Study Guide Chapter 2.2 (Painting)

buon fresco method

1.Apply layer of rough plaster consisting of: sand, gravel, cement, lime. Let dry. A rough surface is necessary so the next layer has something to adhere to. Ancient practice was to add straw or other plant material to the plaster mixture. 2.Apply layer of smoother plaster containing smaller particles of sand. Let dry. It takes three to five days to complete the first two steps. 3. Apply smooth plaster mixture containing lime and finer particles of sand, covering only area to be painted before plaster dries. Depending on the moisture in the environment, it can take 10 to 12 hours for plaster to dry. 4.Use cartoon or thin paint to draw image onto wet plaster. (Talked about cartoons in drawing chapter.) 5.May apply another thin, smooth white plaster over wet plaster and drawn lines. Colors are brighter when painted onto a white surface. 6.Apply paint while plaster is wet. Follow link to view video (5:16 minutes) showing the buon fresco method Michelangelo most likely used.

An Artist's Tools

2.2.2 Commonly used brush types, and the parts of an artist's brush: Round: sketching and thinned paint application, can be rolled in hand for special effect; Filbert: for applying color, short bristles for more control and softened edges; Flat: for long, fluid strokes and sharp edges; Bright: for controlled detailing and applying areas of color; Fan: for blending slow-drying paint and softening edges 2.2.3 Palette knife, a tool that can be used by the painter for mixing and applying paint

Fresco

A wall painting technique used since ancient times. Two methods: •Fresco secco (dry fresco) Paint applied to dry plaster •Buon fresco (true fresco) Paint applied to wet plaster Buon Fresco Paint Mixture Colored pigments suspended in water with no binder. Water evaporates as the plaster dries and the lime in the plaster goes through a chemical reaction, binding the paint to the wall. Fresco Pigment mixed with water is applied to a lime-plaster surface Earliest examples come from Crete in the Mediterranean, c. 1600-1500 bce Two methods: buon fresco (good fresco) which is more permanent and durable, and fresco secco (dry fresco)

Impasto

Apply thick paint onto painting surface. Paint protrudes from the surface. paint applied in thick layers painting that applies the pigment thickly so that brush or palette knife marks are visible the process or technique of laying on paint or pigment thickly so that it stands out from a surface.

Glazing

Apply thin layers of paint over previously dried thin layers of paint. Glazing requires careful planning and the application of very thin paint. in oil painting, adding a transparent layer of paint to achieve a richness in texture, volume, and form

ink painting

Commonly used on paper; the fibers hold the pigment Painting inks are slightly different from drawing inks because they have a binder, usually gum arabic, rather than simply being suspended in water A monochromatic style of painting developed in China, using black ink with gray washes.

2.2.4 Portrait of a boy. c. 100-150 CE. Encaustic on wood. 15⅜ x 7½". Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Encaustic

Encaustic on a wood panel. Originally, a portrait was placed over the face of a mummified deceased and wrapped in the cloth as seen in next slide. In the 1800's, hundreds of these portraits were found in a couple of cemeteries located in the Fayum Oasis, Egypt. The prior slide showing the portrait intact is rare (discovered in 1900's); most of the portraits were removed from the mummies. Art historians are not certain if the portraits are natural representations of individuals nor whether they were painted before or after death. The portraits are of individuals from young to old. Follow this link to YouTube and view a video of a slide show by the Smithsonian showing individual Fayum portraits. Video is 4:32 minutes long -you do not have to watch the entire video. The portrait seen on the left appears in the video at 2:55. Portraits were made when Egypt was part of the Roman Empire. The style of the portraits is Greco-Roman and painted with either encaustic or tempera paint. The slide showing the portrait within its mummy wrappings (see below), was painted with tempera paint and is not as luminous as the encaustic painting of the boy on left. As you noticed in the Smithsonian video, the majority of the portraits had a similar pose where the body is slightly turned to the left or right with the face in a frontal view. The use of different values to imply volume appeared in Greece during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. There is a sense of depth/volume. The face contrasts with the background; the background is an unsaturated neutral color with grey in the paint mixture. Volume is implied with a range of values from highlights to shades, including highlights on the eyes. The texture (actual & implied) of the clothes appear rougher than the face. Since encaustic dries fast (think of how fast dripping candle wax cools), brushstrokes are usually visible unless smoothed by heating. Perhaps the face area was reheated to create a smooth surface while the clothes were not reheated. Note we see areas of the wood that are not covered with encaustic paint. These areas are hidden beneath the mummy wrappings. Follow this link to the Metropolitan Museum and read a brief essay. Tempera paint with gold leaf. Detail of a portrait within its mummy wrappings. C. 80 -100 CE. Portrait of a boy Used as a funerary adornment Artist created a naturalistic likeness of the deceased Part of a group referred to as Fayum portraits after the Fayum Oasis in Egypt where many were found

2.2.11 Joan Brown, Girl in Chair, 1962. Oil on canvas, 5 ×4'. LACMA, California

Joan Brown, Girl in Chair Used impasto (paint applied in thick layers) Gives work a three-dimensional presence

Medium

Mediums are liquids that hold the pigments together without dissolving them. To be confusing, "medium" has two different meanings in art. 1.As defined above. 2.The material/media an artist uses to make art. I will try to use "media" instead of "medium" when referring to the material an artist uses to create their art.

Oil paint

Most common binder -linseed oil. Does not require a stiff support, such as wood panels. Stretch linen over wood frames. Seal cloth with rabbit skin glue then coat with a white oil-base ground. Today: stretch cotton canvas or linen over wood frames. Apply coats of Gesso to seal fibers of cloth. Oil paint different from Tempera Paint •Dries slower, 1 to 3 days depending on the thickness of the paint. •Has a luminous appearance rather than dull. •Since oil paint does not dry fast, it is easy to blend colors, create new colors directly on the painting surface (wet on wet method) instead of premixing a color before applying to painting surface, and create gradations of colors. •Wet on wet method means a new color is created by mixing a different color with a color already on the canvas. E.g. yellow paint is on a canvas and still wet. An artist can put blue on their paint brush and paint on the yellow. Since the yellow is still wet, the blue mixes with the yellow and creates a green. •A gradation is easily created by using the wet on wet method. E.g. a gradation from yellow to a red-orange is created by placing yellow paint on the painting surface and then gradually blending in small amounts of red to create a range of colors (similar to a gray scale): yellow, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange. Methods of applying oil paint •Glazing Apply thin layers of paint over previously dried thin layers of paint. •Wet on dry Apply paint over previously dried paint. •Wet on wet Mix colors directly on canvas. •Impasto Apply thick paint onto painting surface. Paint protrudes from the surface. Oil Used during the Middle Ages, but only regularly since fifteenth century Linseed-oil binder (by-product of flax) Flexible, slow drying, and can be blended days after application, allowing for smooth effects and fine detail

2.2.6 José Clemente Orozco, Prometheus, 1930. Fresco mural (central panel), approx 20 ×28½'. Frary Hall, Pomona College, Claremont, California Fresco

Perspectives on Art: José Clemente Orozco 1920s to mid-1930s, Mexican mural artists expressed their aspirations for social justice and freedom, and revived the art of fresco painting Despite disabilities, Orozco became a significant and radical artist of the Mexican Mural Renaissance

Watercolor and Gouache

Pigment suspended in water with a sticky binder, usually gum arabic Usually painted on paper Watercolor is transparent; any white area in a watercolor is unpainted paper An additive (often chalk) in gouache makes the paint opaque Waterbased paint , images based on transparency and layering. -Powdered pigment -Binder = gum Arabic -Thinner = water -Opaque watercolor (Gouache) adds: Chalk dust

Pigment

Pigments are colored particles of fine powder derived from minerals, plants, animal by- products, insects..... Paint pigments are insoluble (soluble pigments are classified as dyes.) Today, some pigments are synthetically produced. Pigment grinder with well for water. Made from a slab of basalt rock Pigments are ground into a powder and mixed with water. A gum is added to the mixture that adheres paint onto wall after the water evaporates. Pigments are extracted from minerals, soils, vegetable matter, and animal by-products

Acrylic paint

Pigments suspended in acrylic polymer resin (binder is polymer resin) Used since 1950's Dries quickly (30 minutes) Thin with water Shares some characteristics of oil paint however not as luminous and since acrylic paint dries quickly, it is not as easy to blend colors (work wet on wet). Not possible to blend large areas of color. Placing layers of paint over dry paint (wet on dry) is the most common method used. Acrylic Composed of pigments suspended in an acrylic polymer resin In use since about 1950 Dries quickly and can be cleaned from surfaces with water

2.2.18 Roger Shimomura (1939 -). Untitled. 1984. Acrylic on canvas. 5'½" ×6'¼". Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri Acrylic

Roger Shimomura is a 3rdgeneration Japanese-American artist. He was three years old when his family was sent to an internment camp during WWII. Shimomura explores multiple identities through his art. Uses Pop Art style for the majority of his artwork. Untitled is painted in a comic book style (flat shapes of colors.) Did not blend colors. Painted shapes of color and then added lines on top of the dry surface. The lines and shapes seen on the pink brush stroke (lower center) were painted after the pink paint dried. The suggestion of a shadow on superman's cape is a shape painted after the red paint dried. Not all acrylic paintings appear this flat. It is possible to blend small areas of paint and use other techniques such as stippling and dry brush to imply textures and layers of colors. Roger Shimomura, Untitled Shimomura uses acrylics as his primary medium Investigates the effects of conflict between cultures Merges traditional Japanese imagery with popular culture and typically American subjects

3.1.19 Fowling scene. From the tomb of Nebamun. Thebes, Egypt. 18th Dynasty. c.1350BCE. Painted plaster. 38⅝ ×8¾". British Museum, London, England twisted perspective = composite view

Secco fresco (paint on dry plaster), the most common method used for tomb paintings. A fragment from a wall paintings in the upper chamber of Nebamun's tomb. Tomb was cut from crumbling limestone on the west bank of the Nile. It is necessary to reinforce the limestone with layers of plaster. First layer is a thick coat of mud, stone, and plant materials such as reeds, straw, and flower heads to bind the mud together. A final coat of a smooth layer of white plaster was applied. Paint was applied after the plaster dried. Fowling scene is from a wall in the tomb of Nebamun. Originally there was another half depicting Nebamun fishing with his son. That part has been lost except for two old photographs that show some fragments of the scene. Tomb has 2 levels. The lower level is where the deceased resides and the upper level is used by family members to visit and make offerings. Fowling scene and other paintings were located on the upper level of Nebamun'stomb. Read textbook, page 378-9. Begin with full paragraph (Paintings made during...). Paintings made during the time of the ancient Egyptians are rich in details that tell us about the way people lived. Wealthy people filled their tombs with paintings showing what they wished to take with them into the afterlife. The image in 3.1.19 is from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun, a "scribe and grain accountant in the granary of divine offerings" in the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak. The hieroglyphic writing (see Box: Hieroglyphs, p. 376) on the right identifies him and tells us that he enjoyed hunting. Nebamun is depicted hunting several species of birds; a cat holding birds in its mouth is shown underneath his right elbow. The artist included an Egyptian boat and the rich, lush growth of the reed-like papyrus plant. This scene highlights the importance of the River Nile to the Egyptians, and how the flooding of the Nile symbolized a cycle of regeneration and new life each year, just as Egyptians believed that after death they would be reborn. The artist depicted the figures in hierarchical scale, that is, in proportion to their importance: Nebamun is shown the largest, his wife is smaller, and their daughter is the smallest of all. Nebamun's legs are shown in profile while his torso is shown frontally, and although his face is in profile, his eye looks straight at the viewer. This method of depicting figures is known as twisted perspective, also called composite view. Wall painting fragment with grid. Unknown tomb. New Kingdom. Egypt. An unfinished seccofresco. The grid on the lower left is not visible once the painting is finished. Before painting, a grid was made to aid in creating proportions relative to Egyptian cannons (standards.) You learned the palm was used to create proportional figures. Grid made by covering a string with powdered pigments, pull string taunt and place on wall. With the string taunt, lift string a short distance from wall and release. The powder pigment is transferred to the wall. If you have used a chalk line tool, the grid is made in a similar manner.

oil painting

Used during the Middle Ages, but only regularly since fifteenth century Linseed-oil binder (by-product of flax) Flexible, slow drying, and can be blended days after application, allowing for smooth effects and fine detail

2.2.9 Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009). Christina's World. 1948. Tempera on gessoedpanel. 32 ¼ x 47 ¾". Museum of Modern Art, New York. Tempera

Used egg tempera paint. Mostly likely Wyeth began the painting by painting outlines of Christina, house, and barn. These lines are no longer visible. Next, large shapes of color where quickly painted onto the wood panel. Perhaps some colors were blended in small areas before the paint dried (within minutes.) The detailed areas, (grass, hair, and figure) were painted slowly with brush strokes of short, thin lines. Similar to drawing lines with a pencil. The greyish values seen on Christina's dress where not blended with the pink. The shadows are thin lines of paint. 2.2.9 (left) Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World, 1948.Tempera on gessoedpanel, 32 1⁄4 × 47 3⁄4". MoMA, New York The appeal of tempera painting continues today. It has been used to create some of the most recognizable works in American art. Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), loved by Americans for his sense of realism and high detail, chose tempera to create works that provide a glimpse into American life in the mid-twentieth century. The subject of Christina's World (2.2.9) is a neighbor of Wyeth's in Maine who had suffered from polio and could not walk. Wyeth has chosen to place her in a setting that expresses (in Wyeth's words) her "extraordinary conquest of life." The scene appears placid and bright, reflecting Wyeth's great admiration for her. The high degree of detail creates a sense of mystery that stimulates our imagination.

2.2.10 Jan van Eyck (1395-1441). The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin.1430-34. Oil on wood. 26 x 24⅜". Muséedu Louvre, Paris, France Oil paint

Used glazing method. Began painting by applying an undercoating of brown. Using thin brown paint, the entire composition is painted with the range of values used in the paining. For example, the brown is darker where you see dark values on the upper corners of the wall. Very light values of thin brown paint were applied for the sky area. It's similar to the wash drawing by Claude Lorrain on page 176 of textbook. Once the undercoating is dry, many layers of thinned, transparent paint are applied to the surface. It is a long process since each layer must dry before applying another layer of paint. It takes one to two days for thin oil paint to dry. Oil paint is thinned with turpentine. Linseed oil and Damar varnish are added to the thinned paint. When dry the varnish and linseed oil creates a thin transparent luminous film, separating each layer of paint. Oil paint does not look flat when the glazing method is used. The many layers of thinned paint with linseed oil and varnish creates a sense of depth and luminosity. Follow the stone wall or column on the upper right to the bottom of the painting. Notice you can faintly see the wall beneath the angel's dress. Applied a thin layer of paint for the dress over dry paint used to paint details of the wall. Paint is transparent when thin -similar to watercolors. Many layers of thinned paint were applied to create the different values seen in Mary's cloak. Since the layers are thin and semi transparent, when a different color is placed on top of another dry color, we can somewhat see through the top color and we optically mix the colors. For example, a dry layer of yellow is on the painting surface. When a thin layer of blue is applied on top of the dry yellow, we see green. The effect is similar to placing a different colored transparent glass on top of another colored transparent glass. Watch a video (6:50 minutes) on YouTube uploaded by an individual. The video begins with a painting that already has many layers of thinned paint applied. Also, even though the video seems seamless, what is demonstrated occurred over many days. Each coat of paint has to dry before another layer is added. The eyes are a good example of the depth I spoke of in prior slide. Follow this link. Jan van Eyck, Madonna Van Eyck was credited as the inventor of oil paint (he was not, but was an exceptional practitioner) Masterful use of thin layers of color called glazes Light reflecting between glazes creates a rich luminosity

Encaustic

a painting technique in which pigment is mixed with melted wax and applied to the surface while the mixture is hot Encaustic paint is powdered pigment melted with beeswax (binder) and Darmar varnish. Today can purchase premixed encaustic paint as shown in picture on right. Lower left picture: a hot plate is used to melt premixed encaustic and to keep encaustic in melted state while painting. Apply encaustic with a palette knife, brushes, rags, or pour onto the painting surface. Some Encaustic Charactertics Dries fast Can leave traces of brush strokes or reheat surface to create a smooth texture. When cool, encaustic is not very flexible To prevent cracking, a stiff support is used such as wood planks. Follow this link to watch an encaustic painting video (5:59 minutes) posted on YouTube by an individual. Encaustic Pigment is mixed with hot wax and applied quickly Can use brushes, palette knives, or rags, or can simply pour it A stiff-backed support is necessary Used by the ancient Greeks and Romans

twisted perspective

a representation of a figure, part in profile and part frontally form depicted in a way that combined profile and frontal perspectives A convention of representation in which part of a figure is shown in profile and another part of the same figure is shown frontally The artist depicted the figures in hierarchical scale, that is, in proportion to their importance: Nebamun is shown the largest, his wife is smaller, and their Deify: to worship and make into a god or goddess 3.1.19 (below) Fowling scene, from the tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, c. 1350 BCE. Painted plaster, 38 5⁄8 × 8 3⁄4". British Museum, London, England THE PREHISTORIC AND ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN 379 3.1.20 Reconstruction view of the Acropolis, Athens, Greece, at the beginning of the 4th century BCE daughter is the smallest of all. Nebamun's legs are shown in profile while his torso is shown frontally, and although his face is in profile, his eye looks straight at the viewer. This method of depicting figures is known as twisted perspective, also called composite view.

Binder

a substance that makes pigments adhere to a surface A substance mixed with the pigments that after it dries, creates a thin transparent film that adheres the pigments to the painting surface. Acts like a glue. Sometimes the binder is the same as the medium e.g. oil paint: linseed oil is used as a binder and medium Traditional binders: beeswax, egg yolk, vegetable oils, and gums Water is not a binder (Know the binder for each type of paint.) Today also have: synthetic polymers (used for acrylic paint) Pigment blocks and tools used to paint Egyptian tombs. Some pigment in block form. The blue, known as Egyptian blue, is synthetically produced- turned blue after being heated. The brushes are made from palm fibers and frayed sticks. Binders are traditionally beeswax, egg yolk, vegetable oils and gums, water, and in modern times, polymers

Linseed oil

is a medium in oil paint.

Paint consists of

pigment, medium, and binder.

Tempera paint

this is a water-based paint using egg as the medium. this is a transparent medium Egg temper: Powdered pigment + water + egg yoke Water is the medium used to change powdered pigment into a paste or a thinner form. Egg yoke is the binder. When the paint mixture is dry, the water has evaporated and the egg yoke has hardened binding the pigments to the surface. Dries fast. Paint with short brush strokes (hatching method.) A painting is begun by the artist painting large shapes of color. Next the artist paints smaller shapes of color over some areas of the large shapes to begin details of the painting. To blend paint, have to work fast and paint small areas at a time. Finish details using: hatching, cross hatching, paint various types of lines, paint small shapes of color, and/or use a dry brush to create textures (very little paint on brush -like an ink pen running out of ink.) Follow link to view a video on YouTube demonstrating making egg tempera paint. Begin video at 1:07 and watch until 2:38. Please note, if you see or hear the word "solvent", what she refers to is the medium. Water is the medium for tempera paint. Follow this link to view a video by Smarthistory. The video is a bit longer than others (11:47 minutes) and discusses a variety of things: support for tempera paint, making pigments, hatching to create values, and gold leaf. Tempera Egg is the binding agent Usually applied with a brush and dries almost immediately Earliest examples found in Egyptian tombs

Methods of applying oil paint

•Glazing Apply thin layers of paint over previously dried thin layers of paint. •Wet on dry Apply paint over previously dried paint. •Wet on wet Mix colors directly on canvas. •Impasto Apply thick paint onto painting surface. Paint protrudes from the surface.