Money Laudering – Trompe L’Oeil Painting of a 1980s $50 Bill Hung Out to Dry

trompe loeil money painting photorealism by kim testone
“Money Laundering,” acrylic on panel, 10″ x 10″. SOLD

I found this $50 bill from 1981, and just had to paint it before I
spent it. The designs of the old bills are so much more interesting to
me than the current designs, at least for painting.

I used a very
small brush to paint all of the details on this piece. I’m including a
photo of my original subject next to my painting. I do my best to
capture all of the lighting and colors correctly, so that at a glance,
it’s not easy to tell which is the painting.

Be sure to visit my
Instagram page to see a progress shot of this piece as I worked on it –
https://www.instagram.com/kimtestoneartist/.

Thanks for looking!

Leave a Reply

Kim Testone

Artist Kim Testone

I’m a full-time acrylic realism and trompe l’oeil painter creating whimsical food paintings inspired by real-life creations that I bake, decorate or scoop in my kitchen. All of my paintings are flat, painted with many thin layers of acrylic paint, aiming to look at three-dimensional as possible. I hope you’ll join me on the journey of creating art that brings a little happy magic into the world. I’ll be sharing my process, my insights, and hopefully some things that will inspire you to appreciate the little things around you every day.

The Formal Stuff:

  • B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Central Florida
  • M.A. in Arts Administration from Savannah College of Art and Design
  • Former Art Magazine Editor

Discover more from Making Happy Art

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading