So, i am finally beggining my first multiple giornata fresco. I have erected a lath on one of my walls and have laid the scratch coat on it. In a couple days i will do the arriccio and then intonaco- but first i have some questions. - 1st. Am i correct in presuming that you transfer the entire cartoon onto the arriccio coat? If correct, why so exactly? I can guess a couple of reasons, but just would like to hear it from someone who can make it make absolute sense to me. Second of all how the HELL DO I DO THIS?!?!?? hehehe.. Normally i just lay the cartoon with the pinholes along the lines on top of the curing plaster, drop and brush charcoal over it, and viola, the lines come through the other side. But with multiple giornatas is seems like it would be a little different. Do i do the same thing everyday, trying to place the cartoon in the exact same spot each time so everything comes through perfect? Is that it? or is there some other way? Im not sure if im making sense here, but alls i really want to know is how to transfer the peice of cartoon i wish to do each day unto the selected laid ammount of lime... Im guessing i would just match it up with the impression that is on the arriccio, and do the charcoal thing on the selected area. correct? im sorry for the silly questions im sure. but i really am learning. -2nd do i just throw the charcoal at the perforated picture? Because it will be vertical.
3rd- How important is it to have distilled water when you mix your lime up? Im using high calcite hydrated lime that comes in powder in a bag. Can you forsee any major difficulties if i were to use tap water? Anyways.. thats it for now.. Thank you for your help once again.

Ryan

If you are painting multiple giornata fresco the "sinopia" - cartoon transferred to the intonaco will help you to line up the tracings over freshly plastered intonaco by giving you reference points from previous giornata to unplastered arriccio over blank (yet unpainted) intonaco.

if you painting one, two or three days fresco it (sinopia) might not be needed.

Second of all how the HELL DO I DO
>THIS?!?!?? hehehe.. Normally i just lay the
>cartoon with the pinholes along the lines on top
>of the curing plaster, drop and brush charcoal
>over it, and viola, the lines come through the
>other side. But with multiple giornatas is seems
>like it would be a little different. Do i do
>the same thing everyday, trying to place the
>cartoon in the exact same spot each time so
>everything comes through perfect? Is that it?
>or is there some other way?

Read above answer - tracings from the cartoon are cut into day (giornatas) sections, actually sections should be about 8 inches larger all around than the giornata so you can line them up with - see above.

>-2nd do i just throw the charcoal at the
>perforated picture? Because it will be
>vertical.

put it into the muslin bag (rob a chrishna guy if you cant find muslin - their white robes are made of it LOL) you might need to fold it into 3 layers so not to much charcoal goes through. Old t shirt might work.
Use this "bag" to slightly hit the pounced tracings.

>3rd- How important is it to have distilled
>water when you mix your lime up? Im using high
>calcite hydrated lime that comes in powder in a
>bag. Can you forsee any major difficulties if i
>were to use tap water? Anyways.. thats it for
>now.. Thank you for your help once again.

Any salts, organic particles in the water will negatively affect the plaster and color...

ilia