Artists have many techniques available to them to successfully imitate the appearance of actual surfaces. Some of these methods involve photographic or mechanical processes, while others are painstakingly executed by hand. If the illusion is consistent and persuasive enough to convince us that we are looking at "real" objects, then it may be said to trompe l'oeil, which means "fool the eye." For some people this ability to fool the viewer is still the measure of a successful artwork, but others find little lasting value in displays of technical ability that simply parrot nature.
