Jul 26, 2017 | BLOG, FRESCO
Day three and four of painting and everything went to plan. I was starting to feel like real fresco painter, except for the fact I didn’t have assistants (or even slaves, as the Romans did). As I went on, I found I could tackle larger areas, so decided to...
Jul 20, 2017 | BLOG, FRESCO
I decided to divide my fresco design into six giornate (painting days) as fresco has to be painted onto a damp plaster- and it dries quite quickly. I had already done a drawing of my garden and a quick colour sketch with egg tempera on gessoed paper, to get a feel for...
Jul 19, 2017 | BLOG, FRESCO
Having made dozens of portable frescoes on panels, I thought it was high time I tackled an actual wall. Fresco is, after all, a mural technique. Brick is the best and my studio building is made of brick. Unfortunately, it means working outside, which is not the best...
May 15, 2017 | BLOG, FRESCO
I had just put the finishing touches onto my fresco self portrait. As the plaster had already dried, I used secco (pigment and casein binder) to correct a few offending features and to add a tasteful floral cardigan. I was pleased with the result. It would be just the...
Apr 10, 2017 | BLOG, FRESCO
. Last winter, I- a Scottish fresco painter, and Carey Mortimer- an English fresco painter, made a trip to Rome, Naples and Pompeii with the intention of examining Roman wall paintings. We are both fascinated by the fine polished technique of this particular era of...
Nov 17, 2016 | BLOG, FRESCO
Sgraffito is an old technique which involves scratching through a layer of lime plaster to reveal a different coloured layer below. It is a bit like scraperboard! It has been used since classical times and was popularised in the 15th and 16th centuries and again...
