I brought back pigments from Italy to try attempting my own fresco. While I was in Rome studying, a class was offered at my college on fresco painting. In this class we only took pigments which were in a powdered form and added them to distilled water. Sometimes we added calce to lighten a color.

What I would like to know is how pigments are mixed using a glass surface and muller(sp)? Also I would like to know is there a special proceedure for mixing more than one color together? I noticed in a photo from Ben Long's site a note which said "Mix two colors first before adding a third." We always kept our colors in clear glass jars. Occassionally they would need to be spun. In photos from the "True Fresco Workshop" and other links to this site, I have noticed the colors look like a paste. Can these be held on a pallete instead of using glass jars?

Anyone who can explain how the colors are prepared by the pros, I would appreciate a response.

Thanks,

Jerry

In photos from the "True
>Fresco Workshop" and other links to this site, I
>have noticed the colors look like a paste. Can
>these be held on a pallete instead of using
>glass jars?
>
>Anyone who can explain how the colors are
>prepared by the pros, I would appreciate a
>response.

You must be referring to previously ground pigments that are kept in jars under a layer of distilled water.
They naturally settle at the bottom. See "Storing pigments" topic in this forum. When painting just get enough of the pigment paste and mix it as you did in Italy. Your colors must be thin and drop freely from the brush. The depth of the color is achieved through passing the brush several times (several layers of thin color). If you would be to paint with thick color it would just fall of the wall as dryed.

No, you can not use palette in the sence you mean it, however you can make a "fresco palette" a sort of a tray with a bunch of small cups and only for a finishing touches. When you mixing colors on the palette you can not controll how much of each color is going into the mix, there for you will not be able to recreate the color the next painting day and your giornatas will not match.

http://www.truefresco.com/workshop