Scenic Art National Theatre

A woodgrain effect can be created by putting paint on a surface and skilfully running a plastic woodgraining tool over it.

A stencil and spray-gun can be used to make period wallpapers.

A marble effect can be created by puddling very thin paint over a base-coat and then sponging and mopping it in places.
The scenic artists are often called on to replicate the cast-concrete effect of the National Theatre's architecture.

Plastic, mass-produced vac-formed bricks can produce a brick wall much more cheaply than stencilling or carving, but careful painting is required to hide the fact that all the sheets of bricks are identical.
Sheets of plastic 'bricks' must be primed and painted to make them look real. Because the sheets are flatter than other means of producing fake bricks, the scenic artists must be even cleverer than normal in how they apply the paint.

Bricks' solid enough to walk on can be created with a stencil and a plaster/idendun mix.
Plaster 'bricks' can be painted very easily to give them a realistic look. The painting is most easily done with the 'bricks' lying flat, as the paint can be more easily blended. Several layers are required, and a grey or yellow mortar can be added in the gaps between bricks.

Trompe d'oeil uses techniques of light, shadow and texture to fool the eye into thinking a painting is three dimensional.