So, I decided that I am going to keep this blog up and running after this class ends. I want to continue attempting these techniques and hopefully develop my skill set so that I can create something that's not so embarrassing!
I plan to post photos of my progress and create some decent work!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
More about frescos...
A secco is the second of the three fresco painting techniques. It is different in that it uses completely dry plaster rather than the fresh plaster used in buon fresco. With buon fresco, there is no need for a binder because of the chemical reaction that occurs when the plaster is drying. Since the plaster is already dry in a secco, some type of binder such as egg, oil or glue is needed. Most a secco paintings have vanished as they did not stand the test of time, peeling and flaking away from the plaster surface. Buon fresco is a much more durable technique, but an a secco work, if done on a roughened surface, can be pretty durable itself.
It became more and more widely used over top of buon fresco to add detail and achieve the bright colors that wet plaster did not allow. There was also less guess work. When painting in buon fresco, the color variation was pretty extreme from the wet to dry. With a secco, there was little if any change in color. Another disadvantage to working in wet plaster is the time crunch to get each area done before it dies. “On the day of painting, a thinner, smooth layer of fine plaster, the intonaco, is added to the amount of wall that can be expected to be completed in a day, sometimes matching the contours of the figures or the landscape, but more often just starting from the top of the composition. This area is called the giornata("day's work"), and the different day stages can usually be seen in a large fresco, by a sort of seam that separates one from the next.”
It became more and more widely used over top of buon fresco to add detail and achieve the bright colors that wet plaster did not allow. There was also less guess work. When painting in buon fresco, the color variation was pretty extreme from the wet to dry. With a secco, there was little if any change in color. Another disadvantage to working in wet plaster is the time crunch to get each area done before it dies. “On the day of painting, a thinner, smooth layer of fine plaster, the intonaco, is added to the amount of wall that can be expected to be completed in a day, sometimes matching the contours of the figures or the landscape, but more often just starting from the top of the composition. This area is called the giornata("day's work"), and the different day stages can usually be seen in a large fresco, by a sort of seam that separates one from the next.”
Buon frescoes are difficult to create because of the deadline associated with the drying plaster. Generally, a layer of plaster will require ten to twelve hours to dry; ideally, an artist would begin to paint after one hour and continue until two hours before the drying time—giving seven to nine hours working time.
The third type of fresco painting is called mezzo-fresco. This is a technique where paint is applied to nearly dry plaster. There was a large advantage to this method; it allowed the artist to achieve the colors that a secco could, all the bright blues, etc. “ By the end of the sixteenth century this had largely displaced buon fresco, and was used by painters such as Gianbattista Tiepolo or Michelangelo. This technique had, in reduced form, the advantages of a secco work”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresco)
When I created my masterpiece (just kidding!) I didn’t do much of anything to make it a true fresco. Since I’m a poor college student, I used my leftover plaster from when I took sculpture (I knew it would come in handy eventually) and acrylic paint. The proper way to create a buon fresco includes many many layers along with dry pigments.
Fresco Plaster Coats are made of high calcium lime putty and "aggregate" which, most commonly is washed river sand, marble meal, volcanic tuff or the combination of it. The proportion of the mortar or plaster mix generally is:
Fresco Plaster Coats are made of high calcium lime putty and "aggregate" which, most commonly is washed river sand, marble meal, volcanic tuff or the combination of it. The proportion of the mortar or plaster mix generally is:
1 part lime putty : 2 parts aggregate (sand)
Or
5 parts lime putty : 8 parts aggregate (sand)
Washed River Sand is the best aggregate for making a fresco plaster, it is clean from impurities such as silica, dust, clay, organic particles, and the biggest enemy of all plasters - SALTs. This sand is also most likely to be of a right angular shape needed for "proper interlocking".
Traditionally there are five distinctive fresco plaster coats (from last to first):
Traditionally there are five distinctive fresco plaster coats (from last to first):
1. Intonaco or Skim Coat - final plaster coat on wich the actual painting is done.
2. Arriccio or Brown Coat - smooth, sand finish coat on which intonaco is applied.
3. Float Coat - smooth plaster coat, base for arriccio coat. This coat is fine leveled and floated with darby and large wooden float. Usually this would be a "conventional" stucco finish installed by plastering contractor.
4. Rough Coat - rough plaster coat made with somewhat coarse sand. This coat is often combined with float coat by conventional plastering contractors.
5. Scratch Coat - the initial and one of the most important coats. This coat is applied directly to wire mash or wooden lath and then scratched with "tooth edged" trowel. Cement is often added to this coat for hard and fast setting.
"Cartoon" - full scale drawing of the future fresco. Cartoons are drawn on regular paper with pencil, graphite, charcoal, sepia chalk, etc., etc. The purpose of a cartoon is a thorough study and final rendition of the composition, light, shadow, details of the future fresco, it is a preparatory drawing taken to the next level. Correctly done cartoon is a "stand along" artwork. Although optional in other painting mediums, Cartoon is essential when paintng in Fresco not only as the main guideline for transferring the design onto freshly laid (fresco) plaster, but also as the main tool and method of understanding and orcestrating the steps for painting of the corresponding fresco.
(http://www.fresco-techniques.com/fresco-cartoon.html)
There’s just so many steps and a big part of fresco is that for a true fresco there are NO shortcuts. Of course, full-time school and a full-time job didn’t allow for too much extra time to go through every step. Now that I’m graduating, I will have a little more free time and I hope to create some real fresco paintings. Although my painting wasn’t up to true fresco standards, it was still a really fun and interesting experience and I’m feeling like I might enjoy the process and outcome of real fresco painting.
The quotes above were taken from a website that I found to be extremely informative. It is www.fresco-techniques.com and helped me understand the medium much better than before. After going through it, I feel more confident about creating a successful buon fresco.
And for your viewing pleasure, another fresco for you to look at!
There’s just so many steps and a big part of fresco is that for a true fresco there are NO shortcuts. Of course, full-time school and a full-time job didn’t allow for too much extra time to go through every step. Now that I’m graduating, I will have a little more free time and I hope to create some real fresco paintings. Although my painting wasn’t up to true fresco standards, it was still a really fun and interesting experience and I’m feeling like I might enjoy the process and outcome of real fresco painting.
The quotes above were taken from a website that I found to be extremely informative. It is www.fresco-techniques.com and helped me understand the medium much better than before. After going through it, I feel more confident about creating a successful buon fresco.
And for your viewing pleasure, another fresco for you to look at!
A fresco from the Sistine Chapel!
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