I have pails of Type S Slaked Lime Putty (dolomitic lime) and I need to find a use for it.

Is it possible to use this slaked lime as a base (after Portland cement layer) for Lime Paint (Calce Pittura) for fresco painting?

I have Calce lime paint, Marmorino and the slaked lime in large quantities and wish to do some artwork with these products to use it up. I'm doing to do some art shows next year and I want to create inventory for these art shows with the product.

My question is this: Can Lime Paint be applied to the surface of the Slaked Lime Putty for the final coat of decorative painting?

Thanks!

Hi Sarah,

The short answer is yes.

The long answer is it depends on how you plan to apply it and what is your understanding of the foundational principles of the fresco painting.

Here is a link to where you can get this info in the organized and sequential way to help you answer your own questions and create your pieces with confidence:

http://www.frescoschool.org/fresco_school-prerequisite.html

The following excerpt from the Getty Institute' Introduction to Fresco Painting course handout developed by the Fresco School might be helpful:

Lime painting – a method in which fresco pigments are mixed with lime water or slaked lime; casein (or skim milk) can be added to increase adhesion. The wall is wetted down with lime water until the plaster softens or a paste of lime is laid upon the wall. This technique is also used in painting on setting plaster as a stage in the mezzo fresco technique. Pompeiian frescoes were often painted using mezzo fresco. Although it is a less demanding technique, the resulting painting has a more pastel or chalky quality, and is not as durable as Buon Fresco.

Buon Fresco or True Fresco – a painting method in which the artist must start applying his or her colors on the wet intonaco (painting plaster layer) as soon as it has been prepared and laid on the wall or ceiling. The plaster does not technically "dry" but rather a chemical reaction occurs in which calcium carbonate is formed as a result of carbon dioxide from the air combining with the calcium hydrate in the wet plaster.

Secco Fresco – a technique of applying colors onto dry plaster. Pigment is mixed with adhesives (i.e. binding mediums) such as egg, gum arabic, casein, animal skin glue, oils, or modern day acrylic. Results are not as durable as Buon Fresco and the painting will eventually flake off beyond repair. The Last Supper (c. A.D. 15th century) by Leonardo da Vinci is an unfortunate example of the limitations of the Secco technique.

Trullisatio or Scratch Coat – the first, base coat of plaster usually scratched with a trowel, hence the name. This coat is laid directly on the "chicken wire" mesh, lath stone, or brick.

Arriccio or Brown Coat – a layer of plaster over the scratch coat (trullisatio) and just under the finish coat of plaster (intonaco) which will be painted. The sinopia (full-scale composition) is created on the arriccio.

Intonaco - direct translation from Italian is "plaster", refers to a mixture of slaked lime and aggregate (other than marble powder, mainly sand) with a general proportion of 2-3 parts of aggregate to 1 part of lime. The word Intonaco is also used as a name for the final smoothest coat of plaster (5 parts lime to 8 parts aggregate) on which the actual Buon Fresco is painted before it dries and hardens.

Marmorino – a Roman plaster coat made of fine marble powder and lime putty (1 part lime to 1 part marble powder), this plaster coat is applied over intonaco. Greek origins, widely used in Ancient Rome for wall finishes and frescoes. However, this coat is very dense and usually polished which impairs absorption of paint. During the Renaissance, this coat was omitted and fresco painting was done directly on intonaco.

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Thank you for the wonderful information! That is exactly what I needed to know. My husband used to work in construction and he is familiar with Portland cement/stucco and wire meshing, etc. I would have him do the base layering and I just do the Lime Paint layer and Decorative Painting.

My plans are to work with this technique and to paint on the final coating (Lime Paint) with casein or Lime Water & pigments in the Lime Painting and Fresco Secco techniques. I not feel that I am knowledgeable enough to attempt the True Fresco/Buon Fresco technique yet.

I have wanted to take your class and hope to do so in the near future. In the meantime, it may be good for me to purchase your DVD tutorials to better understand the Foundations of True Fresco Painting. My ultimate goal is to recreate a Pompeiian Fresco panel utilizing these methods.

>>
>Arriccio or Brown Coat – a layer of plaster over
>the scratch coat (trullisatio) and just under
>the finish coat of plaster (intonaco) which will
>be painted. The sinopia (full-scale composition)
>is created on the arriccio.
>>------

If I understand this correctly, this is the layer where the "cartoon" is applied and done in an underpainting/grisaille technique? If this is before the finish coat, then the arriccio underpainting shows through the the finish coat, where the colors are actually applied...

Am I understanding this correctly?

Sarah

Hi Sarah,

I agree that is a little confusing - Sinopia refers to the monochrome painting/composition layout done on arriccio coat it helps to visualize composition in its final place and to line up the sections (giornatas) during the actual painting - intonaco applied over the arriccio completely consealing sinopia beneath.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/115897390384317972/

In pre-renaissance cartoons were not used so sinopia was also the only way to create a composition/study and present the concept to the patron.

What you refer to is "Verdaccio"

Verdaccio - an Italian name for the mixture of mars black and yellow ochre and very small amounts of white and red resulting in an olive tone, brownish soft green. Verdaccio also refers to an under-painting done using verdaccio color. During the Renaissance, verdaccio became an integral part of fresco painting. This color is used for defining tonal values, creating complete monochromatic under-paintings. Architectural details in frescoes are often left in verdaccio without any additional color layers. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is the best example where you can clearly see verdaccio under-painting left as is on most of the architectural details of the composition.
Check here: http://iliafresco.com/medium-of-fresco/multi-layer-fresco-didactic-panel-demo.html

PS. I would suggest for you to get the BFF Video Tutorials - they will make your learning curve a breeze. Also a purchase of a full set comes with 1hr 30min free phone consultation - you can call after watching whole 10hr tutorial or split it into several calls (upto 5 one for each volume) totaling 1 1/2 hr
This week there is also a promotion of additional 10% off the full set, here: http://www.FrescoSchool.com

This really is making sense to me now.

Do you have your 2014 Class schedule online now?

Hi Sarah,

About the classes: I would suggest private 4 day class - it has a flexible schedule (we compare calendars and select the date), we create custom focus and explore specific details of the technique, and you get to come by yourself or with an associate at no extra cost (you pay for the class and associate is free - this is the preferred format for professional companies - artist painter and plasterer as well as art colleges - professor and assistant).

http://frescoschool.org/fresco_programs.html

We will be updating the description - with the full release of the BFF Video Tutorials, we are painting from the day one and cover twice as much!

---------------------------------

>
>What you refer to is "Verdaccio"
>
> Verdaccio - an Italian name for the mixture of
>mars black and yellow ochre and very small
>amounts of white and red resulting in an olive
>tone, brownish soft green. Verdaccio also refers
>to an under-painting done using verdaccio color.
>During the Renaissance, verdaccio became an
>integral part of fresco painting. This color is
>used for defining tonal values, creating
>complete monochromatic under-paintings.
>Architectural details in frescoes are often left
>in verdaccio without any additional color
>layers. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is the
>best example where you can clearly see verdaccio
>under-painting left as is on most of the
>architectural details of the composition.
>

I seen on your Facebook page for the IDAL Event, that you have a 4-photo sample of this. The first one on the bottom left, is that the Verdaccio before the color overlays on the second one to the right of this first photo? It makes sense to me this way...

I have done Verdaccio/ Grisaille techniques in Classical Oil Painting, so this would be easier for me to comprehend when I view your tutorials. I want to purchase a set of DVD's as you suggested, and will do so, soon.

This wonderful information is really helping me pull together my experimental fresco painting project.

Thank you so much for your assistance!

Yes, you are correct

This BFF vol 3 "Fresco Verdaccio" demonstrates and details this process

http://www.frescoschool.com/fresco_painting_verdaccio.html

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