Course Description
Introduction to historical methods: egg tempera, fresco, encaustic, casein and Venetian oil painting in combination with modern materials: acrylic polymers and alkyd resins. Consideration is given to the properties of pigments, binders, grounds, and supports and how they inform contemporary studio practice.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will conduct additional research on historic
painting techniques using primary source materials and will
present that research to the class. In addition, they will utilize
a number of the media in their current studio practice,
integrating studio visits by the class for examination and
discussion of the results
of that research.
Athena Title
Contemp App Hist Paint Mater
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in ARST 3160
Prerequisite
Any 3000-level ARST or ARHI course
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
In this course, students are introduced to various historical painting techniques: egg tempera, fresco, encaustic, and Venetian mode (indirect) oil painting in addition to techniques involving modern materials such as polymer (acrylic) media and alkyd resins. Through a sequence of painting projects, students learn the properties of pigments and binders and the preparation of supports and grounds. They are guided in seeing these techniques and methods as part of the historical development of painting and must demonstrate contemporary applications of these materials and methods through work generated in the classroom and through various outside assignments.
Topical Outline
Students are expected to apply themselves seriously to all the projects. Individual and group critiques clarify the application of historical and modern materials and methods to individuals' expressive and technical powers and needs. Students are evaluated on the effort they bring to the projects and their ability to integrate their expanding knowledge of materials and methods into the form and content of their studio work. Projects are assessed, therefore, with regard to use of the various techniques as well as to the quality of the resultant images and visual works.
 1. Ink Drawing (dipped ink) with Added Painting. Ink with colored washes that are made by harvesting and creating pigments by hand. Colors from the Earth by Ann Wall Thomas. 2. Pastel Drawing and painting with the created pigments and other colors and grounds. 3. Silverpoint Drawing (alone or with added color) and the preparation of grounds. 4. Watercolor. Paper preparation. Examples: Homer, Turner, Sargent and Walter Anderson. 5. Egg Tempera Painting. Students will learn to prepare a ground and support for this painting. Students will study works by Paul Cadmus, Peter Hurd, and Dennis Harper and Father Anthony Salzman. 6. Fresco and Secco Painting on Plaster; building the support, creating the ground, designing the cartoon, and executing the design. Students will visit the frescos of Jean Charlot and the murals of Art Rosenbaum on campus. 7. Underpainting/Glazing techniques using acrylic painting on canvas; a study of canvas preparation, including stretcher, sizing, and ground. In combination with the next section we may create a diptych to make a direct comparison of the handling and appearance of oil and acrylic paints and products. 8. Oil Painting on Canvas. We will study the best technical practices in canvas preparation (stretcher, sizing, and ground) and practice Venetian painting technique with underpainting and glazing. 9. Encaustic Painting on panel or canvas. Students will use the text by Joanne Mattera and her website and blog.
Syllabus
Public CV