Hi everyone,

This may be a bit of hair splitting but I always appreciate knowing as much as I can about the things which interest me.

In this Wiki post http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresco
it states that pigments "sink" into the plaster. While there may be a semantic difference in regards to what sink is, it is not my understanding or experience with the technique of fresco. I know frescoes scratch to reveal the intonaco's white makeup. The post also mentions a "mezzo" technique which seems more familiar to me.

It is my understanding that the pigment particles in buon fresco technique accumulate at the surface of the plaster while the water passes through the plaster (like a very dense filter). Eventually these particles at the surface become locked in by crystals created when the plaster reacts with Carbon Dioxide, becoming calcium carbonate.

For clarity's sake, what does a fresco surface look like under the microscope? Are there images of this anywhere on the web (i can't seem to find them). Technically speaking, is the post on wiki correct?

Thanks!