Hello all.
As a newcomer to the forum, and fresco, please excuse any "re-topics".
I am extremely excited about entering this world after being away from my painting for so long. I have spent the last many years as a business, doing authentic imported Italian plaster wall finishes, working with wonderful pigments in lime, so I find fresco as a natural transition back to my painting roots.
What I am searching for now is as much information on the authentic fresco techniques as I can get my hands on...from panel construction and materials and recipes, to the true art and presentation. I’ve been watching the Dimitrov's AFM "Fresco Workshop Video" which is great, but only opens a door to many more questions.
I am an avid reader, so I was hoping for as many book and resource suggestions as I could find to get me started in the right direction.

Thanks in advance, Mitchell

Hi Mitchel and welcome!

There is a book somewhere by Ole Nordstrom (i am not sure about the spelling) that many referred as a good resource. Also search this forum for "books" - there is a topic somewhere with the list of books to read.

There is a wall prep article under "Albuquerque Fresco" in this topic. There is a 1-5 day fresco workshop that you can attend this coming January (16th-20th). If you take five-day class you will paint 4 buon frescoes. This is the best way to understand plaster and panel/wall prep not to mention painting itself.

go to http://frescoschool.com

We posted some close up images from our workshops that may be helpful at http://truefresco.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=545&thumb=1

I have Dimitrov's video, Kimberly Adams have sent me one years ago. You surely can use it as a starting point although, as you pointed out, it just opens the door. You will need to pay more attention to plaster for starters.

I have been making fresco panels of pumice, 3/8in granules, cement and lime at 12/l/l with just enough water to make the mix uniformly wet. Then pouring into frames of various sizes and lifting the form off right away. The surface of these panels is textured for an ideal key with the intonaco, as well as being absorbent light weight and easy to frame and hang. I have been doing landscapes of Martineztown, the neighborhood I live in with an easel and over the past few month have produces a couple dozen paintings. I can be reached at Nephtali @ unm.edu or my address is 1217 Edith NE apt c Albuquerque NM, 87102 I would b vry excited to receive correspondence.

12/l/l -- is it 12 parts pumice 1 part cement and 1 part lime?

How about some photos?

here are some other books you might find interesting:

"Materials & Methods of Painting" by Lynton Lamb

"The Materials & Techniques of Painting" by Jonathan Stephenson

"Plastering, Palin & Decorative: A Practical Treatise on the Art & Craft" by William Millar (pub 1897)

"The Art of Fresco Painting" by Mrs Merrifield (pub 1846)

"Fresco Painting - Its Art & Technique" by james Ward )pub 1909.

Ilia,

Thanks very much for the list.

Hopefully, this weekend I will start construction of my first wooden panels...although I still need to choose the type of wood, framing, fasteners, vapor barrier, etc.
Maybe I should have named this thread "An obsessed man’s first attempt at fresco - need to know everything"

Thanks again for your help.

Mitchell

Ilia,

I was able to find "Materials & Methods of Painting" by Lynton Lamb and "The Materials & Techniques of Painting" by Jonathan Stephenson at amazon.com. They're on the way. If you know of any other places to search for the other books...please let me know.

Thanks, Mitchell

Go to your City's main library and look in 1920th-30th
it more likely will not be in the computer. Check the "old fasion" cards there should be hundreds of titles