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 "Cartoon"
- full scale drawing of the future fresco.
Cartoons are drawn on regular paper
with pencil, graphite, charcoal, sepia chalk, etc., etc. The purpose of a
cartoon is a thorough study and final rendition of the composition, light,
shadow, details of the future fresco, it is a preparatory drawing taken to the
next level. Correctly done cartoon is a "stand along" artwork. Although optional
in other painting mediums, Cartoon is essential when painting in Fresco not only
as the main guideline for transferring the design onto freshly laid (fresco)
plaster, but also as the main tool and method of understanding and orchestrating
the steps for painting of the corresponding fresco.
Preparation of the cartoon for small fresco slightly differs from
the preparation of the large fresco cartoon. In this article we discuss the
small fresco cartoon. Since this article is intended for the general audience
and/or beginner fresco artist it makes sense to illustrate the directions with
the actual examples from our fresco workshops. During our workshops artists work
from their own cartoons that they have to prepare at home prior to the class.
Since many of our students have little or no practical experience in fresco we
do not judge nor expect students cartoons to be perfect or even fully completed.
However it will be helpful to establish some guidelines and explain the reasons
behind them.
Verne Busby flew from Canada to take our workshop in 2003, his
cartoons prepared for the class surpassed all our expectations to the point that
we will use his work to illustrate this article. Please keep in mind we are not
looking for or suggesting a particular style; on the contrary we hope that we
will have a wide variety of "styles" (aka: modern, abstract, classic,
representational or not) present during the class, so students can experience
and share as many alternative methods and solutions to achieving desired results
on plaster as possible. The "guidelines" are directed to explain the "uni-system"
of building up color, shadow, depth and contrast when working in fresco.
Surmising we can say that "Cartoon" is a "Checklist" for the steps in actual
painting on wet plaster. You will repeat this steps one by one using color while
painting the actual fresco and the result directly depends on how clear and how
complete this "Checklist" is!
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For
a small fresco initial design is rendered slightly larger than
the final size of a fresco. As it is less constrained by the
predefined measurement there is more freedom for the experiment
with proportion and detail. Image will be "cropped" later to fit
the frame. For the large fresco initial design usually "blown
up" to fit the wall following with adding an refining of the
details within somewhat permanent general composition.
In
this example, Artist have selected just a "headshot" to be painted (note
the perimeter lines). It is clear that similar approach in working with
large-fresco cartoon will be somewhat wasteful. However every detail
needs to be defined and studied so often multiple to scale cartoons of
the details and "angles" are produced and small "study" frescoes are
painted before the final cartoon is completed.
In
this example of a transfer-tracing Verne has adopted the initial cartoon
to fit 16"X16" tile that we use in the first two painting sessions
during our 5-day professional workshop. Note how the perimeter lines
indicate outer edge of the fresco-tile and the painting area. The
composition spills over the boundaries of the available area allowing
for large detail without being "fragmented" resulting in a stand-along
composition. Large close and larger-than-life objects are essential to
understanding the technique of painting on plaster, especially at the
beginning of learning fresco. For practice and study elements must allow
for continuous brush strokes and multiple transparent layers.
This
example shows the tracing after it has been used for transfer (note the
charcoal dust covering the rendition) After the final design area to be
painted is finalized (see cartoon at the top of the column) a tracing
paper is laid over the selection and a clean outline is transferred
which is then perforated and transferred onto fresh plaster using
charcoal dust. The original cartoon is left clean and will be used as
the main reference for the artist to build up the shadows, volume, color
intensity. it is virtually impossible to complete a fresco without
developing cartoon first - remember you will not have time to do it on
plaster as well as you will not be able to "paint over" the wrongly
placed shadows. Similar to watercolor fresco paints generally
transparent.
This
is completed 24'X24" fresco, the originally planned size (see cartoon at
the top of this column).
And
this is the one for which the original cartoon has been adjusted
(cropped) to fit 16'X16" size. (note that the detail had been enlarged
considerably to fill the tile). This adjustment was made because the
original design had too many small details, too many for that size of a
fresco. Which would have not allowed the student to experience the
process of painting on wet plaster to the extend it was needed to
understand the specifics of the technique.
Tracing
Fresco