Preamble
This is the third post in a new Art Resource series that specifically focuses on techniques used in creating artworks. For your convenience I have listed all the posts in this new series below:
Drawing Art
Painting Art - Part I
Painting Art - Part II
Painting Art - Part III
Painting Art - Part IV
Painting Art - Part V
Painting Art - Part VI
Home-Made Painting Art Materials
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part I
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part II
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part III
Historical Notes on Art - Part I
Historical Notes on Art - Part II
Historical Notes on Art - Part III
Historical Notes on Art - Part IV
Historical Notes on Art - Part V
Tempera Painting
Oil Painting - Part I
Oil Painting - Part II
Oil Painting - Part III
Oil Painting - Part IV
Oil Painting - Part V
Oil Painting - Part VI
Pigments
Classification of Pigments - Part I
Classification of Pigments - Part II
Classification of Pigments - Part III
Pigments for Oil Painting
Pigments for Water Color
Pigments for Tempera Painting
Pigments for Pastel
Japanese Pigments
Pigments for Fresco Painting - Part I
Pigments for Fresco Painting - Part II
Selected Fresco Palette for Permanent Frescoes
Properties of Pigments in Common Use
Blue Pigments - Part I
Blue Pigments - Part II
Blue Pigments - Part III
There have been one hundred and thirteen posts in a previous Art Resource series that focused on the following topics:
(i) Units used in dyeing and printing of fabrics.
(ii) Occupational, health & safety issues in an art studio.
(iii) Color theories and color schemes.
(iv) Optical properties of fiber materials.
(v) General properties of fiber polymers and fibers - Part I to Part V.
(vi) Protein fibers.
(vii) Natural and man-made cellulosic fibers.
(viii) Fiber blends and melt spun fibers.
(ix) Fabric construction.
(x) Techniques and woven fibers.
(xi) Basic and figured weaves.
(xii) Pile, woven and knot pile fabrics.
(xiii) Napped fabrics, double cloth and multicomponent fabrics.
(xiv) Fabric finishes.
(xv) Schrinkage, durable press and wash-wear finishes.
(xvi) Classification of dyes and dye blends.
(xvii) The general theory of printing.
To access any of the above resources click on the following link - Units Used in Dyeing and Printing of Fabrics. This link highlights the one hundred and thirteen posts in the previous Art Resource series.
There are eight data bases on this blogspot, namely: (1) the Glossary of Cultural and Architectural Terms; (2) Timelines of Fabrics, Dyes and Other Stuff; (3) A Fashion Data Base; (4) the Glossary of Colors, Dyes, Inks, Pigments and Resins; (5) the Glossary of Fabrics, Fibers, Finishes, Garments and Yarns; (6) Glossary of Art, Artists, Art Motifs and Art Movements; (7) Glossary of Paper, Photography, Printing, Prints and Publication Terms; (8) Glossary of Scientific Terms.
Note: From time-to-time all the above data bases will be updated.
If you find any post on this blog site useful, you can save it or copy and paste it into your own "Word" document for your future reference. For example, Safari allows you to save a post (e.g., click on "File", click on "Print" and release, click on "PDF" and then click on "Save As" and release - and a PDF should appear where you have stored it). Safari also allows you to mail a post to a friend (e.g., click on "File", and then point cursor to "Mail Contents On This Page" and release). Either way, this or any of the other posts on this site may be a useful Art Resource for you.
The new Art Resource series will be the first post in each calendar month. Remember, these Art Resource posts span information that will be useful for a home hobbyist to that required by a final year University Fine-Art student. Undoubtedly, some parts of any Art Resource post may appear far too technical for your needs (skip those mind boggling parts) and whilst other parts may be too simplistic with respect to your level of knowledge (ditto the skip). Hopefully, the trade-off between these two extremes will mean that the Art Resource posts will be useful in parts to most, but unfortunately, may not be satisfying to all!
Introduction
Although this blogspot hosts posts mostly centered on prints on paper and ArtCloth, we have this year occassionally thrown in an odd post or two on paintings and sculptures. Images of these have also previously appeared on this blogspot whenever we have strayed onto the holdings/exhibitions of museums and art galleries - see for example El Anatsui – Five Decades@Carriageworks
Hence, in order for us to understand about painting surfaces we need to have a working understanding of the science that underpins the processes that are used in artworks.
Painting Art - Part II[1]
Binders in Paints
There are several types of binding action, and the materials which depend upon one action should not be expected to produce either the visual effects or the physical properties of others. A dried oil film encloses pigment particles in a continuous, glassy, solid substance. The film of a resinous varnish acts in the same way; it is even glassier, and is so impervious to atmospheric conditions that a thin layer of clear vanish will produce a durable film without any pigment.
A dried oil film encloses pigment particles.
Tempera paint films are adequately strong and durable, but when dry the volume of a binder in relation to the volume of pigment is less than that of oil paints. This is because the bulk of tempera (and also of all other paints) is water, and when the paint has dried, a relatively small volume of solid matter remains to bind the pigment particles together, whereas a film of pure oil paint loses nothing due to evaporation and normally has a surplus of oil beyond the amount necessary to bind the paint.
Tempera paint.
The pigment particles are surrounded by the binder, but unlike the condition in glossy oil film there is little or no surplus medium; the surface has a mat or semi-mat finish, and the layer is porous.
Pigment particles surrounded by a binder.
Simple solutions of gum, glue, casein etc, are more powerful adhesives than oils and resins; they will bind the pigment particles into a mass and attach them to the ground, but they do not form very durable films by themselves. When such paints are thinned to a brushing consistency, the pigments will be well bound, but not locked in by a continuous level film, and so their surfaces will not be glossy.
Types of paints.
Binders such as the lime in fresco painting fall into another class. They act merely as cementing materials; they hold the particles of pigment or sand to each other but give no protection against outside influences. The surface is porous and any resistance against external attacks it may have is due to its own inert nature and that of the pigments. In the language of the technologist they would be called cementitious rather than pellicular; the latter term refers to an enveloping film.
A porous surface that would be labelled by technologists as cementitious rather than pellicular.
The Creation of Adam, a fresco painting by Italian artist Michelangelo.
Fixatives, such as those employed to bind the pigment of pastel and charcoal pictures, are very weak solutions. They are expected to be absorbed by the surface and they supply only enough superficial binding action to reduce the fragility of the picture so that it can be handled with somewhat more freedom.
Spraying a fixative on a charcoal drawing.
Reference:
[1] The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques, R. Mayer, (ed. E. Smith) 4th Edition, Faber and Faber, London (1981).
This is the third post in a new Art Resource series that specifically focuses on techniques used in creating artworks. For your convenience I have listed all the posts in this new series below:
Drawing Art
Painting Art - Part I
Painting Art - Part II
Painting Art - Part III
Painting Art - Part IV
Painting Art - Part V
Painting Art - Part VI
Home-Made Painting Art Materials
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part I
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part II
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part III
Historical Notes on Art - Part I
Historical Notes on Art - Part II
Historical Notes on Art - Part III
Historical Notes on Art - Part IV
Historical Notes on Art - Part V
Tempera Painting
Oil Painting - Part I
Oil Painting - Part II
Oil Painting - Part III
Oil Painting - Part IV
Oil Painting - Part V
Oil Painting - Part VI
Pigments
Classification of Pigments - Part I
Classification of Pigments - Part II
Classification of Pigments - Part III
Pigments for Oil Painting
Pigments for Water Color
Pigments for Tempera Painting
Pigments for Pastel
Japanese Pigments
Pigments for Fresco Painting - Part I
Pigments for Fresco Painting - Part II
Selected Fresco Palette for Permanent Frescoes
Properties of Pigments in Common Use
Blue Pigments - Part I
Blue Pigments - Part II
Blue Pigments - Part III
There have been one hundred and thirteen posts in a previous Art Resource series that focused on the following topics:
(i) Units used in dyeing and printing of fabrics.
(ii) Occupational, health & safety issues in an art studio.
(iii) Color theories and color schemes.
(iv) Optical properties of fiber materials.
(v) General properties of fiber polymers and fibers - Part I to Part V.
(vi) Protein fibers.
(vii) Natural and man-made cellulosic fibers.
(viii) Fiber blends and melt spun fibers.
(ix) Fabric construction.
(x) Techniques and woven fibers.
(xi) Basic and figured weaves.
(xii) Pile, woven and knot pile fabrics.
(xiii) Napped fabrics, double cloth and multicomponent fabrics.
(xiv) Fabric finishes.
(xv) Schrinkage, durable press and wash-wear finishes.
(xvi) Classification of dyes and dye blends.
(xvii) The general theory of printing.
To access any of the above resources click on the following link - Units Used in Dyeing and Printing of Fabrics. This link highlights the one hundred and thirteen posts in the previous Art Resource series.
There are eight data bases on this blogspot, namely: (1) the Glossary of Cultural and Architectural Terms; (2) Timelines of Fabrics, Dyes and Other Stuff; (3) A Fashion Data Base; (4) the Glossary of Colors, Dyes, Inks, Pigments and Resins; (5) the Glossary of Fabrics, Fibers, Finishes, Garments and Yarns; (6) Glossary of Art, Artists, Art Motifs and Art Movements; (7) Glossary of Paper, Photography, Printing, Prints and Publication Terms; (8) Glossary of Scientific Terms.
Note: From time-to-time all the above data bases will be updated.
If you find any post on this blog site useful, you can save it or copy and paste it into your own "Word" document for your future reference. For example, Safari allows you to save a post (e.g., click on "File", click on "Print" and release, click on "PDF" and then click on "Save As" and release - and a PDF should appear where you have stored it). Safari also allows you to mail a post to a friend (e.g., click on "File", and then point cursor to "Mail Contents On This Page" and release). Either way, this or any of the other posts on this site may be a useful Art Resource for you.
The new Art Resource series will be the first post in each calendar month. Remember, these Art Resource posts span information that will be useful for a home hobbyist to that required by a final year University Fine-Art student. Undoubtedly, some parts of any Art Resource post may appear far too technical for your needs (skip those mind boggling parts) and whilst other parts may be too simplistic with respect to your level of knowledge (ditto the skip). Hopefully, the trade-off between these two extremes will mean that the Art Resource posts will be useful in parts to most, but unfortunately, may not be satisfying to all!
Introduction
Although this blogspot hosts posts mostly centered on prints on paper and ArtCloth, we have this year occassionally thrown in an odd post or two on paintings and sculptures. Images of these have also previously appeared on this blogspot whenever we have strayed onto the holdings/exhibitions of museums and art galleries - see for example El Anatsui – Five Decades@Carriageworks
Hence, in order for us to understand about painting surfaces we need to have a working understanding of the science that underpins the processes that are used in artworks.
Painting Art - Part II[1]
Binders in Paints
There are several types of binding action, and the materials which depend upon one action should not be expected to produce either the visual effects or the physical properties of others. A dried oil film encloses pigment particles in a continuous, glassy, solid substance. The film of a resinous varnish acts in the same way; it is even glassier, and is so impervious to atmospheric conditions that a thin layer of clear vanish will produce a durable film without any pigment.
Tempera paint films are adequately strong and durable, but when dry the volume of a binder in relation to the volume of pigment is less than that of oil paints. This is because the bulk of tempera (and also of all other paints) is water, and when the paint has dried, a relatively small volume of solid matter remains to bind the pigment particles together, whereas a film of pure oil paint loses nothing due to evaporation and normally has a surplus of oil beyond the amount necessary to bind the paint.
The pigment particles are surrounded by the binder, but unlike the condition in glossy oil film there is little or no surplus medium; the surface has a mat or semi-mat finish, and the layer is porous.
Simple solutions of gum, glue, casein etc, are more powerful adhesives than oils and resins; they will bind the pigment particles into a mass and attach them to the ground, but they do not form very durable films by themselves. When such paints are thinned to a brushing consistency, the pigments will be well bound, but not locked in by a continuous level film, and so their surfaces will not be glossy.
Binders such as the lime in fresco painting fall into another class. They act merely as cementing materials; they hold the particles of pigment or sand to each other but give no protection against outside influences. The surface is porous and any resistance against external attacks it may have is due to its own inert nature and that of the pigments. In the language of the technologist they would be called cementitious rather than pellicular; the latter term refers to an enveloping film.
Fixatives, such as those employed to bind the pigment of pastel and charcoal pictures, are very weak solutions. They are expected to be absorbed by the surface and they supply only enough superficial binding action to reduce the fragility of the picture so that it can be handled with somewhat more freedom.
Reference:
[1] The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques, R. Mayer, (ed. E. Smith) 4th Edition, Faber and Faber, London (1981).
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