Hyperrealism with Tom Mulliner

The Constructed Eye: Day 19 Geometric, Tilt, Spiral, Bulge, and Orientation Illusions Exploring Illusory Space: How Control over Context, Geometry, and Orientation Distorts What Artists and Brains See Comparative analysis: A simple ellipse (left) vs. local tilt cues (right) disrupting orientation judgments as demonstrated in the Zöllner and Orbison illusions. Note controlled geometry and local tilt emphasis. Expert Objective Today’s masterclass unpacks the neural and perceptual architecture underlying geometric illusions—specifically tilt, spiral, bulge, and orientation effects—with direct analysis of their psychophysical signatures and relevance to advanced artistic practice. Artists gain not only empirical understanding but also informed strategies to manipulate or avoid unwanted distortions in composition, perspective, and illusion. Obs...

Capstone Studio Project: Designing a Painting Around Binder Chemistry From the Renaissance master’s luminous egg tempera to the fluorescent sheen of mid-century Pop Art, the story of painting is inseparable from the science—and magic—of binding agents. Today’s lesson challenges you to design your own artwork, not just with a binder, but around its core chemistry . Egg Yolk (Protein & Lipid) Linseed Oil (Triglyceride) Acrylic Polymer (PMMA copolymer) Major painting binders by chemistry: protein-lipid (egg yolk), oil (linseed), and synthetic polymer (acrylic). Each confers distinct film properties and working qualities ( Tate ). Dramatic History in Chemistry Picture Botticelli in his Florentine studio, the volatile aroma of egg tempera sharp in the air, every brushstroke racing time before the yolk dries. Contrast this with David Hockney, layering luminous acrylics in his California s...

Binder Recipes Compared: Traditional, Modern, and Conservation-Safe Limits Day 28 – The Chemistry of Binding Agents Masterclass Alchemical Artistry: Comparing the recipes that shaped art across centuries and chemistry Historic paint pots Historic binders—egg tempera, oil, and acrylic—shaped masterpieces by Giotto, Rembrandt, and Rothko. We compare the chemistry behind the legends. Dramatic Opener: Secrets of Longevity and Brilliance 1453, Florence: Beneath the flicker of tallow lamps, a painter hammers open a fresh egg, separating yolk with the precision of an apothecary. Across Europe, another stirs linseed oil and pigment by firelight. Fast-forward to the 1960s: a chemist extrudes acrylic polymer emulsions that dry in minutes. Every era’s binder—egg, oil, plastic—forms the hidden armature behind legacies like Giotto’s frescoes, van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait , and Rothko’s vibrating fi...

Archival Best Practice: What “Permanent” Can and Cannot Mean Course: The Chemistry of Binding Agents Day 27 "Permanent" Artworks: The Myth and Reality of Endurance From Renaissance tempera panels to late-modern acrylics, artists have craved permanence. But what do chemists, museums, and conservators really mean by "archival"? The lure of permanency: Artists across centuries have searched for binding agents and techniques that promise their marks will last beyond their own lives. But "archival" is never absolute—science sets the boundaries. Infographic: Core question for Day 27. Dramatic historical opener: In 1504, Leonardo da Vinci, famed for pursuing technical perfection, stood before his newly finished mural, The Battle of Anghiari . Within decades, the once-vivid work had nearly vanished—his experimental binder failed, highlighting a bitter lesson in permanence. Today, artists reach for “archival” mate...

Choosing a Binder for Style: Detail, Blend, Texture, Speed, and Scale Day 26 – The Chemistry of Binding Agents: From Egg Tempera and Linseed Oil to Modern Acrylic Polymers "The binder is the brush’s pulse—every mark lives or flattens by its chemistry." —A master’s perspective from the studio, mid-20th century Paris The artist’s choice of binder shapes not just technique but expression, dictating what is possible with a given touch or gesture. A Dramatic Crossroad: When Chemistry Informs Style In 1437, Jan van Eyck—by legend and by chemical sleuthing—perfected a luminous realism in oil, forever altering painterly possibility [1] . Nearly 500 years later, Jackson Pollock seized acrylic, using its rapid set to harness velocity itself as a design element. Though separated by centuries, both relied on binders tailored to their ambitions. What determined their materials? In a word: chemistry, governing detail,...

Checkpoint: Build a Parameterized Peripheral-Drift Generator Customizable digital rendering of the classic peripheral drift pattern. When fixating just above or below the bands, lateral motion appears, particularly in the periphery, despite total image stillness. Day 18 of The Constructed Eye masterclass challenges you to construct a digital peripheral-drift generator, modeling the illusions pioneered by Akiyoshi Kitaoka and neurobiological work by Beau Lotto. We step beyond replication: you’ll parameterize luminance, contrast, and edge geometry to test theoretical models and inform new studio interventions. Expert Objective Develop a parameterized graphics tool to system...