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Affresco ( In
English usage, “fresco” ). Painting done on freshly laid wet plaster with
pigments dissolved in lime water. As both dry they become completely integrated.
Known as “true” fresco, this technique was most popular from the late thirteenth
to the mid-sixteenth centuries.
The common assumption
that all mural painting is fresco painting is an erroneous idea. It is
true that one can in fact paint on fresh plaster, or intonaco, to make
a painting in affresco or a fresco. In true fresco the artist must start
applying his colors on the wet (or fresco) intonaco as soon as it has been
prepared and laid on the wall. The colors can thus be absorbed by the wet
plaster. When it dries and hardens, the colors become one with plaster.
Technically speaking
the plaster does not “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.
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Early
morning hours.
While Ian Hardwick is applying the final "skim" coat -
intonaco, Ilia Anossov is working on mixing right color
tones for the day ahead.
This marks the beginning of painting day - giornata. Painting
is the final and most challenging, of course, stage in creation
of the fresco. Before the artist ready to pain several steps
should be followed: 1). Full scale detailed compositional
rendering - cartoon should be developed and pounced
tracing made. 2) Color study should be created, it will
be used for mixing right color tones and general color
reference. 3) Plaster has to be prepared a few days in
advance (the earlier the better - lime needs time to "adopt
itself to the sand and gain plasticity) in proportion of 8 parts
extra fine sand to 5 parts slaked (pitted) lime or so with the least
water possible. 4) Panel mast have three coats
(scratch, brown/rough and float (arriccio), coat names
reflect the grade of sand - coarse, rough, fine ) of
plaster put on previously with intervals of 5 days in between
the coats or "wet on wet". 5). It helps to
grind the base pigments with water into the paste in
advance storing them in sealed glass jars, this way in the
morning (before the painting begins) will be more time to
prepare tone mixes. Try about 25 different tones. Use freshly
ground dry lime mixed with water as white (pigments mixed with
lime and lime mixed for whites can not be saved) all mixes
should be done ONLY with distilled water. 6) I use soft
long bristle brushes of various sizes round and flat. 7)
After the final intonaco is applied it should be left for about
20min to settle. |
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Late
Morning -
Ilia Anossov is working on monochrome under painting.
After preparation is done and freshly laid intonaco had settled
it is time to transfer the cartoon. Tracing from the cartoon
pounced along the lines with needle or pouncing wheel is laid
over the plaster and dusted over with charcoal or simply incised
(pressed along the lines) by the opposite end of a thin brush to
provide the base guideline for the painting process. The under-painting
is done with terra verde (green earth pigment) with
shadows enhanced in umber (picture on the right)
or with other colors, but remember in fresco it is not possible
to completely paint out a "wrong" color therefore
every tone should be carefully planned. Another thing to
remember is that plaster behaves differently during the day - it
will need more water in the tones at the beginning and the end
of the day then in the middle and do not keep to much paint on
the brush - it will result in "blobs" squeeze it
slightly between the fingers before touching the plaster. |
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Midday
- under-painting is done and Ilia Anossov is
beginning to apply color.
Major
color values should be painted out first in the same manner as
under-painting - work the entire giornata gradually and keep it
balanced, also plaster will not take to much paint at once, let
it "rest" between the passes of a brush by working on
different area. It should be about 25 tone variations with light
and dark with two mid tones in-between of each color. The best
working pigments in fresco are the earth oxides and other
mineral pigments. Some pigments will not work with lime plaster
at all - some man made greens change to yellow as being mixed,
so as many other modern day pigments except the ones that
specially formulated for the use with plasters. Test the colors
in advance by mixing little portions of them with lime, also
most of art supply stores should have reference material on
traditional fresco palette. |
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The
End of the day. Ilia Anossov is finishing the
fresco. He is putting the last touches by picking up the details and
accents. The end of the day for the
fresco painter is the most pleasant stage the plaster enters
what is sometimes called "the golden hour" - painting
is 3/4 done and plaster is in it's best stage. Time to finish
the detail pickup and blend color tones by passing over and over
with lairs of transparent color at (this stage the color mixes
should be "wet" again). Painter must work fast and precise
at this stage because "golden hour" also means that
plaster will soon "lock up" - stop receiving paint
(the paint will change to much lighter opaque tone as soon a it
touches the plaster - that is it put the brush down!). One thing
to remember is that in the next seven or so days following the
painting the fresco will be undergoing the curing stage and this
is a confidence test for the Artist. Colors dry at different
speed and plaster is naturally compacted unevenly although it
looks flat and perfect changes to white faster in more compacted
ereas. These are to of many other factors that make color in
fresco change into discouraging cacophony for the first few days
after the painting is finished. But do not worry in about 7-10
days it will look even more beautiful and just a little lighter
then the day it was painted.
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Questions?
Post in Forum
Cafe al
Fresco - " Fresco Forum"
To
commission a fresco click "Get
Quote"
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To
purchase fresco supplies click
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Step by step tutorial on preparation for
Fresco. We will guide You through development of the concept and design,
building composition based on giornatas, calculating the
time and steps, ordering material.
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Developing of the Cartoon and making tracings.
From
concept sketch and color rendering to full scale Cartoon and color
study. Finalizing giornatas layout and making tracings.
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Wall preparation. Plaster selection and
application. Sand and lime mixtures. Humidity control and
moisture. Tools and equipment. Tips from master-plasterer Ian
Hardwick.
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Pigment selection and color preparation. Pigment
grinding and storing ground base colors. Use of white and
monitoring mixed colors during painting. Tools and equipment.
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Painting and joining giornatas. Steps
in painting. Morning, midday, evening differences. "Golden
Hour" and drying challenge. Plaster behaviors and planning of
the painting day.
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Our Studio's Fresco Workshop. Enrolment
information. Pricing and schedule. "Learn Fresco painting
technique first hand" from Ilia Anossov - painter and Ian
Hardwick - plasterer.
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Materials for Fresco on-line an by
mail. Where and how to find
and buy fresco supplies. Lime, pigments, brushes, etc. On-line
ordering.
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