painting-msg – 6/25/05
Period and SCA painting. terms used. Paint bases and types.
NOTE: See also the files: pigments-msg, Ren-paint-art, dyeing-msg, tiles-art, pottery-msg, gem-sources-msg, enameling-msg, paintg-panels-msg.
************************************************************************
NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************
From: jliedl at nickel.laurentian.ca
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period Painting how-tos
Date: 15 Oct 93 11:06:53 -0500
Organization: Laurentian University
Good day good gentles, from Ancarett Nankivellis:
tma3 at po.CWRU.Edu (Tamara M. Atam Alibeckoff) writes:
> I'm presently trying to ferret out sources for late-period methods of creating
> paintings, from the priming of the ground to the "finished product"--specific-
> ally Italian. I'm presently taking on a research project about regional/time
> differences in grounds and painting media in late Ren./early Baroque Italy,
> and would be _grateful_ for anyone's recommending any texts/articles I could
> add to my scrawny list.
From the few art books I have in my office, I recommend Lorne Campbell's
_Renaissance Portraits_ (Yale: 1990), he has a discussion about materials
and methods. Beyond the obvious Theophilus, there's not much that I
know of. As a bit of practical aside, I'm in the midst of a period-style
painting, for which I got a wood panel from one society acquaintance and
then some real gesso from my Mistress, and then pricked and pounced my
drawing onto the panel. Now, if I only find time to finish Anthea's
portrait, I'll feel better.
Good luck!
Ancarett Nankivellis
Janice Liedl
Laurentian University, Canada
JLIEDL at NICKEL.LAURENTIAN.CA
From: priest at vaxsar.vassar.edu (Carolyn Priest-Dorman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period Painting how-tos
Date: 15 Oct 93 20:14:07 +1000
Organization: Vikings R Us
Unto the Fishyfolk of the Rialto, greeting from Thora Sharptooth!
Another period source that seems like it would be quite useful for the study of
Italian Renaissance painting is the following:
Cennini, Cennino d'Andrea. THE CRAFTSMAN'S HANDBOOK: THE ITALIAN
'IL LIBRO DELL'ARTE,' trans. Daniel V. Thompson, Jr. New York:
Dover Publications Inc., 1960.
This book is a very thorough approach to the arts of drawing, fresco, and oil
painting, along with lots of information on sizes, glues, varnishes, and other
neat stuff. It was written in Florence in the fifteenth century.
*****************************************************************************
Carolyn Priest-Dorman Thora Sharptooth
Poughkeepsie, NY Frosted Hills ("where's that?")
priest at vassar.edu East Kingdom
Gules, three square weaver's tablets in bend Or
*****************************************************************************
From: hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Illumination
Date: 4 Dec 1993 03:21:17 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Peter Rose <WISH at uriacc.uri.EDU> wrote:
>I'm playing at doing some illumunation, using a metal quill-type pen,
>and using regular artists oil paint thinned with turpentine as pigment,
>and I'm having trouble getting consistant coverage. Sometimes I get
>Thin runny color, and sometimes I get dark sludge, that won't feed
>off the pen. Am I using completely the wrong materials, or am I just
>not mixing the turpentine in aggressively enough. *SHOULD* this work?
I've never heard of oil pigments being used in period illumination, or
oil pigments being used in a quill pen at all! No wonder you're having
troubles. Try a tempera-type paint and a brush and I think you'll get much
more satisfactory results. Here's a couple of books to look into when
you have the time (and with any luck, anyone with better recommendations
will correct me).
"The Craftsman's Handbook (Il Libro dell' Arte)" by Cennino d'Andrea
Cennini trans. by Daniel V. Thompson, Jr. Dover Books. ISBN 486-20054-X.
(originally written in 15th cent. Florence)
"The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting" by Daniel V. Thompson.
Dover Books. ISBN 0-486-20327-1.
Keridwen f. Morgan Glasfryn
From: meg at tinhat.stonemarche.org (meg)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: art quiz answers
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 94 01:25:01 EST
Organization: Stonemarche Network Co-op
Greetings from Megan! Thanx for all the interesting mail answers. Here
are the answers:
1.What is a muller?
A muller is a grinding tool used to mix pigments in binders. Usually
made of glass, they sometimes were made from stone (porphory). They are
circular, with a handle, shaped like a hershey's kiss with a handle on
top. The bottom is ground perfectly flat.
2.What is miniver, and what is it used for?
Miniver is squirrel hair, usually from the tail. French brushmakers
still use it for paint brushes. Ceninno Cennini recommends it.
3.There are at least 3 common names for turnsole. Give one of them.
Turnsole is also known as heliotrope and as folium. It is a french
flowering plant. Thepigment is obtained from the unripe seeds, and can
be processed to get red, blue or ppurple colors.
4.How did gesso sotile differ from gesso grosso?
According to Ceninni, gesso grosso is thick and gesso sotile is thinner
grosso is used to create impasto and sculptural effects (like on frames)
and the sotile is used to prime panels for painting.
5.Where can the earliest recipe for linseed oil be found today?
As far as we know, the Mappae Clavicula has the first mention of linseed
oil. 12th century.
6.From which plant was linseed oil derived?
Flax yields linseed oil when pressed. Linen is spun from broken flax
fibers. Tow is unspun flax fiber.
7.What's the difference between a binder, a vehicle and a medium?
Tricky question, 'cause they're all somewhat related. Ground up colored
stuff is pigment. Pigment is mixed or ground into a binder to give it
adhesion so it will stick to the surface as paint. A vehicle is used to
cut the binder, like turpentine is used to cut oil paint, to make it flow
or to thin the pigment ratio. With watercolor or guache, gum arabic is
the binder, water is the vehicle. Other vehicles can be added to alter
the viscousity, such as ox gall or gum tragacanth. A medium is a type or
variety of paint. Common media in the middle ages were water color, egg
tempera, oils, chalk, fresco. Medium can also refer to technique.
8.Define the following binder's terms: folio, quarto, signature, gather.
Binder in this instance refers to book binder.A folio is a pice of paper
folded once in half, to yield 2 pages of 4 sides. A quarto is folded
twice, yielding 4 pages of eight sides. (there is also an octavo, 8 pages
or leaves with 16 sides. these terms date from the printing press which
used to print many pages at once on one large sheet of paper, which was
subsequently folded and cut into separate pages. These pages were
gathered into groups to be sewn together...these groups were called
signatures. Each signature contained 4 - 10 pieces of paper. The
signatures were sewn onto tapes, this collection of signatures was called
a gather, it was then bound into cloth or leather covered boards.
9.Who was reputed to have first used oil paint as a medium?
the Van Eyk brothers are said to have developed the modern medium of
painting with oil. Oil as a binder was used for painting on cloth long
before the Van Eyks, but they first developed the techniques we know
today.
10.For what artform were the following medieval cities famous?
Bruges-illumination. Nuremburg-metalwork. Florence-goldsmithing
Bonus who did what in a manuscript? Scribe-copied the words in ink with a
pen. Limner-painted portraits and scenes. Historiator-drew and painted
initial letters and decorative line flourishes. Illuminator-painted
decorative borders.
Bonus bonus what is a rubricator?
A rubricator is an artist who added red or other colored letters,
decorative line endings or signs to the otherwise black lettered
manuscript.
Vivat to all who answered correctly. King Morgan wins for most silly
answers. Claim your prizes at EK Crown, Coronation, or at Pennsic.
Others, send me your snailmail address for your just rewards.
Another quiz in a few days.
Megan
==
In 1994: Linda Anfuso
In the Current Middle Ages: Megan ni Laine de Belle Rive
In the SCA, Inc: sustaining member # 33644
YYY YYY
meg at tinhat.stonemarche.org | YYYYY |
|____n____|
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: rorice at bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (rosalyn rice)
Subject: Re: Period Painters
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington IN
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 1994 16:19:27 GMT
sarah davitt <sdavitt at ub.d.umn.edu> wrote:
>I an interested in the
>painted arts...I have'nt seen anyone around doing so...and I am would
>like to know/get in contact with someone who does. As well as any
>information any one has would be much appreciated.:)
Take heart, in my experience in the S.C.A. "If you do it, they will
come." If you start playing with Period painting techniques, you'll attract
a few other artists who are interested in the topic.
I'm not an artist of any skill at all, but I do know a smattering
of art history and art conservation. There are incredible amounts of
information out there on artists techniques and materials that were used in
the Middle Ages and Renaissance, mostly imbedded in Art History books. Ask
your art history professors or reference librarian for help in finding
information about medieval artists techniques.
Dover still publishes a translation of Theophilus "On Diverse
Arts" (12th c. text on stained glass, metal working, and other things)
and Cellini's "A Craftsman's Handbook" which is a translation of Cellini's
"Il Libro del Arte". Of the two, Cellini is more valuable since he tells
you how to make brushes and pigments from scratch, as well as touching on
metalwork and sculpting.
There is also a fair amount of overlap between the materials used
by medieval manuscript illuminators and painters. Since the S.C.A. is very
rich in illuminators and supplies for illuminators, a decent illuminator
is the person to ask for advice on how to start out.
Finally, most art in the Middle Ages and Renaissance wasn't
necessarily seen as being "fine art" to be hung on the wall. Artists were
tradesmen who worked in organized shops and decorated all sorts of things.
In Period, artists, even the "masters" might be called upon to do designs
for armor decoration or embroidery, paint heraldic banners or chests, and
design stage sets. With this in mind, you can turn your desire to do Period
painting to artifacts that you can use in the S.C.A.
How about a carcassone (Italian wedding chest with a decorated lid
and sides with more decoration inside the lid)?
How about a portable tryptich where the side panels fold to
protect the center panel that you can display at events?
How about painted designs on furniture? (I've seen some Period tables
which were painted within an inch of their lives.)
How about painted glaze designs on Period-style pottery? (I've
seen some Period Majorica ware that is just gorgeous.)
How about doing portraits of friends in the garb they've always
dreamed of owning but could never make or afford? (Nobody said that
portraits had to be entirely truthful.)
Or, how about doing Period style (and media) drawings in the style
you want to imitate as covers for your kingdom news magazine or TI?
If you use a bit of imagination, you can find dozens of ways to turn
your interests to use in the S.C.A.
Lothar
From: bettina.helms at 7thwave.com (Bettina Helms)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Period Painters
Date: 24 Oct 94 14:42:00 GMT
Organization: TSUNAMI - Catch the Wave! * Ponte Vedra, FL * 904-273-9738
RR>From: rorice at bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (rosalyn rice)
RR>Subject: Re: Period Painters
RR>sarah davitt <sdavitt at ub.d.umn.edu> wrote:
RR>>I an interested in the painted arts...I have'nt seen anyone around
RR>>doing so...and I would like to know/get in contact with someone
RR>>who does. As well as any information any one has would be much
RR>>appreciated.:)
RR> Take heart, in my experience in the S.C.A. "If you do it, they will
RR>come." If you start playing with Period painting techniques, you'll attract
RR>a few other artists who are interested in the topic.
Lothar is right. :-)
RR> I'm not an artist of any skill at all, but I do know a smattering
RR>of art history and art conservation. There are incredible amounts of
RR>information out there on artists techniques and materials that were used in
RR>the Middle Ages and Renaissance, mostly imbedded in Art History books. Ask
RR>your art history professors or reference librarian for help in finding
RR>information about medieval artists techniques.
You need to read several such sources and compare them against each
other, particularly if they are relatively modern studies of what was
used "back then". One expert will tell you that, for instance, madder
was not used at all until the Renaissance, and another will tell you
that it has been traced back much further. I would also not neglect
mundane art textbooks (e.g., Ralph Mayer, _The Artist's Handbook_,
which contains a wealth of information on artists' materials, including
very often what was in use when and a lot of common sense advice on how
to use them).
RR> Dover still publishes a translation of Theophilus "On Diverse
RR>Arts" (12th c. text on stained glass, metal working, and other things)
RR>and Cellini's "A Craftsman's Handbook" which is a translation of Cellini's
RR>"Il Libro del Arte". Of the two, Cellini is more valuable since he tells
RR>you how to make brushes and pigments from scratch, as well as touching on
RR>metalwork and sculpting.
Actually, that's Cennino CeNNini, not Benvenuto CeLLini. Two entirely
different people -- CeNNini was apparently not very talented himself,
but very good at collecting and distributing how-to-do-it information.
I own both books, and find them both useful depending on precisely what
I'm trying to accomplish.
One note on making pigments from scratch: DO NOT try to do this without
first reading a modern mundane work entitled _Artist Beware_! You could
be in for some rather disagreeable experiences, or worse, if you do not
first find out what materials may be handled safely with a few simple
precautions, which ones take special training and lots of precautions,
and which ones you should leave strictly to professional colormakers.
(As you value your life and your sanity, DON'T try Theophilus's recipe
for making cinnabar! Mercury fumes are *extremely dangerous*!)
RR> There is also a fair amount of overlap between the materials used
RR>by medieval manuscript illuminators and painters. Since the S.C.A. is very
RR>rich in illuminators and supplies for illuminators, a decent illuminator
RR>is the person to ask for advice on how to start out.
Meg at tinhat.stonemarche.org (Megan, Baroness of Stonemarche) is one of
the best people to inquire of. Anything *she* doesn't know about
medieval illumination, probably no one else does either.
RR> Finally, most art in the Middle Ages and Renaissance wasn't
RR>necessarily seen as being "fine art" to be hung on the wall. Artists were
RR>tradesmen who worked in organized shops and decorated all sorts of things.
RR>In Period, artists, even the "masters" might be called upon to do designs
RR>for armor decoration or embroidery, paint heraldic banners or chests, and
RR>design stage sets. With this in mind, you can turn your desire to do Period
RR>painting to artifacts that you can use in the S.C.A.
[list of suggestions omitted]
There were a few ideas on that list I hadn't thought of. Hmmm.....
From: mchance at crl.com (Michael A. Chance)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period Painters
Date: 25 Oct 1994 07:05:48 -0700
Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access
Anaximander writes:
>sarah davitt (sdavitt at ub.d.umn.edu) wrote:
>: I am an art student and recently involved in the SCA, and i know of a lot
>: of Calligraphers and Illuminators...However...I an interested in the
>: painted arts...I have'nt seen anyone around doing so...and I am would
>: like to know/get in contact with someone who does. As well as any
>: information any one has would be much appreciated.:)
>Too much competition. I, for one, am not going up against Leonardo
>da Vinci or Botticelli or any of those guys!
However, you _could_ be one of Master Leonardo's students, working in
his studio, creating works "in the style of". There are lots of works
hanging in museums and galleries simply marked "From the workshop of X".
For a noble that couldn't afford a portrait done by the Master himself,
having one done by someone in the same workshop, supervised by the
Master and in the same style, was often the next best thing.
Since most of us can't afford a real Masterwork (or even a work from
someone in the workshop), and since we can't bring the Masters back to
life to do a portrait of _us_, having someone else do a portrait or
other work that looks like it _could_ have been done by a Master is
just as good, and probably a lot less expensive.
Frankly, I think that there's probably a large, untapped market in the
Society for portraits and other artwork done in authentic medieval and
Renaissance styles. For instance, you probably could get lots of free
advertising for your work by producing, say, a dozen works to be used
as covers for Tournaments Illuminated. I'm sure that Mistress Siobhan
wouldn't refuse three years worth of cover art in real medieval and
Renaissance styles!
Mikjal Annarbjorn
--
Michael A. Chance St. Louis, Missouri, USA "At play in the fields
Work: mc307a at sw1stc.sbc.com of St. Vidicon"
Play: mchance at crl.com
mchance at nyx.cs.du.edu
From: bbrisbane at aol.com (BBrisbane)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: 16th C Recipe for Red Sealing Wax
Date: 21 Jul 1995 00:43:21 -0400
Previously everyone wrote about what various meanings could be brought
from Melting/melding Turpentine. Well, I'm fortunate enough to have found
a substance to fit the bill!! Venice Turpentine is an extremely viscous
turpentine which was used in period and can be bough