Painting: materials, practice, and techniques

Question 1

What is an engaged frame?

Answer 1

Normal frame
4 pieces of wood fitted around panel – glued or wedged in corners

Question 2

What materials are used to make the priming layer?

Answer 2

The priming layer is made from oil and pigments, usually with low pigment content. Sometimes lead white, red or black pigments are used.

Question 3

What is a priming layer?

Answer 3

The priming layer is added on top of the ground layer and is used to isolate the ground from absorbing paint and to prevent the oil binder from absorbing into the ground.

Question 4

Can the priming layer be different colors?

Answer 4

Yes its made from oil and pigments – usually low pigment content – sometimes lead white pigment, red or black pigment

Question 5

What are the different techniques of underdrawing?

Answer 5

Techniques of underdrawing include pouncing, tracing, and squaring. Pouncing involves transferring an outline from paper to a panel using chalk dust. Tracing involves drawing on paper, covering the verso with black chalk, and then tracing the drawing with a stylus on the recto. Squaring involves dividing the original work into squares, marking the same number of squares on the panel, and then drawing the contents of each square on the panel. This technique is often spotted with infrared light.

Question 6

Can underdrawing contain notes?

Answer 6

Some underdrawings contain notes, such as indicating what color should be used in certain areas.

Question 7

What was the usual thickness of a panel?

Answer 7

• generally 25–29 cm wide.
• generally 8–30 mm thick.

Question 8

What are the materials used for underdrawing?

Answer 8

Materials used for underdrawing can include liquid materials such as iron gall ink or carbon-based pigments, applied with a pen or brush. Dry materials such as black chalk, charcoal, red chalk, and metal point can also be used. Underdrawing can first be made with dry materials and then strengthened with liquid materials.

Question 9

How is a panel made?

Answer 9

Usually med from multiple planks that are joined

Question 10

What are the different types of media used for underdrawing?

Answer 10

There is a variety of media used for underdrawing, including liquid and dry media, which can also be incised.

Question 11

Describe the wood structure

Answer 11

1, Bark– outer part
2. cambium underneath. Thin layer of living cells
3, Sapwood– the living part of the tree, transports mineral and water to tree
Don’t have tannins – its lighter.
4, Heartwood – stringer than sapwood. Darker (sometimes aromatic) – have tannins. Sapwood dies and become heartwood. Tannin form in the cells and gives heartwood the color. Stronger, denser, dryer, darker than sapwood.
Both sapwood and heart wood can be used for panels.
5, Pith – the core of the tree. Tends to crack, avoiding carving.

Question 12

What part of wood is used for panels?

Answer 12

Sapwood and heartwood can both be used for painting panels

Near pith = best wood

Question 13

Is there a specific name for a flesh-colored oil-based priming layer?

Answer 13

“Primuersel” is the name for a flesh-colored oil-based priming layer, as described by Karel van Mander.

Question 14

What is pith?

Answer 14

stores nutrients – tends to crack

Question 15

What is easel painting?

Answer 15

Using an easel and a support to paint

Question 16

What is a butt joint?

Answer 16

Two planks are joined together with animal glue without special shaping

Question 17

Are there any materials that cannot be detected with IRR?

Answer 17

Iron gall ink cannot be detected with IRR, but can be seen with close-up examination. Black pigments with infrared can be seen, but red pigments cannot be seen with infrared.

Question 18

What is sapwood?

Answer 18

living layers of tree – transport water and mineral in tree – cells contain more water – don’t include tannins – lighter in color – softer – when new sapwood is created, old sapwood becomes heartwood

Question 19

What is ground?

Answer 19

The ground is a part of the preparation layer on a panel

Question 20

What is the history of wood-supports?

Answer 20

• Wood use in panels, 15th – 16th century
  o Oak is mainly used
  o Oak in Low countries was normally important from Baltic region
  o Baltic oak – strong and reliable
  o In Germany 20% of paintings are done on oak, 21% on limewood and other softwood
• Some paintings by Netherlandish painters were done on other wood – in those cases the painting was usually done in another country
• 17th century in low countries
  o Oak and other wood types are used
  o Rembrandt – uses oak, walnut, cedar, mahogany, beech

Question 21

What is a butterfly key joint?

Answer 21

Butterfly shaped key in the wood
First on front side

Question 22

What is planing?

Answer 22

Treatment with axes and
scraping irons - making wood smooth

Question 23

What are Medullary rays?

Answer 23

from pith to sapwood – lines that transport nutrients

Not always visible but visible in oak

Question 24

What materials are used for ground in German panels?

Answer 24

Some German panels use ground made from calcium carbonate and dolomite

Question 25

What is a dowel joint?

Answer 25

Stabilize and align planks when gluing – pegs put in planks – tends to be used for thinner planks

Butt joint with dowel for extra support

Question 26

What is a radial/longitudinal cut?

Answer 26

Along length of plank with pith, parallel

Question 27

Where is the priming layer in relation to underdrawings?

Answer 27

The priming layer is applied either over or under underdrawings.

Question 28

What materials were used for ground in Netherlandish paintings?

Answer 28

Netherlandish paintings used ground made from natural chalk with animal skin glue.

Question 29

What is a cradle?

Answer 29

Back support - wooden braces attached to back – ensures support – prevent warping and moving of wood panel

Can be original or added later

Con: Wood support is damaged

Question 30

How is ground applied in painting?

Answer 30

Ground is applied in multiple layers and then scraped down to create a smooth surface

Question 31

What is the most common support for easel painting?

Answer 31

Wood, usually oak

Question 32

What is a tangential cut?

Answer 32

Along length of plank, not through pith, parallel

Question 33

What is seasoning?

Answer 33

Drying – provides stability – prevents warping and breaking – wood shrinks when drying – in 16th – 17th century seasoning took 2-5 years – before up to 8 years

Question 34

How is wood split?

Answer 34

Until 16th CE splitting along grain
After 16th CE with sawmills

Question 35

What is heartwood?

Answer 35

stronger – resists decay – darker – denser – dryer

Question 36

What is a transverse cut?

Answer 36

Right across - through grain - horizontal

Question 37

What are wedge shaped joints?

Answer 37

One plank valley – one plank mountain – stability

Question 38

What is cambium?

Answer 38

Thin layer of living cells that produce cells that allows tree to grow wider

Question 39

What three ways can a log be cut?

Answer 39

o Transvers
o Tangential
o Longitudinal /radial

Question 40

What is bark?

Answer 40

Outer part of log

Question 41

What is Gesso and how is it used?

Answer 41

Gesso is a soft chalky mineral mixed with animal glue and is most commonly used as a ground in southern Europe. It is applied with wide bristles in transversal layers and then sanded smooth with horsetail stems

Question 42

How can the underdrawing be seen?

Answer 42

Underdrawing can be seen through IR photography and IRR (infrared reflectography), as the transparency of the paint layer is thinner and the underdrawing is now visible. In unfinished paintings, the lack of paint also shows the underdrawing.

Question 43

What are some different ways to join planks?

Answer 43

Butt joint
Butterfly keys/joins
Dowels
Wedge shaped joints

Question 44

How can you use X-ray to detect the priming layer?

Answer 44

If the priming layer contains lead white, it can be seen with X-ray