Painting on raw plaster. Artistic painting of walls

If you stroll through the streets of old cities, go to temples, you can see real works of art. They are made indoors on ceilings and walls or directly on the facades of buildings. Further we will get acquainted with this kind of art in details.

general information

The painting on the raw plaster is called fresco. This style is rooted in the second millennium BC. People started painting in the days of Aegean culture. For this, paints were used in which glue and casein were binders.

Historical background

Technique reminded me of a seco. What does it mean? It is a question of wall painting on dry plaster. At that time, the materials were easily accessible. In addition, the performance was simple. In the ancient period this strongly influenced the popularity of the fresco painting. At the same time, the products were practical and durable. In the time of the birth and flowering of Christianity, this style was often used to decorate the external and internal surfaces of cathedrals and stone churches. In Ancient Rus painting of the walls (the photo is shown below) was of a mixed type. Various methods were used. Painting on crude plaster with paints was supplemented by tempera-glue method. With his help, the background and upper propiska were studied. Also used a variety of binding materials (egg, vegetable glues, and so on). As for the period of the Renaissance, the mastery of the art of fresco was fundamental to measuring the artist's skill. It was during this period in Italy that painting on raw plaster reached its peak in its development.

Main types of execution

Since ancient times in Italy, after making the final decision on the composition and structure of the letter, as well as the sketch, a cardboard layout was created. On it, the artist could reproduce his ideas. This concerns the structure and color of the composition in full scale. If the painting on the wet plaster was too large, then the surface was divided into sections. The distinction was made according to the contours of the details, which were usually found in darkened areas. Due to this in the future, the seam separation was not noticeable. For the transfer of their contours, the use of squeezing or puncturing through the tracing paper was used. The preparatory layer was carefully smoothed in order to avoid staining.

Principles of registration

The artistic painting of the walls is quite a laborious occupation. In this case, you need a lot of experience. The painting continues until the brush easily slides over the surface. The technique of painting on raw plaster has a number of features. For example, if the brush begins to leave grooves on the surface, this will mean that the paint no longer gets inside and, accordingly, is not fixed. It is necessary to cut this section. Before continuing painting, you need to apply a new layer. Painting on raw plaster is peculiar in terms of the technique of execution. Initially superimposed exclusively light colors in accordance with the prepared sketch. After this, the turn of medium shades and only later - the dark ones. Then the reverse process begins. There is a transition from dark to light. Due to this, the last tones are absorbed, and they can be corrected in those places where they turned out to be too faded. After the painting of the walls is completed (photos in the article illustrate several variants of the finished drawing), and the solution is completely dry, grinding and waxing begins. At the same time, from the previous layers, the dried up areas of the unfilled soil are neatly removed.

Production of related materials

Painting on raw plaster is based on the natural properties inherent in lime. The point is that when it dries from a liquid substance, it gradually turns into colloidal-crystalline. Many factors depend on the quality of lime. For example, the safety of the finished image, as well as the entire course of work. Therefore, in order to get a beautiful painting on the wall, you need a special plaster. We need the best grade of well-burnt lime. Next, you need to "extinguish" it. To do this, you need a container filled with enough water. Lime is cautiously poured there. Care is required. During quenching, lime is very hot. Then it needs to be allowed to stand in the water. It is necessary that she stay in a wet state for as long as possible. The desired minimum period is a year. However, in some cases, it is not possible to extinguish lime in advance. Therefore, solutions with a much shorter aging time are allowed.

Additional Items

The length of the period during which the artistic painting of the walls will be kept depends largely on the materials used. The filler for the solution has traditionally several variations. Brick crumb is still considered the best of them. It has many advantages. The water in the raw plaster solution, as well as the lime dissolved in it, when the bricks get wet, enter its pores. In the process of drying, it all very slowly comes to the surface. Thus, the period of drying of the plaster is prolonged. The time worked on the image is also stretched. As for the gradual drying, thanks to it, a deep "germination" of the crystals of lime to the base is ensured.

Alternative options

Brick crumb - this is not the only material that can longer save the painting on a damp plaster. In this case, the alternative is sand. It is worth noting that it is recommended to use the river. The fact is that it differs in the most diverse sizes. For this reason, river sand has the property of high density. This factor is very important. This is due to the fact that the lime, which enters the plaster solution, is technically transformed into a mineral "glue". With it, the filler particles are fastened together. Efficiency of lime is greater the more closely they fit together. So the plaster coating becomes stronger. Flax fiber (it is sometimes called chopped hemp) is a filler, and no less important than sand. Thanks to it, the plaster layer becomes much less brittle. It acquires resistance to small deformations, as well as additional plasticity.

Application process: first stage

Before you begin painting walls on a damp plaster, you need to carefully prepare everything. In particular, this applies to panels, on which materials will be applied. A brick wall is the best base for a fresco. If you have to work with concrete, it is recommended to make its surface uneven. It is allowed to create potholes and shallow holes. In this case, you can not do without manual jackhammers. You can also use a puncher. Such a tool has the function of a jackhammer. There are cases when the wall for the fresco is pre-plastered. Then you need to try to knock down the old layer. If there are places where this does not work, you just need to clear them of dirt, dust and paint.

The main process

Stucco solution is applied in 2-3 layers. Before doing so, it is recommended to moisten the base well. If the soil is three-layer, then the first one should dry well. Then it is wetted with water until it is completely saturated. Then the rest of the coating is applied. The technology of two-layer soil differs somewhat from the previous version. In this case, the first coating is given a solid foundation. However, complete drying is not allowed. After that, you can apply the last layer of plaster. It is he who is being ironed for painting. This is the intonako. In order to be able to apply subsequent layers, the surface of the plaster is cleaned from the resulting calcareous crust with a spatula.

Working with intonako

This layer is applied so that the plaster can be started to use in half an hour (maximum 1.5 hours). The minimum number of smoothing surfaces - two times. This is done before the wall painting begins. Painting is a complex process, and there may be mistakes. In order to get rid of them, the artist can use a spatula, leveling and pressing defects. Thus, the resulting crystalline crust is broken.

Small nuances

Any fresco plaster in the process of drying gives a slight shrinkage. This depends largely on the solution: the thicker it is, the smaller it is. So, a minimum amount of water is recommended. Many ancient sources indicate that the lime, which is suitable for plaster kneading, is first of all checked by a parameter such as density. That is, the spatula immersed in the solution should remain dry.

Basic work with frescoes

Writing a fresco should be quick, but at the same time without haste. It is desirable that the time spent on thinking and reworking is minimized. The master must present the final version of the future image in advance, and in all details. That is, a clear scheme is required, which will reflect the order of work.

Some tips

Experts recommend using the following method. The whole work can be divided into three stages, among them:

1. Create a picture.
2. Work with local tones.
3. Cutting images using light and shadows.

With this sequence of work, the utility of the drying lime is used as much as possible.

Algorithm of actions

At the initial stage of the work, the plaster will still be quite damp. At this time, drawing is done. And the process of creating it is to search creatively and find the best expressive "design." From a technical point of view, this can be explained as follows: the required image corrections can be made to the initial image plan at the drawing stage. However, by its end, spatial boundaries must be clearly defined for each local color. After the drawing is completed, you need to "open" the image. To do this, local colors are applied over its entire surface. At the same time, no white spots are left. Then a new surface layer is applied. It consists of a pigment dissolved in water. Thanks to it, the resulting crystalline crust will begin to slightly break down. So, the surface of the future fresco is already open. Next, shadow modeling comes to the fore. Initially, it is carried out on sharp parts of the body and face, and then on clothes and other details. Even after this, it is possible to carry out clarification using fine lime instead of white. The reason is that the lime, dissolved in the plaster, can enter without difficulty into the mix with the mixture. Thus, even on almost dried surfaces, the colors will be securely fixed. In some cases, you can run into certain problems. They are in danger of drying the wall. In order to minimize these risks, the yolk, which is diluted with water, is added to the pigments intended for shadows and final inventories. It does not provide compensation for the drying of the plaster. However, as a result of the connection with the lime, an adhesive is formed. It is able to keep paint well on picturesque surfaces.

Additional Information

In the process of work, the fresco must take into account all the features of the executed technique. It should be remembered that glauconite, yellow ocher and all color, containing lime, are strongly brightened after the plaster has dried. First of all, it depends on the nature of the media on which it is superimposed. In some cases, even a well-soaked wall can continue to absorb moisture very quickly. Accordingly, the fresco will begin to dry up rapidly. For example, plaster is applied to concrete or to another substrate that does not absorb water. In this case, the drying process will be much slower if using a three-layer primer. When working it is very important not to allow even the slightest violations of plaster integrity. This can happen if the master uses the brush to blend the overlay color with the previously tinted shade applied directly on the surface of the plaster. Doing this is highly discouraged. The fact that the paint is mixed with the lime, which is part of the plaster. After this place withers, it will be highlighted with excessive pallor on the surface of the painting.