Fresco
Fresco is a technique for painting murals directly on wet plaster. Popularised during the Italian renaissance, the word literally translates to ‘fresh.'
There are two methods for fresco painting: buon fresco and fresco a secco. In both methods, layers of fine plaster are applied to the wall surface. The second-to-last layer, known as the arriccio, serves as the base for drawing the cartoon. The final layer of very smooth plaster is called the intonaco.
In buon fresco, paint is applied to the wet intonaco, with only as much plaster as can be painted in a single day being spread on the wall. This method ensures a strong bond between the fresco and the wall, and each day's work is referred to as a ‘giornata’. In fresco a secco, paint is applied when the surface is dry, either on top of dried buon fresco or on a dry intonaco.
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Lisa Yuskavage
These magnificently smutty pin-ups are the work of a legend of contemporary painting, Lisa Yuskavage. Born in 1962 in Philadelphia to an Irish working class family, Lisa turns ‘wrongness’ into salacious works of art that give Classical painting a run for its money.
And the Oscar for Best Movie Poster goes to…
We speak with Hollywood’s favourite poster artist James Jean about art, film and a new category for the Academy Awards.
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