Patent Application
20180050559
The present invention relates to works of art, and more particularly to paintings and portraits, and even more particularly to paintings and portraits of multiple images, and most particularly to paintings and portraits of multiple images where only selected images or portions of images are viewable under different light conditions.
Pieces of art, particularly paintings and portraits, are generally static images of the painting's subject. Centuries of painting have utilized numerous marking materials (charcoal, oil-based paints, chalk, pastels, latex and acrylic paints, etc.) on countless substrates (textile, wood, plaster, ceramic, plastic, glass and stone) to form the image. However, these images are typically only viewable under ambient or incandescent lighting.
More recently, artists have utilized fluorescent paints to create viewable images when subjected to ultraviolet (UV) light such as via a black light. These fluorescent images are typically outlines or highlights of the underlying image that is viewable in ambient light. For example, a portrait may be painted with oil-based paints on canvas so as to be viewable in ambient light. Fluorescent paint may then be added to outline the subject's hair and facial features such that the identity of the subject may be discerned under black light. Similarly, pieces of art have also used glow-in-the-dark paint or other phosphorescent materials to permit an image to be viewable when in a dark environment. Again, these images are generally outlines or highlights of the underlying image.
Thus, what is needed is an article or artwork, such as a painting, wherein distinct and different images are selectively viewable under different light conditions, including ambient/incandescent light, ultraviolet light and low/no light conditions. The present invention addresses these, as well as other, needs.
It is, therefore, an aspect of the present invention to provide article of artwork having multiple images selectively viewable in different light conditions. The article comprises a substrate and a first image applied to the substrate using a first marking material which is viewable under ambient and incandescent light. A second image is applied to the substrate using a second marking material comprising fluorescent compounds. The second image is viewable under ultraviolet light. A third image is applied to the substrate using a third marking material comprising phosphorescent compounds. The third image is viewable when the article is placed in a dark environment after being exposed to light.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a textile, wood, plaster, ceramic, plastic, glass and stone. The first marking material may be charcoal, oil-based paint, chalk, pastels, latex paint or acrylic paint and the second marking material is transparent under ambient or incandescent light. The third marking material is further visible under ultraviolet light. A portion of the second image may overlap a portion of the first image and a portion of the third image may overlap a portion of one or both of the first image and the second image.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of creating an article of artwork having multiple images selectively viewable in different light conditions comprises: a) applying a first marking material to a substrate to form a first image, the first image viewable under ambient and incandescent light; b) applying a second marking material comprising fluorescent compounds to the substrate to form a second image, the second image viewable under ultraviolet light; and c) applying a third marking material comprising phosphorescent compounds to the substrate to form a third image, the third image viewable under ultraviolet light or when in a dark environment.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the method may further comprise the steps of: i) creating individual sketches of each of the first image, the second image and the third image; ii) overlapping the individual sketches; and iii) selectively moving one or more of the individual sketches to correlate image overlap relating to colors and each visible image under differing light conditions prior to applying the first marking material to the substrate to form the first image.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the individual sketches may be digital images viewable on a computing device and may be digital scans of sketches on paper. The computing device may condition the sketch of the first image to be viewable under ambient and incandescent light, condition the sketch of the second image to be viewable under ultraviolet light; and condition the sketch of the third image to be viewable in a dark environment. The computing device may then selectively simultaneously display each of the individual sketches or simulate an ambient light environment, an ultraviolet light environment or the dark environment so as to render respective sketches viewable at a time.
In a further aspect of the method, the first marking material is applied to the substrate and allowed to dry before application of the second marking material and the second marking material is applied to the substrate and allowed to dry before application of the third marking material. In a further aspect, the second and third marking materials may be applied under ultraviolet light conditions. A portion of the second image may overlap a portion of the first image and a portion of the third image may overlap a portion of one or both of the first image and the second image
In still a further aspect of the method, the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a textile, wood, plaster, ceramic, plastic, glass and stone; the first marking material is selected from the group consisting of charcoal, oil-based paint, chalk, pastels, latex paint and acrylic paint; the second marking material may be transparent under ambient or incandescent light; and the third marking material may further be viewable under ultraviolet light.
The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings:
With reference to
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In this manner, only first image 12 may be viewed when under ambient/incandescent lighting conditions. However, when exposed to UV light in a darkened room, both the second marking material and third marking material may emit light such that second image 22 and third image 32 become viewable while first image 12 becomes less discernable as described above. Upon termination of UV light exposure in a darkened room, the fluorescent second marking material will cease to emit light while the third marking material will continue to phosphoresce. As a result, third image 32 will remain viewable while second image 22 is substantially non-discernible. Because the third marking material is viewable under UV light, the placement and any selective mixing/overlapping of third marking material and second marking material needs to be carefully controlled and accounted for when creating painting 10. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the best viewing sequence of painting 10 may be to first view first image 12 under ambient/incandescent light, followed by viewing second and third images 22, 32 under UV light, followed by viewing third image 32 in a dark environment.
Turning now to
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the first image must be fixed and dried prior to application of the second marking material. Should the first image not be sufficiently dry, unwanted bleeding or mixing of the second marking material into the first marking material may result. In a further aspect of the present invention, the first image must be completed and dried prior to application of any second marking material because any edits or touch-ups to the first image after application of the second marking material may interfere with, or prevent, the desired fluorescence which generates the second image. By way of example, multiple coats of second marking material may be applied to the canvas to create the desired shade of color/fluorescent intensity of the second image. Should any first marking material be later added which overlaps the multiple coats of second marking material, the desired second image may be compromised. Retouching the second image would also be extremely difficult, if not impossible, due to the finely controlled application and overlapping of the multiple coats of second marking material. As a result, the second image may not fluoresce as intended or wanted.
To aid in the creation of painting 10, method 100 may further include additional steps 140-170 as described more fully below. That is, prior to application of any marking material to the canvas, a number of sketches may be generated. For instance, at step 140, a sketch of first image 12a may be created (see
To further aid in the creation of painting 10, each sketch 12a, 22a, 32a may be digitized at steps 145, 155, 165 respectively, such as via a color scanner, and uploaded to a computing device, such as but not limited to, a personal computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone (not shown). The computing device may selectively simultaneously display and overlap the image of each of the individual sketches to assist in manipulating the sketches as described above. The computing device may also selectively simulate an ambient light environment, an ultraviolet light environment and/or a dark environment so as to render respective sketches 12a, 22a, 32a viewable at a time when under the proper lighting conditions.
Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is understood that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the full spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.
