Wall mural: A Guest From Another World

This is my second try to develop new techniques to make paintings and deco with books. I call this one "Hoofs and Books" because... it rhymes. My village lot was full with my previous tapestry, so I should start  to use the basement and to develop a different way to work there.

This time I tried to create a wall mural. I lost the (so-so) 3D effect that horizontal books do, but the characteristics to live down in a hole are better for a mural: the horizontal view/space is smaller and the light there is darker, so it needs something vertical with a much clearer image. The best news is that in a basement the item limit is five time the outside lot. In a village lot, for example, it is 2.000 (400x5).

The big problem now is that we only can stack five books, so I tried a system using cabinets in the back to make a taller pile. The result of the experiment is this: 

A Lord guest came from beyond to visit Novia in Halloween. Can you guess Who is?

I prepared it in four dimensional and mortal but happy steps:

• First I used a pile of dark cabinets. A line of six this time with columns of two. We can also pile three cabinets to add two more books to the mural, but that makes to appear an ugly wooden line that cannot be avoided in the design. The cabinets should be placed like a ladder with small steps, to put the volumes between the cabinets.  

• Now is time for the books. The maximum pile size is 11 (two books will have a smaller size shape, covered with front volumes). In the front line we put 4 or 5 books and then continue with the next line, in the upper cabinet. 

• We can use the smaller shape books to play with the drawing affect. We also can play with the deep of the books and to leave some holes to add a little 3D effect. Finally I like to add some details to the panting, as the mist in the ghost mouth or the some-kind-of blood moon. 

• To add some more tridimensionality we can put some items in the mural. Lights in the bottom of the graveyard, a unholy skull there, flowers for my tombstone...

• Finally we can use the true dimensional space in the basement. Here I put some skeletons lying in the ground, grim reapers in both sides to flank and guard my creation and some wall candles as stars or will-o'-the-wisps near the roof. We also could continue the mural in the sides, making a semicircle. But I just wanted to use the metronome guardians this time.

And this is all I can teach you. At the end you will need a good bunch of lights, because the basements atmosphere is a little bit too much gothic to appreciate a mural or paintings like this one.

Finally you just need to add lights everywhere. Floor, walls, weapons, head...

If you make any drawing with the H&B technique don't forget to send me some pictures. I will spare your life in the Llama Apocalypse if you do that!

And f you want to check the "Guest From Another World" in person you can do it in the basement where the Tapestry of the Llama is, in the Islands of Wonders, next to PaxLair, east of Brittany, center of my heart (I was kidding, I have not). 

Only in release 22!