48967102 technique of distemper painting

7/29/2019 48967102 Technique of Distemper Painting

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The medium used in most traditionally painted icons is egg tempera, which requires arigid support. Panels for icons are made of solid wood, usually poplar or mahogany ,varieties of wood which are chosen for their stable, non-warping qualities. Solid oakstruts are inserted in grooves cut into the back of each panel, across the grain toretard warping. Most panels are constructed with raised borders on the surface ofthe icon which also counteract warping--as well as helping to define the iconspatially.

Paint cannot be applied directly to the wood itself. A complex panel preparation isrequired for proper and permanent adhesion of the paint. The panel is saturated withtwo coats of hot hide glue, which penetrates the fibers of the wood. Each coat is

allowed to dry thoroughly. A piece of linen cloth cut slightly larger than the panelitself is soaked in the hot glue, and carefully applied to the panel and allowed todry. This phase can take several days, depending on weather conditions.

The dried, linen-covered panel is then sized with two more coats of the hot hideglue, to which have been added a small amount of powdered marble, to give it moretooth and substance. After drying overnight, the panel is ready for painting withmultiple coats of gesso, a white, plaster-like preparation made of marble dust, waterand the hide glue. The gesso, when gently heated has the consistency of heavy cream,and when brushed on in thin layers, it dries to a hard, permanent surface. The firstfew coats are applied and rubbed by hand into the rough tooth provided by the


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linen. Thin coats of gesso follow, one after the other, and when done, 15 to 20 thincoats of gesso create an extremely durable surface.


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When the gessoed panel has thoroughly dried (a seasonal matter--thorough dryingcan take a number of days) the surface is carefully sanded and polished to a marble-like smoothness and only then does the painting begin. Usually a general sketch in

sepia-toned pigment and water locates the subject on the panel, and establishes theproportions and composition. This preliminary drawing gradually is replaced by a moredefined drawing and a little egg yolk is added to give the sketch some permanency.

Pigments are, for the most part, finely-ground stone, earth, and minerals, and ifapplied with water alone will rub off when dry. Egg tempera is a medium of

unsurpassed beauty, proven permanency and stability over time. It is the egg yolkthat gives centuries -old icons their lasting quality. We have egg tempera iconscenturies old, which, when cleaned, have retained fresh, vivid colours and an

unflawed surface. Oil painting, on the other hand, after a comparatively short timedries out, cracks and flakes. Modern acrylic-based paints tend to become brittle,

dull and lifeless when dry, and have the further problem of being inherently opaque-

-lacking the translucence possible with egg tempera which has always been a strikingfeature of icons.

If the background is going to be made of gold leaf, it is usually at this stage, oncethe drawing on the panel has been completed, that the gold leaf is applied. Twenty

three karat gold is the norm for gilding icons. Small nuggets of gold are beenpounded out until they become extremely and uniformly thin. There are two

different methods to apply the gold. The first is called water gilding: 4-5 layers ofyellow clay bole, containing some hide glue, are painted onto the gesso and polished

when dry. A sable brush is used to float a puddle of water onto the clay bole, and aloose sheet of gold quickly laid onto the surface of the puddle of water, which then


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sinks into the clay, pulling the gold onto the wetted, and temporarily adhesivesurface. When dry, the gold is burnished with a smooth canine tooth-shaped

implement called a burnisher which makes the gold extremely smooth and reflective.In Russia the burnisher is almost always a wolfs tooth; elsewhere, agate is used.

Another method of gilding is called Mordant gilding. Here, we apply a layer of an oilbased glue where-ever the gold is to go. When the glue becomes tacky, the gold is

applied and left at that stage. This kind of gold cannot be burnished.

Application of the clay bole:


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The gilded panel, after burnishing:


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Once a satisfactory drawing has been completed, and the gold is laid, the basecolours are painted onto the gessoed surface. With the base colours down, theiconographer applies lighter colors, building up the forms and shapes, and continuespainting with combinations of glazes, lines, and variety of thicknesses of color. Theiconographer adds the inscriptions and titles that identify the icon. No icon iscomplete without the name of the saint or of the feast depicted. Under nocircumstances does the iconographer sign the icon. This western practice has becomecommon in some Orthodox workshops but is practically unknown in traditionaliconography: the few attested exceptions prove the rule. The icon depicts only whatis necessary, and that does not include the name of the painter or the workshopwhere the icon was made.

Leonid Ouspensky (1902-1987) always said, with regard to learning the craft of iconpainting, that, the best teachers are the ancient icons. That remains true for anyiconographer concerned for traditional painting. In addition to the several manualsspecifically written to help the painter understand how a given subject is to bepresented, photographs and books on old icons aid the painter in understanding thetradition. While actively painting, the iconographer is always studying the work ofhis predecessors, drawing and reflecting on the achievements that have been passedto him.


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Painting of the flat colors:


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Painting of the lighter colors to build up forms and shapes:


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When the painting is done the icon is set aside and allowed to dry completely. This

can take a long time and again, much is seasonally determined. When all is done andwell dried out, the final work begins--applying the varnish which has been used atleast since the Middle Ages and which ensures that the painted surface will locktogether and have a protective surface. The varnish also deepens and enhances thecolours.


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The varnish used is made of linseed oil and additives to hasten the drying process.Depending on humidity, varnishing usually takes the better part of one day--10hours from first to last, but we have had panels whose varnishing has kept thecommunity up literally all night. The icon is laid flat, and the varnish poured over

it in a thick coat. Throughout the day, the varnish is absorbed by the paint, as itthickens, and forms a film on the surface of the paint. At a certain point the varnishbecomes viscous, and only experience and the discernment that comes from experienceindicates when that moment has arrived. At that point the excess varnish is scrapedoff, leaving the final varnish coat behind. Once again, the panel is set aside to dryfor days.

The icon is taken to the church and blessed by the priest before being given to theindividual who commissioned it, or prior to its installation in church.


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Olifa: Linseed Oil Varnish for theEgg Tempera IconThis process must be shown bysomeone who knows it. It cannot be communicated by

reading.

-Leonid Ouspensky talking about the varnishing technique known as Olifa.

Having practiced the technique of olifa oil varnish for more than 20 years, I canattest to the wisdom of this statement. Olifa is a very difficult varnishing processto learn, best done by watching or assisting someone with experience doing it. Iprepared the following instructions for students to whom I have taught the process.If you are new to varnishing with olifa, you really must find someone who can showyou how it works. These instructions may be useful to someone having trouble withthe process, allowing for varying techniques of different schools. This paper describeswhat my teacher taught me, together with some of my own observations, andexperiences. There are many parts of the process that are unpredictable andirreversible.

The application of olifa should be tried and practiced before being used for afinished icon. I strongly recommend that a few small practice panels with a paintsurface similar to what is to be varnished should be made, and properly dried. Thisvarnishing technique is one that works best if the varnisher understands what ishappening during the process, and knows what to look for.

The varnishing must be planned for a day when you can remain with the icon into theevening. It is a process that, once begun cannot be stopped or interrupted. Do notvarnish on a day where you have another commitment. Start early in the day, as thepart of the process that can be physically demanding comes at the end of the day,when strength can be low, and the natural light is gone.

The paint surface and proper tempering of the colors:The first consideration of varnishing an icon painted in egg tempera is the conditionof the paint surface to be varnished:

(1) Is the paint cured (dried) enough? If the paint surface is too new (a few days old,for example), the varnishing process may dislodge certain colors, particularly reds,making a muddy mess of the olifa. In a damp winter, the paint surface takes longer tocure than in a dry summer. In a dry climate, I would allow the icon to dry for 1-2weeks. In a humid climate, or in a rainy season, I would wait 3 weeks. A longer


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drying time is better but not usually possible in my experience. Allowing the icon tosit in the sun in a sunny window will facilitate the drying process. Ouspenskyusually coated his reds (vermilion or cadmium red) with a little pure egg medium asan extra precaution against dislodging color.

(2) Are the colors tempered enough? To add egg yoke medium to the pigment is totemper it. If the colors do not have enough egg, the result will be poor, with under-tempered colors letting go and making the varnish dirty. In my experience, the paintsurface should have a slight shine, but not a high gloss. Consistent tempering can behelped during the painting of the icon by the daily application of a wash of verydiluted medium prior to the days work (one brush full of egg medium, and seven ofwater). Evenly and adequately tempered colors will be much easier to varnish. If thesurface is very matte, and has no surface reflection at all, like a piece of velvet, itis under-tempered, and will give trouble during the varnishing. Colors that are not

tempered enough will varnish unevenly, leaving dry spots that are difficult to fix.

(3) Gold leaf can present difficulties. Prior to the olifa process, I varnish gold leaf(water gilded) with shellac, also covering all lettering, lines of haloes, and contoursthat overlap onto the gold. Shellac painted over paint that sits on gold (letteringand haloes) will hold it in place during the olifa process.

OLIFA RECIPE:

2 ml liquid cobalt acetate dryer250 ml refined linseed oil

or

.8 ml liquid cobalt acetate dryer4.25 oz refined linseed oil

or

8 ml liquid cobalt acetate dryer1 quart refined linseed oil

These recipes have the same proportions; the different measures are given toaccommodate the differing measures in which linseed oil is sold in the U.S.

Drop the liquid cobalt dryer into the linseed oil with a calibrated measuringdropper (fig 1). Stir thoroughly (fig 2). I usually keep new olifa on a window sill, sothat the light and heat of the sun will thicken it a little. In my experience, oldolifa is superior to newly made olifa. New olifa is thin and brown. With time, itchanges color to become a beautiful golden amber, it thickens somewhat, and worksbetter (fig 3: on the left. two year old olifa; on the right newly made olifa). Whenmaking a new batch of olifa, I mix a little aged olifa into the new batch, which seems


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to facilitate this beneficial aging process. It is also a good idea to keep the olifa ina wide mouth jar that is larger than the volume of olifa being stored. The air cominginto contact with the olifa also helps to age it.

To varnish a work executed in egg tempera:The technique works best if the weather is dry and sunny. It is possible to do theprocess on a wet, rainy day, but it is much more difficult, not to mention slower.During the process, the icon should sit in sunlight, either in a window, or outside,if it is warm. If the icon is sitting outside, you will want to watch over it, andkeep insects from landing on it. Some insects will eat the egg in the paint. The iconshould also be shielded from birds flying overhead. If the weather is bad, an ultra-violet heat lamp (or several, for a large icon) may be used.

I've taken to using latex gloves while doing olifa to prevent contact with the cobaltdryer. Since where I tend to work with such large amounts of olifa, it seems thebetter part of wisdom.

1. Application of the olifaThe varnishing should begin early in the day, as soon as the sun is strong enough towarm the surface of the icon. The icon and the jar of olifa should be warmed in thesun for about 10 minutes. With the icon lying flat, the olifa is then poured outonto the surface (figs 4-5), and spread with the fingers over the entire surface of

the panel (figs 6-8). Put the icon, lying flat, in the sun, or under an artificialheat/ light source. If using a heat lamp, instead of sunlight, be careful to:

(1) keep the lamp far enough from the icon to make the surface warm, but not veryhot. Too much heat could damage both the paint film and the gilding; and,(2) make sure that the surface is warmed evenly by moving the panel slightly everyfew minutes. Some heat lamp bulbs direct a pinpoint of very strong heat onto a smallpart of the surface, and this will make the varnish film develop unevenly.

How much olifa to pour onto the surface is a matter of preference and experience. Intheory, you cannot apply too much oil, as the surface will hold only so much varnishbefore it runs off the sides, and excess varnish will be removed later on in the

process anyway. I like to apply a little less than the maximum amount of varnish thesurface will hold, as the less varnish that is used, the faster the process will go. Ifyou use too little varnish, it will all disappear into the paint over the course ofthe day, or dry too quickly, in an uncontrolled manner.

In the following few hours, 3 things will happen:(1) The colors will absorb varnish, each absorbing different amounts at differentrates of time.(2) The varnish will thicken, due to the action of light and heat.(3) A permanent film of varnish will slowly form directly on top of the surface of thepaint, and underneath thickening linseed oil.


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2. Redistributing the olifa throughout the dayLeaving the icon in the light/ heat source (fig 9), return every 15 minutes and movethe thickening olifa around with your fingers, rubbing, in small circles, over thesurface of the panel (figs 10-12). During the first few hours, the thin varnish willmove and recede, leaving dry areas, and you must redistribute it evenly. Within anhour or so, the olifa will become thicker, and it will not leave dry areas, but youmust continue to move it around every 15 minutes, as small pockets of varnish willcoagulate, and you want to break them up, redistribute them, and keep thedeveloping film evenly spread over the surface of the panel.

Two very important warnings!DANGER!

1-The panel may become too hot to touch if it is in strong sunlight or too close to aheat lamp. If this becomes the case, move the panel into the shade or indoors, (orturn off the heat lamp(s) and let it cool, then move the olifa around with yourfingers. Continue to do this throughout the day.

2-Be very careful when looking at the surface of the varnish in direct sunlight.The sunlights refraction in the oil surface is very strong, and can injure the eyes.

You could permanently injure your eyes, due to the reflected light of the sun.Never look at the surface of the oil directly. Again, here it is best to move the iconinto the shade, or indoors, and to attend to it there. When using heat lamps, turnoff the lamps before looking at the icon, and working on it.

The olifa varnish will begin with the consistency of thin oil, then become like honey,then become very viscous.

3. The developing paint filmAfter about 2 hours, you should notice a film of permanent varnish forming right on

the surface of the paint, and under the thickening linseed oil. As you rub yourfingers across the surface of the panel, you will begin to feel this film under themovable olifa, as it begins to stick to the paint, and become one with the paintsurface. This film will thicken and harden, becoming the final varnish coat. Althoughyou could easily remove it at this point by rubbing hard with your fingers, it willbecome firmer in the coming hours, and finally, it will be impossible to remove by theend of the process. You still rub the surface firmly, but try not to rub so hard thatyou take this film off altogether. If you feel small patches of coagulated olifa onthe surface of the paint, break them up as you move the thickening olifa around. Thesurface should become evenly thick.


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4. Removing a little excess olifaWhen you see that a good film of olifa varnish is forming on the surface of the paint,you may carefully remove some of the thickened olifa, leaving a good amount on thesurface to continue the process. Do this by lightly wiping off olifa with your fingerssystematically over the whole panel, removing a square of olifa about the size ofyour hand at a time (figs 13 -14). Removing the extra thickened olifa accelerates thevarnishing process, which you may or may not want on a given day. This removedthickened olifa can be stored in a small glass jar for later use and retouching (fig15). How do you know when or if you may remove some of the olifa? Experience countsfor much here. You may remove some of the olifa when there is enough of a filmformed on the surface, and there is more olifa on this film than you will need to

complete the process. You may not have put enough olifa on the icon at the beginningof the day to remove any now. You may find that the olifa is not thickening as fastas you would like, and need to remove quite a bit to accelerate the drying. Thereare many possibilities at this point. You can only discern what is enough or morethan enough by experience, trial and error. Practice panels will help the beginner.NOTE: Some varnishers skip this part of the process, removing the excess olifa in onestep only, as described below.

5. Influencing the speed of the varnishing processThere are two ways that the varnishing can be relatively speeded up or sloweddown: 1. You can remove the unneeded thickened olifa, or not. 2. You may varythe amount of time you leave the icon with the developing olifa in the sun ( orunder the heat lamps.) Take the icon out of the light and heat source to slowthe process down.

6. The final removal of all the excess olifaWhen the olifa becomes so thick that it begins to grab your fingers, and thepanel moves around as you attempt to redistribute the olifa, it is time toremove the rest of the excess olifa, leaving a thin film behind, which becomes thevarnish coat. The time it takes to reach this point after the initial application of

the olifa varies: 2-3 hours at least, but you may need 5-6 hours(or more). Thisdepends on atmospheric conditions, how much olifa you have applied, the age ofthe olifa, and the condition of your paint.

To remove the excess olifa: have a large knife (not too sharp) and a lint-freetowel ready (cloth or paper). Scrape off a section of olifa with your hand fromthe lower left hand corner of the panel (fig. 16- 17). If you are beginner, startsmall, about 6 square inches. You may take more off at a time, when you gainexperience. Scrape the thickened olifa off your hand with the knife (fig. 18-19),and wipe the knife with the towel, or scrape it into a tin can if you have a lotof olifa on the knife (fig. 20). Remove all the olifa in this way, moving across the


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panel, (working in 6 square inch sections,) then continuing up the panel, workingsystematically. You will have to press very hard to remove this thickened olifa.If you are acting at the correct time, you will be taking every bit of the olifawhich can come off. You will probably have to go over each part of the surfaceseveral times. If there is pigment that does not have enough egg medium in it, itwill smear at this point, which is not really fixable. If this does happen, Isuggest that you take off all the excess olifa, loose paint and all, and try to fixthe icon when the varnishing is completed if you can.

NOTE: I have begun to use a soft rubber silk screen squeegee to remove olifa (fig21). With it, the olifa may be removed very quickly (fig 22-26), if necessary (andsometimes it is necessary to move very quickly.) You can leave the thickenedolifa on the panel longer, because you can remove it quickly. Removing the olifaby hand is usually very strenuous, exhausting, and difficult.

However you choose to remove the olifa, work systematically up the panel, thenturn the panel sideways, and work at a right angle to what you have been doing(figs 27-30).

Gilded areas should have the same film as the paint, but be careful over gold.The pressure of your hand should be firm, but do not make any quick pulls overit, as gold or shellac may be caught in a suction, and pulled off, with disastrousresults.

How much olifa is taken away? Olifa is removed until a thin layer of hardenedolifa is left on the surface of the paint. The texture of the paint can be seen,when examined against the light (figs 31-32). You should be able to see any thickbrush strokes. This is also a matter of personal preference. The olifa may bethicker or thinner, depending on the decision of the varnisher. If an icon is for achurch, it should have a substantial varnish. The icon will be very shiny andvery tacky at this point. It should be leaned with the varnished side towards awall, in an environment as dust-free as possible.

If you remove the olifa too soon, it will disappear into the paint, leaving thepaint dry and unvarnished. If this happens the icon may be varnished a secondtime in the same way. If you try to take off the excess olifa too late, however,you will be left with a thick, sticky film of linseed oil which never becomes

totally transparent or evenly shiny. The work can certainly be ruined at thispoint, and there is a good case for believing that this process is best learned onlyby making painful mistakes in the early attempts at the varnishing. In this waythe limitations and the characteristics of olifa are learned. Do not try this forthe first time on an important work. Try it on test panels.

7. The final step of the process: brushing the varnishAfter 15 minutes, lay the icon flat on the table, taking care not to touch thesurface of the varnish. Gently but firmly brush the surface with the out-side


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half of the palm of your hand or with your fingers. Begin in the lower corner ofthe icon and brush in slow, downward strokes, moving sideways across the panelwith each stroke, thus treating the bottom 6 inches, or so of the panel. Hold thebottom of the panel with one hand, and brush with the other hand, pulling yourhand towards you. Repeat for the next horizontal 6 inch band, and continue tomove up the panel until it has been brushed entirely You need be able to see thereflection of the light on the surface of the varnish, so position yourselfaccordingly, with the panel between you and the light source. It is easier to seethe surface of the varnish in daylight rather than in electric light, so sitopposite a window, if possible, with the icon between you and the window. As theolifa begins to dry and harden, brushing it will make the surface mat, but thenthe shine slowly returns (fig 33). Doing this for the next hour or so, every 10 or15 minutes, will make the icon less sticky and shiny. When not brushing the icon,it should be leaned, face against the wall.

If the olifa makes a squeaky noise, or if the varnish becomes very dull, and wontbecome shiny again, it is time to stop. For this reason, always begin in the lowercorner, and pay close attention to what happens when you brush the olifa: does itbecome dull, then become shiny again? All is well, and you may progress. Does thevarnish make a frightening sounding squeak or become very dull, not becomingshiny again? It is probably time to stop. It will be very sticky, but this should goaway overnight, although it will be a little tacky for a few days. Lean the paneltowards a wall, and do not touch it until the next day. I have gotten into thepractice of not touching the icon until two days after I varnish. The difficultyhere is to stop touching the varnish before the time when it is too late to touchit, and to learn to watch for the signs, which can only be learned throughexperience.

If the icon is not brushed in this way, it will remain shiny and sticky. A goodolifa surface is slightly glossy, but not altogether shiny. It should not look"candy-coated." It should not be sticky.

If the icon is tacky after two days, try putting it in the sun, or in a sunnywindow. This should help in the drying. The olifa may be slightly tacky forseveral days. If it is very shiny and tacky, it probably was not brushed enough.It should dry with time, anyhow. Do not touch the surface of the varnish untilit has cooled. When the fresh olifa is warm, it is also soft, and fingerprints can

become permanent.

Occasionally, it is necessary to do a little retouching. Sometimes, a little of thepaint which lies on top of gold comes off during the varnishing. This is prettyeasy to fix. Mix up the paint in the usual way. Mix in a little ox gall (availableat most art stores). This is a wetting agent. It helps the paint not to bead up onthe non-absorbent olifa. Do your repairs; let dry an hour or so. Carefully,varnish over the repairs or retouchings with a little shellac. This method cannotbe used for large areas, but for small repairs only. Remember that the shellacwill degrade and discolor in different ways that the olifa, so add shellac, or anyother retouch varnish to the olifa, bearing that eventuality in mind.


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To ship an icon with fresh varnish, I wrap it in brown paper, wrap the wrappedicon in cardboard, then box the whole thing. The brown paper will usually notadhere to the varnish. Never wrap an icon in plastic.

An Alternate Method

Rub a small amount of olifa into the surface of the icon. Let it sink into the paintcompletely. If after 1 hour, if there is still some varnish collecting in pools on thesurface of the icon, wipe most of it off, leaving only a little behind to sink in. Leaveovernight. Pick up the process, by putting in more olifa, the next day, and proceedwith the process described above. This method is one that consolidates the paint

surface ahead of time, and has proved easier for some people.

A sample olifa scenarioThe following scenario is a record of the varnishing of a small icon (8 X 10 inches) byLeonide Ouspensky in 1981 in his Paris studio. The weather was cold and rainyoutside, but the studio was adequately heated by a small wood stove, whichprovided a good, dry heat source for the process.

9:30 (AM): The icon is warmed by being put face down on top of the little woodstove. NOTE: The stove was giving out very little heat from the top. The samecould be achieved by standing the icon near a radiator, or laying it in the sun, orunder a heat lamp. Do not place an icon directly onto a heat source. It will damagethe icon, if the heat is at all strong.

10:00: The olifa is applied.

10:15: The olifa is rubbed and spread around the surface of the icon.

10:30, and each 15 minutes following: The olifa is rubbed and spread. NOTE: Thestove had feet, and was raised about 9 inches off the floor. The icon lay face up,during this time, under the stove, where the panel remained warm, but not hot. Twopieces of thin wood were placed to cover the sides of the area under the stove toprevent drafts.

12:00 noon: Some of the thickened olifa is removed, and stored in a small jar forretouching and restoration.

12:40: The olifa had thickened noticeably, and had formed a good film on the paintsurface. The olifa was carefully rubbed and smoothed. The fingers leave tracks now,


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which soon disappear back into the olifa.

1:20: The icon is removed from the heat. It is very tacky, and it is difficult to moveones fingers across the sticky surface. The olifa is worked and spread, making surethat the developing film is even. The rubbing continues each 15 minutes.

2:00: The olifa is removed by hand and fingers with great physical effort. This takesabout 15 minutes. The icon is very sticky and very shiny. It is turned to the wall.

Each 15 minutes thereafter: the icon is brushed as described above, and then turnedto the wall.

4:00: The brushing stops. The varnishing is complete except for the overnight drying.


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Painting A Face:The following photos detail the painting of a face on an icon using the traditionalegg tempera technique.

The original drawing done in red ochre.


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Red clay bole has been applied for the gilding.


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Gold leaf has been applied and burnished.


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First layers of the flat colors have been applied.


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The flat colors have been built up more.


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The flat colors are complete and dark lines have been painted.


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The highlights have begun to be applied.


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Highlights are built up more.


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Highlights are more fully developed, but not yet complete.


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The completed painting.

Source:

http://www.gsinai.com/rw/icons/technique.php
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48967102 technique of distemper painting

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