All about frescoes

Most people associate a fresco with something ancient, valuable, often associated with religious culture. But this is only partly true. There is a place for a fresco in a modern house, because this type of painting does not become obsolete. He simply changes, finds new solutions, responds to the demands of the time. But the art of fresco took shape really long ago.

Applying paint directly to raw plaster is a fresco (or affresco). This ancient technique does not apply to construction harsh plaster. In order for fresco painting to appear on the wall, you need to make a special wall covering. It is called levkas. It is made from slaked lime mixed with sand. Instead of standard paints, natural pigments are used, which are diluted with water. Therefore, the frescoes receive their magical, shining shades, which, judging by the ancient painting, conquer even time.

Humanity has been admiring frescoes for many hundreds of years. This type of painting has been known since antiquity, which was used to decorate the walls of the houses of the nobility. Fresco painting reached its peak during the Renaissance. Artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo worked on frescoes in the famous palace interiors of Louis Gonzaga.

In Russia, frescoes appeared to a greater extent as an element of temple painting. If you go now to the Svyatogorsk monastery, to the Ferapontov monastery, you can see amazing examples of fresco painting, in fact, in its original form.

The modern fresco looks impressive too. And due to the fact that now the trend is naturalness, environmental friendliness, handicraft, more and more people are turning to fresco painting in the interior. It looks very solid, it is appropriate not only for large areas. Even very high-quality photomurals will not give the effect of real painting on the walls. The frescoes are distinguished by a sense of authentic style, man-made beauty, which has always been especially appreciated today.

It must be said that traditional technologies did not give up under the pressure of high-tech innovations. The essence remains the same, although if everything is done as in the old days, the cost of such a repair event will be overstated. The types of frescoes are changing, more economical analogues appear. Frescoes come in many different types.

• Painting on elastic plaster. This painting system is extremely close to the traditional technique. Only, instead of a mixture of sand and lime, ready-made compositions are used here. The artist does not need to mix anything, he gets a ready-made composition that keeps the plaster damp and elastic for a long time. The latter is applied to the wall using a mounting mesh, therefore, over time, the image will not crack. It may not be wise to use this technique in a small room, but for a large space it is a great option.

• Painting on canvas. As you might guess, the canvas is taken as a basis, the artist primes it, then applies a drawing with a plot on top.For maximum naturalness of the image, it is aged in a special way. Paint drips and even fresco cracks are made with brushes. The product will be elegant, albeit fragile. To protect it, wax is applied with a top layer. This type of fresco painting is considered elite, it is expensive.

• Fresco on a hard base. This is either a plastic base or a ceramic sheet. The drawing is applied by hand with acrylic paints. This canvas is expensive, it weighs a lot, it is mounted on the wall like paintings. And this is also handmade.

• Self-adhesive mural. But this is almost a wallpaper. Not all classifiers attribute this type of decoration to frescoes. You need to do a minimum: a self-adhesive sheet, closed from the inside with a protective film, must be glued to the base. On the front side of the product there is a special composition with river sand. This almost frescoed layer is digitally printed with a picture.

• Fresco on a non-woven base. It is also a mass product, which means that the cost is affordable for the majority. A non-thick plaster layer is applied to the non-woven liner, a drawing is made by a printer, the image undergoes special aging. At the final stage, the fresco is covered with special impregnations, which will protect the work from water and sunlight.

• Frescoes on flexible stone. Flexible stone is a durable material, just like the image applied to it. These are either translucent pictures, artificially aged, in watercolor technique, or they look like photographs. They are used to decorate the walls of premises, columns, fireplaces, furniture facades.

The stylistic and design features of the frescoes are also worth considering.

• Classic style. This is the most popular option, and the type of execution of frescoes can be different - from traditional techniques to frescoes on a non-woven basis. Motives of nature, flowers, textbook themes and scenes (for example, Christmas) are often depicted.

• Provence style. The delicate and natural colors that prevail in the south of France have become a favorite theme for homes around the world. In a Provencal interior, an elegant fresco will be the best addition. It may be modest in size, but the naturalness and hand-made beauty of the image, in any case, will appeal to the stylistics.

• Loft. Even in this brutal style, a fresco can become part of the interior, and not necessarily dark technological images. You can limit yourself to minimalism. There are no strict rules in the loft that cannot be violated. The main thing is that the space looks unique.

• Art Deco. Everything that makes up this style: strict regularity, boldness of geometry, design in halftones, but at the same time the diversity of ornaments and expressive luxury. All this can be expressed in the fresco. Since many fresco works are an indicator of chic, expensive space decor, painting with pigments diluted in water on raw plaster fits perfectly into the Art Deco concept. And even a strict black and white composition will be a chic addition to the overall look.

• Japanese. This style celebrates simplicity and minimalism, a pronounced functionality, but at the same time an obvious, noticeable closeness to nature. Walls in this style are often draped with natural fabrics. But sometimes one of the walls is distinguished by an elegant, stylistically consistent fresco.

Frescoes can be stained glass or in the form of a mosaic, they can be highlighted with neon light. These will be, for example, abstract sketches, picturesque meadows in France or seascapes in Italy.

Using frescoes on the walls or even ceiling paintings, you can emphasize the mood that reigns in the space. The interior almost immediately takes on its own character, and other details of the space must obey the changes.

This is probably the most appropriate room for a fresco. Usually the central wall is given under the image. To decorate the main room of the house, landscapes are traditionally chosen, which make the room seem even more spacious, form a feeling of freedom. And even in a small living room, this design is appropriate. Sometimes it visually enlarges the room. Those who are in the mood for the classic design of the living room can repeat the plots of famous paintings in the room. And even their own portraits can appear on the walls in the form of frescoes. By the way, beautiful frescoes have a huge plus - they take all the attention to themselves and distract from minor imperfections in space.

Usually the fresco is in the place where the organization of the dining area is planned. But still, do not forget that almost any fresco is based on plaster, which cannot completely fail to react to a humid environment, as well as temperature fluctuations. Therefore, the wall with the fresco should be at a distance from the sink and stove. The choice of image is logical - fruits, flowers, still lifes, summer views of beautiful places. All this will decorate the meal process, create a light cheerful mood. If the image is in perspective, the kitchen can also be visually enlarged.

Frescoes often appear above the head of the bed; they look like a logical decorative design for the sleeping and rest area. Again, preference is given to natural landscapes. Images of large flowers or clouds also look great in the interior of the bedroom. But bright, very detailed fresco paintings will be out of place in this room, they are too expressive for a place that should relax and calm the nervous system.

The fresco will fit well on the wall next to the child's bed. For a child, this is a useful decision, because falling asleep, he will look at the fresco, develop his imagination, and calm down. The carpets that were hung on the walls of the Soviet children performed approximately the same role. Only everything can be made more aesthetically pleasing and without the unpleasant dust collection effect.

As a plot, a natural landscape or some kind of fabulous scene would be an excellent option. Colors should be moderately bright. The palette should not be irritating to the child's nervous system. It is great if it is an image in calm, gentle tones, on which the child can concentrate for a long time.

For a hallway or a corridor in an apartment, an image is selected so that it can visually change a dark and narrow space. That is, a fresco made in light colors will definitely fit. It is necessary to evaluate the geometry of the space, the existing furniture, etc. In narrow rooms, frescoes on the ceiling are rare, but on the wall they will act as a good "expander" of space.

Antique frescoes are a living reminder of the world that existed before our era, the development of culture and society in which still occupies the minds of scientists and art critics. The ancient Greek frescoes of the Palace of Knossos are an example of such an amazing masterpiece. The palace of Knossos was called the labyrinth for its bizarre architecture. On the walls of the Greek "labyrinth" there are frescoes made mainly in black and red. Since the faces of the depicted were drawn in detail, it is believed that the frescoes were painted from nature.

It is interesting to see how the art of fresco developed in Asia - in the temple of Brihadishvara, in India, there are frescoes, made also before our era. Moreover, this painting was discovered not so long ago, scientists suggested that under the wall images there may be ancient frescoes. And this was confirmed - the researchers saw Shiva in various beautiful poses, surrounded by companions and dancers.

And in the Italian Padua, in the Capella del Arena, for more than 700 years there has been a fresco by Giotto "Lamentation of Christ". The works of Italian artists using this technique are no less valuable than the most famous paintings in the world.The 500th anniversary of the work of Michelangelo "The Last Judgment", which adorns the Sistine Chapel. And the history of Raphael's "Athens School", which is open to spectators in the Vatican, practically counts the same amount.

At all stages of painting, the surface must remain moist. Therefore, the artists protect it from drying by the sun's rays and drafts. At the end of the working day, the fresco is hung with wet sacking. Anyone who wants to make a fresco with their own hands will go through certain stages.

• Surface preparation. Walls need to be leveled and ironed to perfection. For this, plaster of ideal quality is used. After leveling, the walls are smoothed with sifted milk of lime.
• Transferring the contours of the image to the surface. A fresco map is used. The full-size original of the drawing is transferred in contour through a carbon copy, punctures are made along the contours with the help of an awl.
• Preparation of coloring compositions. The master, who is called the alfreyschik, uses the original in color and wipes certain pigments in water. So he gets the colors of the colors of the desired tonality. Ready mixes are poured into containers, numbered.
• Cutting sections of the drawing. The main colors are used to paint the areas that were previously broken off by the contours. Painting is done with soft brushes. First, they start writing large sections, then move on to detailing.
• Detailed painting. Each small element is executed with soft brushes. There can be no breaks in the execution of an element. This is what makes fresco painting so extreme, that there is practically no opportunity to fix something.

Examples of how a fresco can transform an interior are eloquent.

• Elegant painting of the kitchen wall. And this is not a wallpaper, but a painting in a graceful embodiment. The kitchen immediately appears visually larger due to the perspective in the image.

• The extended room will visually change its geometry due to such a "Venetian" fresco. Mediterranean style comes to the kitchen and makes it brighter, more cheerful, adds elegance to the space.

• An elegant option for decorating the walls of a dining room in a private house. Everything is discreet, but very stylish.

• The fresco in the bedroom creates the illusion of being in a completely different place., makes the room brighter and more sophisticated.

• Fresco with perspective in the hallway fits well into the given color scheme and successfully emphasizes the interior style.

• The interior of spacious modern rooms can suggest such interesting, non-obvious inclusions. - abstraction has its own value.

• The Italian style on the wall in the living room can be set with this painting. All colors in the interior are combined, the design is delicate and the overall picture is very convincing.

• Bedroom murals can be performed in dark, “lulling” colors.

• For a classic hallway this inclusion will be another reason for guests to generous with a sincere compliment towards the hosts.

• The kitchen seems bigfilled with fresh air and clean space. Wall decoration plays an important role in this image. A very good color solution.

For information on how to properly glue a mural, see the next video.