It’s no surprise that frescoes are found in the catacombs of Rome. Ancient Romans were known for fresco art. It’s also not surprising that those paintings have survived so long, because fresco is probably the most durable painting medium. A fresco is painted into a wall surface instead of onto canvas or panel. Wet paint soaks into wet plaster. As the plaster hardens, it locks the colors in. The painting is literally part of the wall!
Doesn’t painting on the walls sound fun? Artists think so too. But they do a lot of preparation before the painting begins. They make sure the wall is clean and even. They apply layers of plaster and sand mixture and allow them to harden.
Fresco painters have to plan their art too. When it comes time to apply paint, they have only one chance to get it right! They sketch and do colored drawings first. To plan a fresco, a cartoon is created. Seriously! The word “cartoon” comes from fresco cartoons—full-sized drawings of planned paintings.
Next, an artist needs to prepare the colors he or she plans to use. Dry, colored powder (pigment) is mixed with water.
The final layer of plaster that will be painted on is called the intonaco layer. This fine, smooth coat is troweled onto an area no bigger than the artist expects to work on for the day. The plaster will stay moist for several hours as the painter works.
The basic lines of the cartoon must be transferred to the damp surface. To do this, some artists lay their sketch over the surface and poke little holes along the lines of their drawings. Others roll over the lines with a dressmaker’s wheel. Then they pat a charcoal-filled bag against the paper. Charcoal dust goes through the holes and leaves a rough outline of the cartoon on the plaster. Other artists draw firmly over their lines with a tool. That leaves light dents in the plaster. Today, most artists use a projector to shine their drawing onto the wall so they can trace their drawing onto the plaster.
Finally, it is “the golden hour.” For many artists, this is the most pleasant part of their work. The painting comes alive as colors are brushed on and begin to soak into the plaster.
Does fresco painting sound like a fun project? Research. You will find lots of simple instructions on how to create a fresco with inexpensive materials.
