Painting: materials, practice, and techniques Flashcards
What is an engaged frame?
Normal frame
4 pieces of wood fitted around panel – glued or wedged in corners
What materials are used to make the priming layer?
The priming layer is made from oil and pigments, usually with low pigment content. Sometimes lead white, red or black pigments are used.
What is a priming layer?
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.
Can the priming layer be different colors?
Yes its made from oil and pigments – usually low pigment content – sometimes lead white pigment, red or black pigment
What are the different techniques of underdrawing?
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.
Can underdrawing contain notes?
Some underdrawings contain notes, such as indicating what color should be used in certain areas.
What was the usual thickness of a panel?
- generally 25–29 cm wide.
- generally 8–30 mm thick.
What are the materials used for underdrawing?
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.
How is a panel made?
Usually med from multiple planks that are joined
What are the different types of media used for underdrawing?
There is a variety of media used for underdrawing, including liquid and dry media, which can also be incised.
Describe the wood structure
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.
What part of wood is used for panels?
Sapwood and heartwood can both be used for painting panels
Near pith = best wood
Is there a specific name for a flesh-colored oil-based priming layer?
“Primuersel” is the name for a flesh-colored oil-based priming layer, as described by Karel van Mander.
What is pith?
stores nutrients – tends to crack
What is easel painting?
Using an easel and a support to paint
What is a butt joint?
Two planks are joined together with animal glue without special shaping
Are there any materials that cannot be detected with IRR?
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.
What is sapwood?
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
What is ground?
The ground is a part of the preparation layer on a panel
What is the history of wood-supports?
- 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
What is a butterfly key joint?
Butterfly shaped key in the wood
First on front side
What is planing?
Treatment with axes and
scraping irons - making wood smooth
What are Medullary rays?
from pith to sapwood – lines that transport nutrients
Not always visible but visible in oak
What materials are used for ground in German panels?
Some German panels use ground made from calcium carbonate and dolomite
What is a dowel joint?
Stabilize and align planks when gluing – pegs put in planks – tends to be used for thinner planks
Butt joint with dowel for extra support
What is a radial/longitudinal cut?
Along length of plank with pith, parallel
Where is the priming layer in relation to underdrawings?
The priming layer is applied either over or under underdrawings.
What materials were used for ground in Netherlandish paintings?
Netherlandish paintings used ground made from natural chalk with animal skin glue.
What is a cradle?
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
How is ground applied in painting?
Ground is applied in multiple layers and then scraped down to create a smooth surface
What is the most common support for easel painting?
Wood, usually oak
What is a tangential cut?
Along length of plank, not through pith, parallel
What is seasoning?
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
How is wood split?
Until 16th CE splitting along grain
After 16th CE with sawmills
What is heartwood?
stronger – resists decay – darker – denser – dryer
What is a transverse cut?
Right across - through grain - horizontal
What are wedge shaped joints?
One plank valley – one plank mountain – stability
What is cambium?
Thin layer of living cells that produce cells that allows tree to grow wider
What three ways can a log be cut?
o Transvers
o Tangential
o Longitudinal /radial
What is bark?
Outer part of log
What is Gesso and how is it used?
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
How can the underdrawing be seen?
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.
What are some different ways to join planks?
Butt joint
Butterfly keys/joins
Dowels
Wedge shaped joints
How can you use X-ray to detect the priming layer?
If the priming layer contains lead white, it can be seen with X-ray
