by Margaret Springe
I believe that children learn most effectively through completing a process to achieve a desired outcome. It is this belief that led me to include Buon Fresco in my after school art program.
Googling ?fresco? led me to iLia Anossov, founder of The Fresco School, who graciously agreed to conduct a workshop for me while on holiday in LA. iLia?s expert knowledge of the technique and process provided me with enough guidance and confidence to fulfill my desire to teach buon fresco to several groups of 5th and 6th graders at the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, Ks.
The workshops I conduct consist of 12 to 18 students and last about two hours. The fresco steps that I teach the kids are: making a cartoon, poking holes in the cartoon for pouncing, applying the intonaco coat of plaster on their tile, pouncing and painting. The children are encouraged to use all of the tools associated with each step.
The workshops I conduct consist of 12 to 18 students and last about two hours. The fresco steps that I teach the kids are: making a cartoon, poking holes in the cartoon for pouncing, applying the intonaco coat of plaster on their tile, pouncing and painting. The children are encouraged to use all of the tools associated with each step.
The tiles that the children will be painting on are 6 x 6 ceramic tiles that have been soaked and prepped with an initial layer of plaster, the rough coat. The paint is also prepared ahead of time and stored in small plastic containers with lids. For a class of 15, I would prepare three containers of each color. I begin the workshop with a definition of fresco and ask several open questions regarding other painting techniques. We briefly discuss the history of fresco from cave paintings to the masters of the Renaissance and many reproductions of art are shown to the children. Throughout this discussion I slowly reveal the chemical process that makes fresco so unique and the children begin to realize how different a painting technique fresco is. A piece of limestone is circulated among the children while we explore the breakdown of the stone through the addition of intense heat causing the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. This reaction turns the stone into a powder called lime to which water is added to make lime putty. The plaster that is so vital to creating fresco is made by adding sand to the putty in varying amounts and particle sizes to create the many different layers of fresco. As water is evaporated from the plaster and the paint, CO2 is reabsorbed into the lime turning the plaster back into a stone. A circular diagram illustrates this chemical process? the kids love it!
We break to complete the first three steps: create a cartoon, poke holes into the cartoon for pouncing and applying the intonaco coat of plaster on a 6 x 6 tile. While the children are drawing, or creating a cartoon, I encourage simplicity in their design and ask them to begin thinking of color combinations. The second step is poking holes in their cartoon, roughly making a stencil. This step seems to pose more problems than it should. When the holes are too close together the pouncing can cause a mess on their tile. To resolve that, I give the kids a corkboard tile with a pushpin holding a small piece of paper illustrating the proper spacing of the pouncing holes, the pushpin is also used to poke the holes in their cartoon. Next, I spray each prepared tile with water and let the children smooth on the intonaco layer of plaster with a trowel or japan scrapper, and then they smooth the top with a wooden float. Every child attempts the new technique and is eager to try the tools. I always make two or three extra tiles, accidents happen. The tiles are then placed to the side for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the plaster to set and the chemical reaction to begin.
While the plaster is setting, we gather as a group again to talk about the last two steps, pouncing and painting. Pouncing is fun and unique to fresco; most kids say it was the best thing about fresco. However, muslin bags filled with charcoal dust are messy. The pouncing table should be placed outside or in a well covered spot in the corner manned by an adult wearing a mask. The adult holds the cartoon in place over the tile while the child taps the muslin bag over their cartoon to make a guide, a kind of dot-to-dot on their tile to help them paint. I emphasize a light tapping of the pouncing bag. We discuss why Michelangelo used pouncing and I show them a reproduction of a Sistine Ceiling detail which shows his pouncing marks. If a mess does occur in pouncing, a quick blow across the tile and a light wipe with a wet wipe will usually remedy the situation. If not, there are extra tiles.
It?s been a long process but finally everyone is ready to paint. We begin the painting section by comparing and contrasting buon fresco and painting a secco. I show details from da Vinci?s? Last Supper, done a secco, and Michelangelo?s Sistine Ceiling done in buon fresco which brilliantly compares the two techniques. I compare the fresco painting process to watercolor, emphasizing the need to squeeze out the extra water before they paint and encourage them to move their brush around their tile while painting. I supply the children with plenty of brushes in different sizes and towels to absorb the excess water. Sometimes a child will work an area too much and end up with a soupy mess; the extra tiles come in handy here also.
The results have been magnificent! The students have shown much pride in their accomplishment. Most of my students participated fully in each step, enjoying the different tools and hands on medium. During the plastering step, the students have engaged me in discussions on chemistry, Michelangelo and the Renaissance. It is a great avenue into history and science, and a wonderful interrelated activity.
by Margaret Springe
The Fresco School - Fresco Painting Workshops & Programs (click for schedule)
