Paintings
Paintings can be made from a range of
materials including frescos on
plaster walls, egg tempera on a wooden panel, and oil or acrylic
paint on canvas. A painting's support, the nature of the paint,
and the artist's use of methods and materials all determine the
condition and potential longevity of a painting.
"Easel" paintings are supported
by wooden or fiberboard panel or a fabric
(linen/cotton) stretched on an expandable wooden frame (stretcher)
or fixed frame (strainer). The canvas is then covered with a
thin layer of animal glue or acrylic emulsion as a sizing layer.
The coating (size) prevents the fabric from absorbing too much
liquid and prepares it for the layer of gesso.
The ground layer is typically a smooth, white gesso film consisting of multiple layers of a mixture of
water-based glue and ground chalk. The artist will often complete
an under drawing in ink, charcoal, or pencil on the ground layer
and then proceed to apply layers of paint.
Paint is made of colorants like ground
mineral pigments, mixed with a
sticky binding medium such as resin, oil, or egg yolk. Sometimes,
a final layer of varnish is applied to protect the surface from
moisture, scratches, and grime.
Paintings include:
- paintings on board
- paintings on canvas
- paintings as frames
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Mechanical Reproduction or Artist Original ?
