I am working on updating an older dining room set. The china hutch, table, and chairs are inexpensively made. In order for me to refurbish them, I must paint them to give them new life.
I have raised panels of which I will faux burl. In these panels, I will utilize oil based paints and oil glazes.
For the remaining furniture, I will utilize a combination of latex paints and oils.
Getting Started:
Chip brushes
Fan Brush
Short bristled artist brush
Blue tape
Cheese cloth, lint-free rag, or paper toweling
Artist Oils:
Burnt Umber
Raw Umber
Burnt Sienna
Black
Base Coat:
Satin latex base paint. I chose a butterscotch which correlates with my home's other neighboring furniture and tones.
Oil Based Glaze
1 part linseed oil
1 part paint thinner and Japan drier (optional to speed drying)
Sealant:
Low luster or Satin finish varnish.
Let’s begin:
First degloss with liquid sander, the entire surface area to be painted. Secondly, paint the entire surface with our latex paint (two coats). Allow to cure for two days.
Once cured, we are ready to work the raised areas and develop our burl finish. Using a tray or empty can, pour in glazing liquid. Using a lint free rag or paper toweling, apply the surface with the glazing liquid. Dip your chip brush onto your palette into the pigments of burnt umber, raw umber, burnt sienna, and a fraction of black. Pour a couple of drops of Japan Drier into the glazing liquid. With your coated chip brush, dip a bit of glazing liquid and apply in a cross hatching motion onto the surface being painted. Add a bit of dark for darker areas.
Taking cheese cloth, paper toweling, or lint free rag, scrunch it up into a ball and dab it all over the cross-hatched area. While you are dabbing, twist and turn creating a swirl pattern all over the surface. You may stipple for softer areas. Using a clean chip brush, lightly and softly blend the rough twirl lines.
Next, dip your fan brush into the black and burnt sienna and then into the glazing liquid. Take off excess pigment by brushing onto a clean paper toweling. Coat both back and front of fan brush. From corner to middle drag with a squiggly motion onto the softened “burl” surface. You may use this same method for defining some of the burl swirls for greater impact.
Again, soften desired areas with chip brush.
Next, take small artist brush and dip into black and burnt sienna. Paint small dots representing knots. Paint in darker areas and blend. For highlighting, tap small areas by pressing with a soft cloth or using your thumb (glove coated) onto the surface. Allow to dry overnight.
In some cases, you may feel that the surface needs to be darker. If this is the case, repeat the steps from the beginning for applying the initial coating of glazing liquid and pigment, criss-cross hatching and then dabbing off excess exposing the burl marks underneath. Go back into your surface with a chip brush creating softening motions and staccato marks while dragging downwards.
Allow to cure overnight or as long as needed. Varnish to seal and protect. Voila!!!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Marbeling Prefabricated Fireplace Mantels and Surrounds
When working with today’s generic fireplace mantels and surrounds, many of us long for the decades past architectural elements. With production costs what they are and well….let’s just say, nothing is made in the same fashion as they fabricated in the past. Solid wood is obsolete. In fact, it is as though we live in “faux” houses with hefty price tags…everything is wood framed and plywood coated. Stuffed with insulation and boarded with gypsum, skim coated with mud, sprayed with knock-down, then mist primed and two coat sprayed….fascinating!
So, that is where we come in. The faux finishers or decorative painters of the world unite! We are able to take something hum drum, fabricated out of inexpensive material and transform it into a fabulous look! Let us focus on the generic fireplace. In order for this finish to work, we must work with an architectural base that offers some pleasing aesthetic lines. Most of today’s fireplace mantels or surrounds are fabricated out of resins or a lite concrete substrate combination. Many of these elements are offered with superb design.
This surround and mantel are from the company Lite Stone Concrete located in El Cajon, California. These elements are pre-cast and then shipped to your destination.
Once these elements are installed, many times, the designer needs to tweak the color or tone of the piece. I am going to discuss the simple basics in transforming a prefabricated mantel and or surround into a marbled look.
First, apply base coat and allow to cure for 24 hours with water base (latex) or 72 for oil base (alkyd). Select a base paint which is correct for your marble objective, i.e., cream for yellow sienna marble, white for carrara marble, and if going with a port’oro marble….then base in black.
From this point on, we will utilize only oil paints to render our marbling. It is only in this medium that we are able to achieve the true marbling effect. Pour approximately 2 to 3 Tbsp of pigment into a tray or cup, add japan drier. Add a bit of white, yellow ochre, and raw sienna onto your palette for most marbles except white marbles. (In creating carrara marble, statuario, arabescato vagli, or any other white based and gray veined marble….the same practices apply only different colors will be utilized. In some of the white and black marbles, some yellow veining does occur. Examine your sample and select pigments accordingly.)
Using a chip brush (an inexpensive brush located at any hardware and paint store) pick up some of each color and lightly mix onto your palette. Now, dip your chip brush into the oil glaze and pick up some of the mixed color. With a criss cross pattern, sporadically apply to the fireplace surround and mantel working in small areas at a time. Vary your depth of application. In some areas, apply darker shades and in others, apply lighter shades.
Next step is to soften your area with either the same brush or another unused chip. Gently sweep and blend the paint on the fireplace surround and mantel area until you have achieved the look you want.
Immediately following, take another chip brush and dip into the oil glaze then into the white and work into the lighter areas on the fireplace mantel and surround. Take your more saturated brush and work into the newly applied white area creating billowy cloud like effects. In this effort, you are to define a vein directional pattern.
Next, using an 3/8 inch round white bristle artist brush, dip into the glazing medium and then into the white, yellow ochre, and raw sienna mixture. Loosely paint in veins outlining the darker and lighter based areas. Along the darker areas, define with thicker and deeper or darker veins. The best way to achieve a light hand is to hold your brush down low on the handle caressing the handle with finger tips and a light grasp. While moving down in the same directional vein pattern that you have selected, you will create a wiggly effect and a soft wave effect. *Using oil, you really never make a mistake. If you do not like your veins, then erase them with a soft brush over.
Next, using a 19/64 or smaller round brush, repeat the paint application, but this time, run your veins off the main veins. You may run at opposing angles in various directions. Step back to regard your efforts.
Next, soften your veins with the more saturated chip brush using a sweep and stipple method. In areas of which you would like to establish more depth, use the chip brush and dip into the darker pigment. Take the coated brush and stipple into the surface area desiring the darker pigment. Again, softly brush the area blending into the surrounding pigment.
Again, using a smaller sized round brush, apply darker and more irregular veins. You could add a bit of black mixed with the raw umber and glazing medium. Add as many veins as you wish. After each application of veins, always soften with the chip brush.
For the last vein application, I always like to place some white veins on top. At this stage, I paint in some white areas and then vein over them. *Remember: Vein, soften, paint and stipple, vein, soften, paint and stipple….as many times as you like until you achieve the desired look.
Lastly, take a clean chip brush and dip into the white pigment and glazing medium. With this brush loaded, spatter paint onto your surface. Follow with a soft blending on the fireplace surround and mantel. Next, replicate the same method only this time using the darker pigment for spattering. Again soften and allow to dry completely.
Once completely cured, varnish your entire mantel and surround selecting what sheen best compliments the room’s décor. Personally, I enjoy a satin sheen. This offers a soft glow with low light.
And VOILA! You have now mastered the art of transforming a prefabricated façade into looking like a extremely expensive hand carved marble mantel and surround.
So, that is where we come in. The faux finishers or decorative painters of the world unite! We are able to take something hum drum, fabricated out of inexpensive material and transform it into a fabulous look! Let us focus on the generic fireplace. In order for this finish to work, we must work with an architectural base that offers some pleasing aesthetic lines. Most of today’s fireplace mantels or surrounds are fabricated out of resins or a lite concrete substrate combination. Many of these elements are offered with superb design.
This surround and mantel are from the company Lite Stone Concrete located in El Cajon, California. These elements are pre-cast and then shipped to your destination.
Once these elements are installed, many times, the designer needs to tweak the color or tone of the piece. I am going to discuss the simple basics in transforming a prefabricated mantel and or surround into a marbled look.
First, apply base coat and allow to cure for 24 hours with water base (latex) or 72 for oil base (alkyd). Select a base paint which is correct for your marble objective, i.e., cream for yellow sienna marble, white for carrara marble, and if going with a port’oro marble….then base in black.
From this point on, we will utilize only oil paints to render our marbling. It is only in this medium that we are able to achieve the true marbling effect. Pour approximately 2 to 3 Tbsp of pigment into a tray or cup, add japan drier. Add a bit of white, yellow ochre, and raw sienna onto your palette for most marbles except white marbles. (In creating carrara marble, statuario, arabescato vagli, or any other white based and gray veined marble….the same practices apply only different colors will be utilized. In some of the white and black marbles, some yellow veining does occur. Examine your sample and select pigments accordingly.)
Using a chip brush (an inexpensive brush located at any hardware and paint store) pick up some of each color and lightly mix onto your palette. Now, dip your chip brush into the oil glaze and pick up some of the mixed color. With a criss cross pattern, sporadically apply to the fireplace surround and mantel working in small areas at a time. Vary your depth of application. In some areas, apply darker shades and in others, apply lighter shades.
Next step is to soften your area with either the same brush or another unused chip. Gently sweep and blend the paint on the fireplace surround and mantel area until you have achieved the look you want.
Immediately following, take another chip brush and dip into the oil glaze then into the white and work into the lighter areas on the fireplace mantel and surround. Take your more saturated brush and work into the newly applied white area creating billowy cloud like effects. In this effort, you are to define a vein directional pattern.
Next, using an 3/8 inch round white bristle artist brush, dip into the glazing medium and then into the white, yellow ochre, and raw sienna mixture. Loosely paint in veins outlining the darker and lighter based areas. Along the darker areas, define with thicker and deeper or darker veins. The best way to achieve a light hand is to hold your brush down low on the handle caressing the handle with finger tips and a light grasp. While moving down in the same directional vein pattern that you have selected, you will create a wiggly effect and a soft wave effect. *Using oil, you really never make a mistake. If you do not like your veins, then erase them with a soft brush over.
Next, using a 19/64 or smaller round brush, repeat the paint application, but this time, run your veins off the main veins. You may run at opposing angles in various directions. Step back to regard your efforts.
Next, soften your veins with the more saturated chip brush using a sweep and stipple method. In areas of which you would like to establish more depth, use the chip brush and dip into the darker pigment. Take the coated brush and stipple into the surface area desiring the darker pigment. Again, softly brush the area blending into the surrounding pigment.
Again, using a smaller sized round brush, apply darker and more irregular veins. You could add a bit of black mixed with the raw umber and glazing medium. Add as many veins as you wish. After each application of veins, always soften with the chip brush.
For the last vein application, I always like to place some white veins on top. At this stage, I paint in some white areas and then vein over them. *Remember: Vein, soften, paint and stipple, vein, soften, paint and stipple….as many times as you like until you achieve the desired look.
Lastly, take a clean chip brush and dip into the white pigment and glazing medium. With this brush loaded, spatter paint onto your surface. Follow with a soft blending on the fireplace surround and mantel. Next, replicate the same method only this time using the darker pigment for spattering. Again soften and allow to dry completely.
Once completely cured, varnish your entire mantel and surround selecting what sheen best compliments the room’s décor. Personally, I enjoy a satin sheen. This offers a soft glow with low light.
And VOILA! You have now mastered the art of transforming a prefabricated façade into looking like a extremely expensive hand carved marble mantel and surround.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Children's Murals
Children's murals are the most popular type of residential painting across the world. Every parent wishes to dote on their little pumpkin male or female accentuating their personality and personalizing the room as a result. Murals have become increasingly popular over the years for a variety of many reasons. My belief is people have endured financial and emotional roller coasters over the past few years. We attempt to establish control and truly focus on making our homes a safe haven for family and friends. This is mostly accomplished by adding color to our walls and decorating environments with accessories that represent our individual interests and personalities. In short, we wish to define our homes with detail establishing an environment conducive for our children to stay in rather than out and for family's to bond.
I am working on a non-profit with Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado. We are hoping to establish a system to execute a minimum of 4 murals weekly for children with on-going diseases. We plan to work inside the children's homes and do a room "makeover." Our belief is that environment weighs heavily on the emotional well-being of any individual. If a child requires at home care, the healing will take place in his or her bedroom. If you create an environment that reflects the child's interests and character in happy bright colors, this will enhance how the child projects his or her image. In short, picture your happy place or see yourself healthy frolicking about within this "happy place."...We can measure this hypothesis with biofeedback. And...that is what we intend to do. We are still waiting for the logistics of the non-profit to be established and for Children's to devise a plan on allocating the murals to specific children...how and why.
So...with that being said, let us talk about various murals and how to approach them for a child's room.
Each room will contain four walls. Some of these walls will have windows, closet doors, and an entrance exit door. Make certain you utilize the space optimally. If it is an outdoor scene, see if you cannot incorporate the tree outside the window into the mural...being creative and innovative is what makes murals most enjoyable. Understand your composition.
Base out your ceiling and walls. Many times, the mural can be incorporated onto the ceiling or simply a cloud scene can be the ceiling accentuating the feeling of outdoors. If you are painting a space scene, the ceiling can be a darker blue with flares and millions of stars. If you are painting an underwater scene, the ceiling can be the water with sun shining through. I like to paint the ceilings because it assists in the believability of the faux environment.
Materials: Basically the same for every painting assignment
Drop cloths
Plastic
Blue tape
Green tape
Light masking tape with a 1/8 inch width
Paint brushes of various sizes
Purdy or equal in quality 4, 3, and 2 inch brushes
Paint trays
Glaze
Pigment
Sponge
Rollers and naps
Air brush if necessary
Select a mural theme. In this case, we will discuss a very elementary mural, Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat.
This is one of those murals where painting the ceiling does not apply. We are not painting an elaborate scene but merely tattooing the wall with Dr. Seuss images in clever areas. I painted the room out in a sand color since this room is intended for an elementary school aged child. We are taking into consideration bangs against the walls and scuffing from chairs, shoes, or whatever. Use a flat paint for the base. This enables the parent to easily touch up the walls without having to worry about flashing. Many people will state that it is incorrect to paint a faux finish on a flat base due to the wall drinking the finish...this isn't really a faux finish but a drawing, if you will.
Once you have selected which images from Dr. Seuss you would like to place on the walls and where, you have two options. One, you can project the images onto the wall utilizing a computer projector or overhead or two, you can free hand. I prefer free handing with simplistic subject matter.
Just note, like in any rendering when utilizing a still life type subject matter, shading and shadows play an integral role in execution of your piece. In this case, soft and very simplistic shadow lines are laid down. These are cartoon drawings...not a challenge, but fun and whimsical. When enlarged and strategically placed, these cartoons can seem, to the child, that they are interacting with him or her.
Have fun and certainly feel free to inquire for assistance.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Pricing and Estimates
I thought it might be fun to discuss pricing per hour, per square foot, and per day rather than another finish for the moment. Every Decorative Painter enters into an odd arena of guestimating and pricing his/her services. We all understand that pricing is competitive and in this industry, based on skill. But in each situation, variables truly configure the real estimate.
It is customary to offer a free consultation. It is most beneficial to meet with the client at the place of which the finish is to be rendered. With your professional eye, you are able to ascertain the walls' condition, what prep work will be needed, to assess the furniture and discuss how the furniture and accessories will be moved out of the area, and to pinpoint a color palette. Each of these considerations are necessary components for working out your bid.
After your consultation, you will have assessed what types of finishes your client is interested in having and the color palette. At this point, you will render some sample boards for your client to see in the area to be painted. I suggest not offering more than three boards with various intensities and color range, otherwise, it is overwhelming and decision making becomes difficult. While in your consultation, it imperative to pinpoint your client's desires. If not, you have wasted both your time and that of the prospective client and you have risked losing the bid. With sample boards, I utilize melamine 2 x 2 feet square. Everyone offers different pricing for their sample boards. The price range runs the gamut; free to $100.00 per board. I charge $40.00 a board. This price is derived from the cost of the board, paints, glaze, time to base and execute the finish, and prep the presentation boards for delivery. This fee is a small and reasonable. Ultimately, it is up to you to assess your charge.
When working up the estimate, square footage,technical difficulty, and product cost are variables to assess the bid. Color washes and stries are usually $3.50 per square foot. Murals range from $12.50 a sqft to $300.00 a sqft. The vast discrepancy in price is dictated by type of mural. With children's with fun whimsical themes, these murals are easy to execute and are priced in the lower range. With trompe l'oeils with shading and detailed elements, people, and perspective, these murals are charged at the higher end. Innovative finishes such as marbling, leather, crackling, stippling, moires, veining, stenciling, etc.. run approximately $6.50 a square foot. The finishes requiring plaster, venetian, bas relief, lusterstone, etc..where product ranges from $35.00 a gallon to $100.00 a gallon, these finishes are labor intensive and expensive to render. I charge anywhere from $12.50 to $18.00 a square foot.
Another approach to estimating a bid rather than offering a square footage price, is to assess a day rate. Each artist realizes what they are worth through years of experience, range of abilities, and stamina. I typically work a 6 hour day. My day rate is $600.00. This rate hasn't changed for years. I am comfortable earning this amount for rendering finishes otherwise you price yourself out of the competition.
Many artists struggle in assessing prices to charge for their services. The simple rule is to understand your competition and your abilities. Do not be afraid to charge what you are worth. I have GIVEN many renderings for little charge...some were favors and some were moments of weakness. Do NOT allow yourself to be taken advantage. There are many other artists who are willing to give their services for too little money and many clients who, of course, are willing to take advantage of this very opportunity.
Following these statements is the concern for not earning enough money to sustain your career and being productive. Network, advertise, and run your company like a major corporation. Your attitude and skill will become known and sought after with exposure and stamina. Good luck!
It is customary to offer a free consultation. It is most beneficial to meet with the client at the place of which the finish is to be rendered. With your professional eye, you are able to ascertain the walls' condition, what prep work will be needed, to assess the furniture and discuss how the furniture and accessories will be moved out of the area, and to pinpoint a color palette. Each of these considerations are necessary components for working out your bid.
After your consultation, you will have assessed what types of finishes your client is interested in having and the color palette. At this point, you will render some sample boards for your client to see in the area to be painted. I suggest not offering more than three boards with various intensities and color range, otherwise, it is overwhelming and decision making becomes difficult. While in your consultation, it imperative to pinpoint your client's desires. If not, you have wasted both your time and that of the prospective client and you have risked losing the bid. With sample boards, I utilize melamine 2 x 2 feet square. Everyone offers different pricing for their sample boards. The price range runs the gamut; free to $100.00 per board. I charge $40.00 a board. This price is derived from the cost of the board, paints, glaze, time to base and execute the finish, and prep the presentation boards for delivery. This fee is a small and reasonable. Ultimately, it is up to you to assess your charge.
When working up the estimate, square footage,technical difficulty, and product cost are variables to assess the bid. Color washes and stries are usually $3.50 per square foot. Murals range from $12.50 a sqft to $300.00 a sqft. The vast discrepancy in price is dictated by type of mural. With children's with fun whimsical themes, these murals are easy to execute and are priced in the lower range. With trompe l'oeils with shading and detailed elements, people, and perspective, these murals are charged at the higher end. Innovative finishes such as marbling, leather, crackling, stippling, moires, veining, stenciling, etc.. run approximately $6.50 a square foot. The finishes requiring plaster, venetian, bas relief, lusterstone, etc..where product ranges from $35.00 a gallon to $100.00 a gallon, these finishes are labor intensive and expensive to render. I charge anywhere from $12.50 to $18.00 a square foot.
Another approach to estimating a bid rather than offering a square footage price, is to assess a day rate. Each artist realizes what they are worth through years of experience, range of abilities, and stamina. I typically work a 6 hour day. My day rate is $600.00. This rate hasn't changed for years. I am comfortable earning this amount for rendering finishes otherwise you price yourself out of the competition.
Many artists struggle in assessing prices to charge for their services. The simple rule is to understand your competition and your abilities. Do not be afraid to charge what you are worth. I have GIVEN many renderings for little charge...some were favors and some were moments of weakness. Do NOT allow yourself to be taken advantage. There are many other artists who are willing to give their services for too little money and many clients who, of course, are willing to take advantage of this very opportunity.
Following these statements is the concern for not earning enough money to sustain your career and being productive. Network, advertise, and run your company like a major corporation. Your attitude and skill will become known and sought after with exposure and stamina. Good luck!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Modern or Contemporary faux fresco
When realizing fresco, a true fresco is painted into wet plaster creating a chemical bond between the lime/pigment mixture and the plaster. This method requires incredible stamina and a significant discipline.
A cheat or a faux fresco, if you will, is painting on dry plaster. This method is Secco or Fresco secco or dry fresco. Mix dry crushed pigment with egg white or egg yolk, or animal glue ore, or adhesive like casein or gum arabic establishing a tempera type medium. Make certain that your medium is more on the thin side. Remember, in traditional fresco painting, we glaze layer upon layer of pigment to establish a more saturated image.
To begin with, your wall will have been plastered and cured for a few days to a week. You can continue with a couple of possibilities.
One method is to prime your wall and base coat with an acrylic base paint. Paint two coats. Allow the wall to cure over night. Next forming a glaze out of an oil base, rub with a cotton non-linting rag in a circular motion to create the ground for your mural. Fold your rag in your hand tucking all edges inside the ball of the rag. Dab a little bit of glaze onto your rag. In a circular motion, rub the glaze onto the wall. Work in sections approximately 3 to 4 feet square. Within these sections, randomly add glaze and continue to render in a circular motion. Blend the edges of one circle into the edges of another. Be light on the touch and patiently move across the wall section by section. The result will be a soft glowing effect resembling that of a soft color wash.... Allow the wall to cure then paint your images with the above medium (the tempura type mixture) or simply a variety of glazes. You always have the option to either varnish or wax the wall once it has fully cured. The last finish is to seal the work and offer a simulated finish as seen in traditional frescoes.
Remember, in faux finishing, there is no definitive method for doing anything. It is always an innovative approach for replicating the real.
A cheat or a faux fresco, if you will, is painting on dry plaster. This method is Secco or Fresco secco or dry fresco. Mix dry crushed pigment with egg white or egg yolk, or animal glue ore, or adhesive like casein or gum arabic establishing a tempera type medium. Make certain that your medium is more on the thin side. Remember, in traditional fresco painting, we glaze layer upon layer of pigment to establish a more saturated image.
To begin with, your wall will have been plastered and cured for a few days to a week. You can continue with a couple of possibilities.
One method is to prime your wall and base coat with an acrylic base paint. Paint two coats. Allow the wall to cure over night. Next forming a glaze out of an oil base, rub with a cotton non-linting rag in a circular motion to create the ground for your mural. Fold your rag in your hand tucking all edges inside the ball of the rag. Dab a little bit of glaze onto your rag. In a circular motion, rub the glaze onto the wall. Work in sections approximately 3 to 4 feet square. Within these sections, randomly add glaze and continue to render in a circular motion. Blend the edges of one circle into the edges of another. Be light on the touch and patiently move across the wall section by section. The result will be a soft glowing effect resembling that of a soft color wash.... Allow the wall to cure then paint your images with the above medium (the tempura type mixture) or simply a variety of glazes. You always have the option to either varnish or wax the wall once it has fully cured. The last finish is to seal the work and offer a simulated finish as seen in traditional frescoes.
Remember, in faux finishing, there is no definitive method for doing anything. It is always an innovative approach for replicating the real.
Fresco
Fresco is a method of mural painting utilized ever since plaster was constructed on walls. We know the word fresco originated from the Italian word affresco meaning fresh. It seems as though our history's knowledge of frescoes is deeply rooted with Italian artists, i.e., Giotto, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Tiepolo.
In modern day, we utilize the fresco method of painting to offer a room a soft, warm glow. This finish is achieved by painting on "still-wet" plaster. What this means is: the plaster is put up on the wall wet. This initial stage is when we paint the background of the mural. This stage of the fresco enables us to utilize approximately six to eight hours for laying in the color on the "still-wet" plaster. Using a semi-dry brush or a rag, we paint in the background. If using the traditional method of a brush, utilize some lime and mix it with the pigment establishing enough body for modeling. This method of mixing pigment and lime is called verdaccio.
After you have painted in the background using verdaccio we then paint our image using many strokes of brush and many coats of glaze to build up our color; rendering with glaze. By using this method of painting, we are not over saturating the image but sustaining the softness of the fresco.
Towards the day's end, you will realize the plaster has begun to dry and when you apply a brush stroke, you must be delicate. At this point in time, this could be the most rewarding time of rendering your mural. The plaster is thirsty and you must change your method of painting. By using a more watery medium and watercolor brushes, you will find yourself more apt in detailing your images. Be careful not to disturb your ground work. If you happen to be heavy of hand and expose white spots, stop painting. A long ago used remedy to "fix" the pulled ground is to mix sugar water and milk and paint into the limed plaster.
Once the plaster dries, your fresco is permanent for the life of the wall.
Now for the worst part of any decorative painter's reality: The REPAIR:
The fresco will take approximately four weeks to completely cure. In some climates, this may be longer. DO NOT begin any touch-ups or repairs prior to a minimum of four weeks.
In order to touch-up or repair a fresco, we can utilize a few mediums.
Wax ammonia-or cera colla...paint by stippling onto the area requiring help. I will offer the recipe at the end of this blog.
Casein
Use Zinc white for white colors.
Cera colla: I suggest you use a diluted industrial strength ammonia. Dilute the ammonia with distilled water. 95% water and 5% ammonia is then heated just prior to boil. Melt an equal amount of wax per volume. (Bees Wax). Pour the heated ammonia/water mixture into the melted bees wax stirring constantly until cooled. This mixture will effervesce and expand to ten times. Stir until the reaction subsides and remove from heat. Keep stirring until cooler and creamy with the texture of whipped cream. This consistency is easy for storage and may be diluted with water when prepping for painting.
In order to paint with cera colla, allocate the amount of medium desired from storage, store the remaining mixture. Add dry crushed pigment to the cera colla and water mixing for desired consistency.
The Egyptians used this method on their walls and some hieroglyphs. This medium, once dried, can be buffed and offer a soft warm glow.
So....you have been given a true artist and old master method of painting a fresco. Keep in mind, this method of painting requires stamina. This isn't a painting of which you can begin and come back to in a couple of days. Once the plaster is put up on the wall, you are facing a marathon of painting....anywhere from 12 to 22 hours depending on how detailed your mural. Enjoy and happy creating!
In modern day, we utilize the fresco method of painting to offer a room a soft, warm glow. This finish is achieved by painting on "still-wet" plaster. What this means is: the plaster is put up on the wall wet. This initial stage is when we paint the background of the mural. This stage of the fresco enables us to utilize approximately six to eight hours for laying in the color on the "still-wet" plaster. Using a semi-dry brush or a rag, we paint in the background. If using the traditional method of a brush, utilize some lime and mix it with the pigment establishing enough body for modeling. This method of mixing pigment and lime is called verdaccio.
After you have painted in the background using verdaccio we then paint our image using many strokes of brush and many coats of glaze to build up our color; rendering with glaze. By using this method of painting, we are not over saturating the image but sustaining the softness of the fresco.
Towards the day's end, you will realize the plaster has begun to dry and when you apply a brush stroke, you must be delicate. At this point in time, this could be the most rewarding time of rendering your mural. The plaster is thirsty and you must change your method of painting. By using a more watery medium and watercolor brushes, you will find yourself more apt in detailing your images. Be careful not to disturb your ground work. If you happen to be heavy of hand and expose white spots, stop painting. A long ago used remedy to "fix" the pulled ground is to mix sugar water and milk and paint into the limed plaster.
Once the plaster dries, your fresco is permanent for the life of the wall.
Now for the worst part of any decorative painter's reality: The REPAIR:
The fresco will take approximately four weeks to completely cure. In some climates, this may be longer. DO NOT begin any touch-ups or repairs prior to a minimum of four weeks.
In order to touch-up or repair a fresco, we can utilize a few mediums.
Wax ammonia-or cera colla...paint by stippling onto the area requiring help. I will offer the recipe at the end of this blog.
Casein
Use Zinc white for white colors.
Cera colla: I suggest you use a diluted industrial strength ammonia. Dilute the ammonia with distilled water. 95% water and 5% ammonia is then heated just prior to boil. Melt an equal amount of wax per volume. (Bees Wax). Pour the heated ammonia/water mixture into the melted bees wax stirring constantly until cooled. This mixture will effervesce and expand to ten times. Stir until the reaction subsides and remove from heat. Keep stirring until cooler and creamy with the texture of whipped cream. This consistency is easy for storage and may be diluted with water when prepping for painting.
In order to paint with cera colla, allocate the amount of medium desired from storage, store the remaining mixture. Add dry crushed pigment to the cera colla and water mixing for desired consistency.
The Egyptians used this method on their walls and some hieroglyphs. This medium, once dried, can be buffed and offer a soft warm glow.
So....you have been given a true artist and old master method of painting a fresco. Keep in mind, this method of painting requires stamina. This isn't a painting of which you can begin and come back to in a couple of days. Once the plaster is put up on the wall, you are facing a marathon of painting....anywhere from 12 to 22 hours depending on how detailed your mural. Enjoy and happy creating!
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