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Painting, like all forms
of art, has a myriad media of expression. Right from
the simple oil and water color paintings, to fabric
painting to painting murals and on ceramics, the
possibilities for expression are limitless.
Fresco painting, a form of
painting that required a great deal of expertise and
skill, touched its zenith during the Renaissance
period in Italy. It was used widely for decorating
churches, palaces, and civic buildings. Piero della
Francesca was one of its outstanding practitioners.
Some of the most
famous fresco paintings from the Renaissance period
can be seen in Milan.
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Method of making a fresco
Fresco refers to a method
of painting on fresh plaster with water colors. The
trick is to paint when the plaster is still wet.
Before beginning a fresco, an artist first made a copy
of the drawing (in original scale). This drawing was
cut into sections of different sizes. The next step
would be to mark an area of work and apply as much
plaster as can be worked in a day. This was because
when plaster dries, a surface of carbonate of lime
forms at the top. And if colors are applied when the
plaster is still wet, the colors receive the carbonate
of lime coating too. This coating performs a dual role
of protecting the colors and giving them a clear
look.
Once the plaster was ready
the drawing (piece for the day) would be traced on to
the area plastered. This tracing was usually done by
running a stylus over the drawing and creating a dent
on the plaster. The outline would thus be transferred
on to the plaster. The other method used for tracing
was by pricking holes along the outline and dusting it
with charcoal. Once the outline was ready it would be
quickly painted with water colors.
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The joints of the
different sections of plaster can be seen on close
inspection. In fact the number of joints on a painting
was used to estimate the time taken to finish the
painting. However the artist would have needed to plan
a lot in advance to finish a fresco. Preparations for
the actual painting would have included a drawing of
the exact size of the desired painting, a correct
estimate of how much can be done in a day, accordingly
making pieces of the drawing and choosing colors
which wouldn't react to the chemical action of lime
among other things.
Two
methods of making frescos were prevalent, the one
described above was known as Buon Fresco and
the other easier method was to paint on dry plaster
and was known as fresco secco. Paintings made
using the dry plaster method were not so durable.
However the method was used to add some finishing
touches to a true fresco. |
