker and lighter tones.

At this point I had to get a copy of the original print for reference and for fine tuning the picture. I couldn't see the original print once it was painted over as I had used the paint quite thickly.

Changing the Black

It took several layers of paint to change Mum’s outfit to a colour that she would normally wear.

Dad’s shirt was over-painted with a thin wash of colour and a little bit of shading.

I feel I got a reasonable likeness and I know that they would be happy that I made them look a little younger than the photo. ;-)

This technique can be used with any subject; it doesn't have to be a portrait. It would work really well with landscapes of local scene too.

You could also try it on any prints that you may have to make them more interesting and unique.

Acrylic Painting Technique – Make a Print Unique

Using acrylic paints and mediums

This is a different way to update a print into something more unique. It can make an ordinary print look like an expensive original painting.

You can use this technique on a store bought print or you can print out one of your own pictures or photos.

Be sure to check that the print colour is not affected by painting on top of it.
Note - Some computer inks will not be suitable for this method.

Paint on extra colour and texture

The idea is to paint onto the print. This will allow you to add extra colour, perhaps making it a better match for your décor? This will make the final picture unique to you as well, your own custom artwork.

You can use some of the various acrylic gels or texture mediums to show up the brush strokes too. Adding extra texture to the foreground will help to add depth to landscape pictures.

Depending on the result you want you could paint on some texture paste (which is white), then over-paint the dried texture paste with colour. This works best where you want a strong texture.

Or you could use one of the gel mediums to give texture without changing the colour too much; I find this most effective for medium texture effects.

You have the option of adding a different colour to any section of the print you want. You control the strength of the colour as well. If you do not like a particular area you can change it.

You could also add some metallic colours, it really is your choice!

Sunflowers?

An example of this technique could be over-painting a print of Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. You could use this technique to add some distinctive brush stroke textures, in the same fashion he used in the original painting.

This can make a regular print into something much more interesting to look at.

Holiday Photos

If your computer ink is suitable you could print out a holiday photograph and add some paint and texture so that it will look like you painted a wonderful picture from your vacation!

Key Points

* Be sure that painting on the print will not dissolve the colours in the print.

* Adding texture to the foreground will make the distance look ‘further away’.

* You can use just paints to alter the colours, or just add a little texture.

* Use the gel mediums and texture paste for more exaggerated textures.

A Different Use for Acrylic Gesso?

I recently read an article about using acrylic gesso to prime the back of a paper painting surface. It said that you do not need to stretch the paper if you used the gesso.

I tried an experiment of this technique and it worked really well.


What is gesso? Here is a quick definition


Acrylic gesso (from Wikipedia)

“Modern acrylic "gesso" is actually a combination of calcium carbonate with an acrylic polymer medium latex, a pigment and other chemicals that ensure flexibility, and ensure long archival life. It is sold premixed for both sizing and priming a canvas for painting. While it does contain calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to increase the absorbency of the primer coat, Titanium dioxide or titanium white is often added as the whitening agent. This allows the "gesso" to remain flexible enough to use on canvas.”

Or my basic definition is – Acrylic Gesso is like a thick white paint and is applied with a brush to prime a surface before painting a picture.

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Using Acrylic Gesso instead of Stretching Paper Surfaces


Priming surfaces with acrylic gesso

Using gesso is the normal way to prime a painting surface; it is usually used to prime a stretched canvas before starting a painting.

It can also be used to prime card and paper. Priming the front of a paper or cardboard painting surface with gesso will change the absorbency of the surface, this means that the painting surface will not behave in the same manner as an untreated surface.

Gesso is applied with a brush so there is a surface texture and this seems to hold more paint than an untreated surface does.

You can apply gesso to the back of the paper?

If you don’t want the properties of the paper surface to change you can prime the back of the painting surface. This will also keep the paper from curling while you paint.

In my test piece I had to hold the paper onto a board with masking tape while I painted on the gesso and let it dry. It did curl a little when I removed the tape as you can see in the top photo. So I found it easiest to use some more masking tape to hold the paper in place on a board while I painted the picture (on the side with no gesso) as shown in the bottom photo.

During the painting the paper only buckled slightly when wet, and dried back flat. I think that this was very successful and I will definitely try this technique again.

I found it to be a successful alternative to conventional stretching paper.

Also, I've had a container of acrylic gesso for many months and this is a good way to make full use of it too. :-)

How to use Texture Paste and a Stencil for a 3D Painting

This is an interesting an easy technique for using a stencil to make a lovely picture. It is a handy way to add a 3 dimensional look to your paintings.

In my example I used a stencil of a Celtic knot that I'd cut a few years ago. So this is a good way of using any old stencils you may have too.

Celtic knots are usually cut into stone so I wanted a fairly rough looking result. By applying the texture paste and not being too tidy I got the rugged look I wanted. It is simple to do.

Just place the stencil on the painting surface, I used a canvas panel, and use a palette knife to fill the gaps in the stencil with texture paste. You can hold the stencil in place with some masking tape if you want.

Then remove the stencil while the paste is still wet and let everything dry. Be sure to wash the stencil straight away if you want to keep it for using again.

Apply the paint

Once the paste is dry you can paint the picture in any way you want. Depending on the result you want you can apply the paint with a brush, sponge, splatter it on with an old toothbrush, or whatever will achieve the look you want.

In my example I did all the above except using a sponge!

Another use for Stencils – Just Paint

You can also use a stencil and just spray paint through it.

Place the stencil on the painting surface and spray with paint. Thin coats will work best.

Acrylic paints dry quickly so you can build up to a stronger colour by using several thin coats, letting each coat dry before adding the next.

This is a very convenient technique for complicated shapes too.

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Stuck for Christmas Present Ideas?

Some people are difficult to buy for but I sell a few items from the Learn and Do website that would be great gift ideas. As a special service to you if you order any of the items below I will gift wrap it and post it with your message to whoever you specify (this will save you needing to send it your self). Most of these items include worldwide delivery, please remember the shipping time and do not leave it too late.

What about...

1. The Learn to Crochet CD has two computer video files as well as four books of crochet patterns and information. The video files are viewed on a computer and so anyone in the world, with a computer, can see and learn how to crochet. This is a wonderful gift

2. The Learn-to-Crochet DVD and Manual shows how to crochet and comes with a 47 page printed manual full of crochet information and patterns. However, this item is only for the United Kingdom due to the DVD PAL format, but it is ideal for anyone who does not have a computer.

3. The Acrylic Painting Course on CD and Acrylic Painting, the First Steps Video CD. This is a two CD set, one with the four part painting course and bonus reports. The second CD has a computer video file that shows the painting equipment, how to load brushes and set up your painting area as well as how to paint two kinds of trees. Perfect for beginners

If you would like any of these items posted to your family or friends please e-mail me when you buy them with the delivery address and the message you would like to include.

Using Texture Paste - an Acrylic Painting Technique

Use texture paste to add extra interest to your pictures.

Impasto Pictures

For impasto pictures it can be very cost effective to use texture paste rather than huge amounts of acrylic paint.

Texture paste is a white product. While you can add colour to the texture paste to colour it, a better way is to apply the white paste to the picture, let it dry and then add the colour over the dried paste. This technique uses a lot less colour too.

You would need to use a lot of paint to achieve a dark colour of texture paste!

Not Just Impasto Pictures

However, you can use texture paste in ‘normal’ paintings as well. I like to use it for things in the foreground and help to give more depth to the picture.

In the photos you can see where texture paste has been used in quite a subtle technique. I could have used straight paint for a similar result, but I find that using a palette knife and taking the paste from its jar–like container a lot easier. I think it gives a better result as well.

In this example I used the paste to add texture to different sections of the front edge of the stone pillar. This particular picture is painted using the acrylics in a watercolour style, but because I’m using acrylics it is possible to add this extra quality to the picture.

(This painting is “The Old Man of Hoy in the Sea Mist”. This stone stack is found in the Orkney Islands at the far north of the UK.)

Other Ideas

You could use this technique for bushes in the front of your landscape pictures. It is handy for stony foregrounds too.

Top Tip - When you paint over the dried paste add darker colours to the hollows to give added depth. A good effect for the minimum effort ;-)

This is a great technique for adding interest to your pictures.

Top Tips for using Acrylic Paints – Number 10

Use Acrylic Mediums to Extend the Range of Effects

Adding an acrylic medium to the paint allows you to create a further range of effects.

For example – the glaze medium can help to produce watercolour effects. Glaze mediums are available in both gloss and matt finishes which will give different results to the final picture. A good idea is to use a gloss medium on the highlights, especially on water, for a lovely finish.

There are also gel mediums and texture paste which will give extra body to the paint for three dimensional effects. Rather than use a lot of paint to achieve a 3D look you can add the gel medium to the paint and it will bulk it up, this is a lot cheaper than using straight paint.

When using the texture paste is easiest to apply the texture paste to the painting surface and let it dry. Then paint the colour you want on top of the dried texture paste. You can add a darker colour to the ‘valleys’ to add to the textural look too.

The Black Canvas Project - Paint Something Different!

This is a good idea for the times when you want to try to paint something a bit different. The final result can be stunning.

Instead of starting with a white background why not try a black one?

Although I call this the Black Canvas Project it does not need to be a canvas! It works just the same on any painting surface, like paper or canvas panel.

What to do

This is really easy; just paint the whole of the painting surface with black acrylic paint. OK, I know this can look a bit drastic to start with but it really is an interesting option when starting a painting.

What then?

Usually you need to paint in the middle tones, shadows and then highlight the objects in your painting; however with this technique you already have all the shadows in. In this case you are picking out just the middle tones and highlights.

You may need to apply the paint a bit more thickly than normal, depending on your painting style.

This is useful when painting sunrise/sunset type pictures that have a lot of shadow. It is great for stormy pictures too.

Abstracts too

This technique works well with abstract style paintings too. It is especially effective when you want to include some metallic paints. The dark background shows up the metallic colours and makes them more vibrant.

What about adding an acrylic medium?

If you have one of the acrylic mediums that give a metallic effect to the paints you will be able to make a range of metallic colours. I have an Interferance Medium in Gold that works really well.

For a more subtle look you could try the Pearlescent Tinting Medium, which is my favourite of the moment.

When you use a medium you still get the colour but with a metallic effect. The metallic colours, like gold and silver, just look like metal. Your choice will depend on the result you want to achieve.

Next time you fancy trying to paint something a bit different look out the black paint!

Card Making - How to Paint Your Own Backing Papers - Part 2

Part One described how to use pre-stretched paper and acrylic paints to paint backing paper for card making. This article looks at ways to make your backing papers even more individual.

Use Acrylic Mediums

There are acrylic mediums that can be added to the acrylic paint to extend the range of effects you can achieve. The acrylic mediums can make the paint dry to a glossy or matt finish. Other mediums can give beautiful metallic effects or add textures like sand or small glass beads.

(The metallic mediums are especially effective on dark colours.)

There are a wide range of acrylic mediums that you can use. Be sure to check out the range I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Apply the Paint without a Brush

You could also try applying the paint with crumpled paper towel or thin plastic for a random textured finish.

You can paint your backing paper to co-ordinate with your other card making materials which will save you both -

* time spent looking for just the ‘right’ paper
* money as you can use the paints that you already have.

Rip instead of Cut

Another idea is instead of cutting the backing paper you could rip the background paper for a different look.

You’ll find that ripping towards yourself will give a different effect compared to when you rip away from yourself.

The size and shape of the exposed edge will be different. On dark coloured surfaces exposing the white ‘centre of the paper’ will give a white border that can be very pleasing.

This all adds to the variety of effects you can achieve. This is a great way to make your cards individual and special, so that they stand out from the crowd.

Card Making – How to Paint Your Own Backing Papers - Part 1

Recently there has been a huge interest in card making. Card making is a hobby that can cover a wide range of different crafting techniques.

The use of acrylic paints in card making will add another cost effective and interesting option to the materials you can use in the final card. If you already have a range of acrylic paints you’ll be able to use these paints to enhance your card making materials.

A popular style of card making uses layers of different papers to give the final card more interest and/or extra height.

Paint Your Own for a Perfect Match

You can paint your own backing paper to suit the other materials you wish to use in your card.

The simplest way is to apply a wash of colour or colours to some pre-stretched paper. Let the paper dry, remove the paper from the pad and cut it to the size you want to use for your background paper.

One effective method is to dampen the paper with a spray bottle of water and drip on the colours you wish to use – letting the colours spread and blend together. This can be subtle or dramatic depending on your choice of colours.

Use Salt for a Textured Effect

A variation on this method is to sprinkle on some salt after applying the colours. Leave the paper to dry, and then brush off the salt. The final result will have a lovely speckled, textured effect.

Painting Technique Inspired by Junk Mail

Inspired by junk mail?

The latest thing at the moment is high definition TV. The Sky satellite company is really pushing the advertising.

It is quite an interesting problem for them. How can they convey the wonderful new picture when we only have the old technology to view it on?

The actual TV ads have lovely bright colours moving around in fluid shapes. But they still have the problem with printed ads.

Copy this idea

I received an advert in the mail last week and thought it was inspired.
This was a master class in paint finishes!

They used still photos from the TV ads but the printed version was in a matt finish (and on very thick paper to give a feeling of luxury!). They selected a few sections to highlight using a gloss finish. There were very few of these gloss areas and this helped to maximize the impact.

The contrast between the matt and the gloss was lovely. Very eye catching.

It was what we are all trying to achieve, A Wow Moment!

How to Use This Idea

You could use this with your own artwork, especially if you are painting abstracts using acrylic paints. You can get a free report on how to do this by clicking on the link in this blog!!

To make the final picture matt you could paint it with matt acrylic varnish (I use the kind for painting interior woodwork) or you could cover it with a matt acrylic medium. Then once the matt finish is dried select a few areas to highlight with the gloss (varnish or medium).

If you try this and don’t like the effect you can repaint the glossed sections with the matt varnish and have another try with the gloss, choosing different areas.

The final painting will have a lot of interest when displayed because the different light levels throughout the day will change how it looks. Also the surface will appear to vary depending on the angle you are viewing it from.

This is a simple way to get a very special effect.