£50 For Mary Queen of Scots Thursday, Aug 17 2006

Guardian Unlimited Arts | Arts news | How Mary Queen of Scots emerged from a £50 painting that was written off as a fake:

Meanwhile dendrochronology, a technique whereby wood can be dated to within about 30 years based on an analysis of the grain, suggested that the panel on which the image was painted came from a tree felled between 1560 and 1592. Mary was beheaded at Fotheringhay in 1587, and Dr Cooper thinks that the work comes from the early part of the 32-year span indicated by the dendrochronology, which means it was probably painted while she was alive.

Further evidence was gleaned from paint analysis, which showed that the lettering of the inscription was done in lead-tin yellow, a pigment not used after the 16th century. A conservator worked for a year to gently remove the overpainting and return the work to its original state. It is a particularly exciting discovery given the existence of just one other portrait known to have been made in her lifetime. That shows her in mourning, probably after the death of her first father-in-law, Henri II of France. Known as the Deuil Blanc portrait, it belongs to the Royal Collection.

This is very exciting, it amazes me that a later applied varnish can foil so many people for so long. I am looking for an example of this painting so stay tuned. if it was painted during her lifetime it would be a very kewl discovery indeed.

Technorati Tags: art, art news, painting, Portrait

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Flemish Technique Documentation Parte the Thirde – Color Layers Sunday, Aug 13 2006

Having laid a solid tonal base, and incidentally become very familiar with the subject matter, I started layering the colors. Colors are lightly applied with medium to create a smooth and light layer called a glaze. Glazing is typically applied several times from very thin layers to create slight tinting, to normal color application, which, when applied correctly, will still reveal the tonal layers underneath.

Glazing is a key technique in oil painting from the very earliest techniques to today. Color layers will go from heavier application to lighter until there is almost no pigment on the brush. This helps create fine detail and translucent three dimensional effects.
I started by adding the first colors blended up, just to establish the colors. Just like working from thicker layers to thinner, it is standard to work from darkest to lightest layers. The basis of this palette was a fairly standard oils minimum palette with separately blended skintones of Alizarin Crimson, Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre and Umbre or white to tone.

I tend to blend a base skintone for each person and tone using the base color to create different hues for shading. ultramarine, umbre, vermillion and crimson are some that can be used to create subtle tonal and hue changes for different light effects and shadows. this creates a more realistic effect as it is blended off a base personal skin tone. Frequently a subject can have unusual and unexpected colors in their skin or clothing that as often quite subtle.

While a translucent white such as a zinc white was used in period for toning many colors, one of the final layers usually included an opaque white layer using a lead white. Many xrays of period pieces showed Lead white being used to create an opaque layer for strong highlights or sometimes corrections. Titanium white is more commonly used these days for occupational health and safety.

The very final steps in period paintings were generally the most translucent with tiny tone and hue changes, refinements in line and additional glazes to add translucency to the skin. Occasionally a final tinted glaze was washed over the painting to link the colors, similar to an imprimatura, but with far less pigment. This was especially used if there was not time to allow the work to dry sufficiently before varnishing. An oil painting will frequently take up to six months to dry completely. As varnish contains solvent, a painting needs to be completely and permanently dried before varnishing.

Technorati Tags: art, Figurative, Flemish technique, painting, Portrait

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Flemish Technique Documentation Parte the Seconde – Tonal Layers Friday, Jul 21 2006

As Promised, the next installment in the Flemish technique series on my recent Baronial Portrait.

The next stage was fine lining and refining the cartoon. In period the fine lining was done with a brush in umbre to solidify the lines of the cartoon transfer. I stuck to the period technique but expanded to add further tonality.

I then laid my Imprimatura, a thin glaze with raw sienna and a fat medium blend. The imprimatura sets the tone for the overall piece and can influence the colors, allowing them to harmonize better. It can change the influence of whites especially, toning them down. It seems unnecessary, but the color really made a difference and changes the surface as well.

After the imprimatura, I scaled back my medium to achieve a lighter medium blend rather than syrupy to solidify the tones ready to add color. Having a good tonal base really helps add depth to the work. I glazed it on with a high level of transparency to add to the tone. I chose a slight variation to the period technique (which i think is valid, but I haven’t found specific documentation yet) by adding ultramarine to add further tonal variation. Ultramarine over Umbre creates a great deep tone and using it to tone the whites instead added some interesting effects. I think the umbre would have been too opressive.

This ends Parte the Second, stay tuned for Parte the Thirde.. Colors!

tags technorati : painting Portrait tonal Flemish technique

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Painting Documentation Monday, Jul 10 2006

On my trevails for more painting documentation I located these extremely handy documents. I am currently planning the portraits for 12th Night and would like them to be as period as possible. I am considering framing or using hinged panels. I haven’t decided yet.

Primary sources

Notebook A translation from a classic Italian book on Painting ”Il Libro dell’ Arte” This is one of the key documentations of recipes and techniques from Italian period Painting.

Polygraphice A real treasure. a scan of the original text on a number of artistic pursuits. A little late to be period but some very valuable information.

Book of Drawing, Limning, Washing… Structuring drawings, proportions and techniques for portraits and more.. a little late period again but is still very appropriate.

A Booke of Secrets Recipes for inks and paints in the period text.

Secondary Source

Panel Painting A very handy document on preparing panels for painting using period methods and ingredients.

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Venetian Panel Painting Monday, Jul 10 2006

Fitzwilliam Museum

This site has some great documentation and examples of Venetian Panel Painting. the interactive guide is particularly cute.

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Medici Archive: Documentary Sources Thursday, Jul 6 2006

Medici Archive: Documentary Sources

Ooo is this exciting! I don’t have time to sift throught the treasure trove right now but this is so worth while

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Baronial Portrait – Documentation parte the First – Setup Monday, Jul 3 2006

Having just completed a portrait for Sara and Rodrigo, Baron and Baroness of Stormhold for their investiture I thought I would write up the documentation of the process. I used a very traditional flemish technique for this one based directly upon my studies.

Priming
First, I primed the board with glue and two coats of Gesso going in alternate directions to smooth the woodgrain.

Cartoon

Then, I sketched the design on the primed surface to give me a working drawing. In period this was done with a transfer by rubbing the back of the original sketch (or cartoon) with charcoal or by pricking holes in the cartoon and pouncing it using a pounce bag filled with charcoal dust. The cartoon, in period, was highly detailed and used as a reference for the entire piece. Not having much time, I drew directly on the board and referred to a photograph. These days no-one has time to sit for a portrait artist, especially when they are working in a technique like flemish technique so photographs are a huge blessing. yes I know they aren’t period but neither is my sewing machine.

Stay Tuned for Parte the Second – Tonal layers

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The Flemish Technique Friday, May 12 2006

This is part of an essay i write on Flemish art in First Year. Its a section dealing with the Flemish Technique, particularly the start. I am working on a new painting done in the flemish technique although i admit to not using period materials this time. I want to do some blending of period materials but I will need to have a bit more money before I can do that – plus my setup will need to be different as a lot of the pigments were poisonous.

Prior to the Renaissance the most commonly used paint was tempera. Tempera paints were mixed as needed from egg yolk and pigment. This caused problems as it was almost impossible to match additional batches if too little was mixed. Conversely, if too much was mixed it was frequently a waste of the expensive pigments as the paint dried very fast. The fast drying time of the tempera created problems with painting as blending was almost impossible. The result is that many tempera paintings look flat and rigid. In the Renaissance this was changed due to the practicality of oil paints. Oil paints involve pigment mixed in walnut or linseed oil to create a highly flexible paint that retains bright color. Oil paint dried very slowly allowing great control over blending, texture and translucence. It is supposed that while oil paint had been invented around the twelfth century, it was not used until the northern Renaissance. Jan van Eyck is credited with the invention, as he was the first to refine the techniques involved in creating an oil painting.

An oil painting involves many steps in the traditional application. The Flemish technique, accepted as the first discipline of oil painting, evolved from tempera application. This technique is still widely used in traditional oil painting. The surface was primed pure white with a mixture of glue and chalk. A detailed line drawing, or cartoon, was transferred to primed surface using an early carbon paper technique of applying oil or pigment to the back and tracing, or by perforating the cartoon and using it as a stencil by ‘then positioning it over the panel and slapping it with a pounce bag, or sock filled with charcoal dust’ (2004, Elliot). The lines were clarified using fine line techniques, then the entire surface was varnished to fix the drawing and limit the absorbency of the ground. Frequently a thin wash made of a diluted oil paint was applied over the entire surface called an imprimatura. The imprimatura set the tone for the painting as the tint applied affected the tonality of the light as well as the temperature and ‘making the harmonization of the colors easier, and allowing for more accurate judgment of values.’ (2004, Elliot) The shadows on the painting were executed in layers using thinned oils known as glazes. This allowed a building of tones while still retaining a level of translucency. Mid-tones were added after the shadows and could be transparent or opaque. The final stage saw the addition of highlights. These were always opaque.

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Sung Dynasty Robe Pattern Wednesday, Mar 29 2006

As promised, here is the pattern I drafted for a Chinese robe. Specifically a Sung Dynasty robe (click on the picture for a larger copy). This pattern is very simple, highly flexible and can be used a number of ways which I will illustrate over time – if I have time with all my sewing!

Measurements:
a: Measure across the back from shoulder to shoulder.
b: Measure from the shoulders to the floor
c: The same length as a
d: Measure the length of the arm from the shoulders to the middle knuckle on the fingers
The arms are where it starts to get tricky as this is dependent on the width of the fabric and the desired fullness of the sleeves. as you can see the width of the end of the sleeve and the top of the sleeve should match evenly in a nice diagonal. e: Measure around the arm snugly then use the full measurement for e. if there is not enough fabric there is a margin as e is doubled when sewn (as there are two pieces-front sleeve and back sleeve) but you do want the sleeves to be nice and roomy at the underarm and nice and full at the wrist.
f is the remainder and the full part of the sleeve that hangs at the wrist.

If you want even more fullness you can make d across the width if there is enough fabric and take the length as long as you like by drawing your diagonal lengthways instead. To decide on how wide to make the fullest part of the sleeve have the arm out at shoulder height and drop the tape measure to the length you want. this will make e.

I suggest 112 width fabric or wider. you want to fold it lengthwise so you have a really skinny long piece of fabric. By adding b to c and d you can estimate the length of the fabric. if you want super long sleeves you can add b to c and e to f.

I am hoping to illustrate this later and will go into the sewing instructions next time.

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