According to the story of the artist and historian of the Renaissance Giorgio Vasari, the sculpture of the brilliant Michelangelo “Sleeping Cupid” was buried in the ground, then dug up and passed off as antique statue. The statue was recognized as truly antique and was sold to the Cardinal of San Giorgio Raffaello Riario for 200 ducats, which once again confirmed the exceptional skill of Michelangelo.

Modern fakes are not made to confirm the skill of their author. The price of the issue (from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars for a painting by a recognized genius) is such that one successful attempt at a forgery out of a hundred can immediately enrich the dodger. Therefore, along with the development of methods for assessing authenticity, to which all are necessarily subjected standing paintings, methods by which they can be circumvented are also rapidly developing.

For obvious reasons, the participants in this “race” - art critics, technologists and, of course, the authors of fakes themselves - are not looking for extra fame and are in no hurry to reveal their methods. For Popular Mechanics, a specialist from one of the leading Moscow laboratories made an exception by talking about the main methods of examining works of art.

First look

The study of any painting includes art historical and technological expertise. To establish authenticity, experts work in two main directions - determining the date of manufacture of the painting and searching for the creative and technological techniques used in it, characteristic of a particular artist. Everything is clear with the date - Raphael could not paint with paints invented in the middle of the 20th century. Dating information, experts say, can be contained in every part of the painting, and the arrangement classic masterpieces is not as simple as it seems at first glance.

The picture is painted on a base - it can be canvas, wood, metal, stone. A simple canvas already contains a dating element - with the spread of new types of looms, the quality of the canvas changed dramatically.

The artist covers the canvas with primer to make it smooth. The degree of smoothness and the number of layers of soil are determined by the fashion of very specific times. In cases where the primer can absorb the binder base of the paint (most paints are powdered pigment and a binder - for example, walnut or linseed oil), an insulating layer - imprimature - must be placed on it. A typical imprimatura is a thin layer of oil paint.

The first layer of the picture, related to painting itself, is the white underpainting. Whitewash is the optical basis of color, a kind of “illumination” from inside the picture. It is not visible to the viewer, but has great importance— the final colors are obtained by applying transparent paints to the underpainting. For example, when an artist paints a portrait, he first builds the shape of the face with a thick layer of white. White paint not only creates a beautiful optical effect, but also helps to save expensive pigment, much less of which is required for transparent paints.

The following layers create the visual content of the painting. They are painted with paints that contain more varnish than oil, and are therefore transparent. Technologists call these layers glazes. A varnish is placed on top of the glazing - a transparent protective layer.

For each of the layers described, there are research methods that indicate the date of manufacture of the painting. At the same time, experts face a lot of pitfalls. For example, a painting painted during the life of a great master does not necessarily belong to his pen. At a time when aesthetic value paintings were considered more than collectible; a mass of copies came out of the workshops of geniuses, made by students and signed by the maestro himself. Finally, on the work of an unknown contemporary of the great artist, our contemporaries could simply forge a signature. Art historians carefully analyze the similarity of the painting being studied with famous works of certain periods of the artist’s work, taking into account technical and stylistic devices, subject of work, details of the master’s biography. However, an atypical picture may turn out to be a “test of the pen” or a “joke of a genius”...

Unfortunately, absolutely exact ways To date, it is not possible to determine the authenticity of the painting. Nevertheless, an experienced specialist, looking at the picture with the naked eye, can already tell a lot about it.

With the armed eye

When studying paintings, experts use several types of microscopes. A section of the painting, magnified 20-50 times, is a sight almost more beautiful than the painting itself. The canvas turns into a series of hills and depressions, glaze strokes take on the shape of sea ​​waves, or mountain canyons. A binocular microscope is especially good, allowing you to look deep into the picture, feel the thickness and quality of the varnish and, of course, examine restoration interventions or defects. Broken cracks filled with dust reflect the long life of the masterpiece or attempts to age it artificially (by heating and sharply cooling).

It is useful to look at the author's signature through such a microscope. Washing and changing the signature is one of the simplest and at the same time effective ways to fake paintings. A microscope can clearly see whether the signature lies under the varnish, above it, or “floats” between two varnish layers. The so-called “signature in the test”, which the artist put on the undried varnish, should be slightly recessed. The above-mentioned cracks in old varnish are called craquelure. If the signature lies on top of the cracks or flows into them, this is an indicator of a fake. Although the original signature could simply have been poorly outlined (as a rule, signatures are not restored).

Under a polarizing microscope (600x or more), the sample from the painting looks like a scattering of sparkling precious stones. These “gems” are nothing more than particles of pigment. The vast majority of pigments in classical painting They are minerals ground into powder. The type and combination of pigments gives the expert an idea not only about the date of production of the painting (different pigments were used in different time), but also about the individual “handwriting” of a particular artist: different masters obtained the same color shades by mixing different paints on the palette.

In invisible rays

One of the main tools of experts is ultraviolet, x-ray and infrared radiation. Ultraviolet rays make it possible to determine the aging of a varnish film - fresher varnish looks darker in ultraviolet light. In the light of a large laboratory ultraviolet lamp, the restored areas appear as darker spots (it is clear that paintings untouched by restorers are valued much higher than those completed) and artisanally rewritten signatures. True, this test is easy to bypass. Experienced restorers keep swabs that they use to remove the varnish before restoring lost areas of the canvas. Having subsequently washed these tampons in a solvent, they get... the same old varnish, identical to the original one. Currently, varnishes that do not darken in UV rays are even produced in series.

X-rays are blocked by the heaviest elements. IN human body This is bone tissue, and in the picture it is whitewash. The basis of white in most cases is lead; in the 19th century, zinc began to be used, and in the 20th century, titanium. All this heavy metals. Ultimately, on film we get an image of a whitewash underpainting. Underpainting is the individual “handwriting” of the artist, an element of his own unique technology, part of the painting that he did for himself, and not for the customer. To analyze the underpainting, a database of X-ray photographs of paintings by great masters is used. Unfortunately, their publications play into the hands of not only experts.

Infrared rays, on the contrary, allow you to see another part of the spectrum of the picture. Experts use special thermal imagers that detect waves with a length of over 1000 nm. The underlying drawing, made by the artist with black paint or pencil, or... the coordinate grid with which it was written, appears in infrared light exact copy original painting.

Chemical weapon

Chemical analysis in painting is divided into two categories: with sampling and without sampling. The study of the picture without sampling is carried out using an X-ray fluorescence analyzer (XRF). This device determines the metals contained in a substance. It is metals that are chromophores, that is, they are responsible for the color of certain substances, reflecting certain light waves (for example, lead - white, yellow, orange; copper - blue, green; iron - red, yellow).

A more accurate and detailed element-by-element analysis of a substance is provided by a micro-X-ray spectral analyzer, or microprobe. For the microprobe, a sample is taken from the painting. It is so small that it is not visible to the naked eye, but it contains parts of all layers of the picture. For each of them, the microprobe compiles a spectrum of the elemental composition of the substance. In addition, the microprobe can operate in electron microscope mode. For chemical analysis, methods such as emission spectral analysis, emission spectral X-ray phase analysis and many others are also used.

Chemical composition- extremely helpful information. To help experts, detailed reference books are published indicating the release dates of factory paints, varnishes, and primers made according to one or another recipe.

Currently, inorganic chemistry is at the service of experts. Paint binders, which are organic matter, all over the world began to practice relatively recently. Some advanced methods of organic chemistry that could be used in forensic examination already exist, but are at the disposal of the military, criminologists and academic institutions, which are in no hurry to share technologies with art historians. In the examination of paintings, methods of liquid and gas chromatography and IR spectroscopy are already used.

It so happened that experts were always in the lead in the “technology race”: manufacturers of counterfeits had to quickly respond to the emergence of new examination methods and try to circumvent them. Experts say: “If we manage to finally understand the organic chemistry of binders, then we have won for 50 years!”

A piggy bank of creative ideas

How to age objects: all aging techniques

Hot trend now: makeover various items furniture, their decorative finishing and aging.

Methods of influencing the surface are chosen in accordance with the interior, preferences, or simply according to the mood. In this article we tried to describe the basic techniques, materials, sequence of actions and their results.

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Let's consider the options:

Dry brush
. Patination
. Glaze
. Spray
. Crackle
. “Rubbed” technique (Shabby Chic)
. Etching (staining)
. Brushing
. Additional mechanical impact

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Dry brush

Dry brushing is a technique borrowed by decorators from painters. And if in painting an image is created using this method, then in practical decor it is great way age an object, add years to it.

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The essence of the technique: put a little paint on a flat synthetic brush, wipe off the excess, this is done on paper (palette, rag) until each hair of the brush produces a separate line.

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And now light movements, lightly touching the object, we “dirty” it, paying special attention to the protruding parts: ribs, convex pattern, etc.

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This way the relief is emphasized and abrasions are imitated.

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Applying patina or patination

Patina is a greenish-brown coating formed on objects made of copper and bronze as a result of oxidation under the influence of environment. In a broader sense, patina refers to signs of aging on any objects made from any materials.

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Patination in decoration - This is an imitation of darkening of the surface, which in its natural form appears as color changes after a long period of time and frequent contact with hands. Patina can be dark, colored, metallic, white (liming).

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The patination composition is applied to the edges, corners of the object, or vice versa, into the recesses of the relief parts. There are several types of patination.

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1. Bituminous patina

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Bituminous varnish is applied to the surface and the excess is immediately wiped off. The varnish remains only in the recesses, shading the surface. Secured with shellac varnish.

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2. Acrylic-based patina

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Acrylic paint, heavily diluted with water, is poured into the recesses of the relief, and the excess is wiped off with a clean cloth.

3. Chemical patina

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A special oxidizer is applied to the paint with fine metal particles, which causes the metal surface to age (oxidize) within a few minutes.

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4. Shellac varnish

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Shellac varnish gives surfaces a warm light yellow or red-orange hue. Widely used in woodworking to emphasize the texture of wood, used as a protective and covering agent.

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5. Waxy patina

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Rub over the surface and tint selected areas. It takes a long time to dry. Gives the surface a soft silky sheen.

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Glaze

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Glazing is a painting technique in which the lower layer of the paint layer shines through the upper translucent one. The technique is widely used not only in painting, but also in interior design, including the painting of objects. The technique allows you to obtain deep iridescent colors due to the translucency of the glaze layers.

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Various paints and coloring compositions are suitable for glazing: watercolors, oil, acrylic paints, strong brewed tea. Convenient to use solution acrylic paints. A wide palette allows you to get the desired color.
The paints are easily mixed with each other, diluted with water or acrylic paint thinner to the desired consistency, dry quickly after application, are resistant to moisture and mechanical stress and can be used on any surface.

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Technological process: Using a synthetic brush or sponge, apply the solution to the prepared surface, wait for it to dry and evaluate the result. Glazing does not allow you to completely paint over the structure of the base or the previously applied image; it only sets the tone. To enhance the effect, you can apply a second layer of glaze paint, and then the color intensity will increase.
If you apply several translucent layers of paint different color, as a result we get different shades that shine through each other.

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Spray

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Spray- droplets-splashes on the surface of the decorated product, which create the image of a thing that has passed through time, reflect the history of its use.

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An artistically stained thing like this in a simple way receives a unique visual charm and a relief that is pleasant to tactile perception. This is all very important, since the items chosen for decoration are decorated for a beloved home and for people dear to the heart.

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The process itself is very entertaining. Before you begin, you need to prepare workplace. For example, cover the surface with newspaper or cloth.
The tools you will need are a toothbrush or a hard brush. Materials: paints and water in a glass.

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Progress:

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Wet the brush with water and put a small amount of paint on it. We try using a fingernail or a toothpick to release drops onto the still test surface of the sample, simply running the tool along the bristles.
If you have a small comb, you can experiment with it, running a brush with paint over the teeth.

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With a wide brush, you can simply shake off the drops or tap the brush on your hand, then small colored droplets break off the brush and fly down. Having decided on the application process, it’s time to cast some magic.
Spraying is the last operation before varnishing. Drops applied on top of the varnish will differ from the general glossiness of the surface of the object, this effect will introduce an additional effect of a gap in time.

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Crackle

Crackle is a technique of artificial aging, creating cracks in a paint or varnish layer.

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1. Craquelures are divided into one-step (single-phase) and two-step (two-phase)

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One-step craquelure looks like a cracked layer of paint, through the cracks of which the lower layer of paint or the base of the product is visible. The base can be anything: glass, metal, plastic, wood and similar materials.
Two-step craquelure looks like a network of fine cracks (cracked varnish) on the surface of any image or coating.

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2. Eggshell crackle

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Gives a bright, high-relief cracking effect. A clean shell is glued onto PVA or acrylic varnish in pieces at some distance from each other. Sometimes the relief is further emphasized by patination or the “dry brush” technique.

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3. Faceted varnish

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Colored self-crack varnish. Apply a thick layer to the surface and leave to dry. Forms large cracks.

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4. Two-component microcraquelure

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Gives the effect of thin cracks - cobwebs. Transparent, so it is often used over images. After drying, cracks are often emphasized by patination.

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5. Craquelure paint

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Self-cracking paint with a one-step craquelure effect.

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Delicate abrasions in the style of Shabby Chic or the Candle Rubbing Technique

The technique is simple and consistent. The corners, sides, joints of the primed planes of the object are covered with paint of a rich shade, the paint layer is rubbed with paraffin, then covered with light paint, most often 2 layers are required.

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Now the mechanics: Use sandpaper to remove the top layer where paraffin and the first layer of paint were applied. This is how abrasions, imitation of use, and the effect of aging appear.

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This technique traditionally uses delicate pastel colors with “sweet” shades, as if faded by the sun or faded with time:

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Light pink;

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Ivory;

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Creamy;

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Hyacinth;

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Lavender;

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White (but not snow-white, but as if slightly yellowed with age);

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Pistachio;

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Linen.

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You can complement the “shabby chic” look with painting, motifs from decoupage cards or napkins, or add splashes. The final coat will be several layers of acrylic matte varnish.

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Etching

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Suitable for objects of any size made of wood . Rocks that are best suited to this method of treatment are: deciduous trees. In this way, you can give wood noble, rich shades without losing natural beauty texture of the material.

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Etching is carried out with various compositions - mordants. . Some of them have complex names or a strong smell, but along with them there are many recipes available for making with your own hands, such as tea, coffee, compositions from leaves, bark; Potassium permanganate, blue, and vinegar are used. For those who feel like a bit of a chemist, tinting wooden surfaces is quite a suitable activity.

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The process can happen in two ways:

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1. Hand dyeing using a fiber-free cloth swab or a synthetic brush.

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2. Dyeing by soaking in an etching composition.

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Most often, the process takes place at elevated temperatures. After selecting and purchasing (mixing) the desired composition, the wood is cleaned of excess and sanded with sandpaper. Then there’s the etching-staining process itself. As a rule, the mordant recipe includes the time of exposure to the composition and the expected result. Basically, control is done visually and, of course, this is where creativity comes in.

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Brushing

The most common method of mechanical aging of wood is brushing. Its name comes from the word Brush - “brush”.

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The surface is treated with metal brushes, selecting the top soft fibers, leaving only the hard ones.

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An ideal way to age if the furniture is made from:

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larches

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This method will not work if the furniture is made of:

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Brushing wood with firing or smoking

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It is performed using either an open fire, or, which is much more convenient, using a blowtorch or gas torch. By directing the flame onto the surface of the wood, you can achieve different shades of wood - from light golden to black. The color depends on the initial color of the wood and the number of fire passes. Then brushing is performed - treating the surface of the wood with a stiff wire brush. In this case, the softer, burnt parts of the wood are cleaned out, and the harder ones (annual rings) remain in place.

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Another way is firing in hot sand.
Fine, clean sand is poured into a metal container and heated to a temperature not exceeding 200 degrees C. Place the products prepared for firing into the hot sand and keep there until they darken. If the tone of individual parts of the product should lighten gradually, then these parts are immersed vertically in sand. The lower layers of sand heat up more than the upper ones, so the lower part of the piece will be darker than the upper. Thus, the result is a tone that goes from light yellow to dark brown.
The surface treated with brushes and fire can be tinted using the glaze or dry brush method, images can be added using the decoupage technique, or color can be added by spraying.

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Additional mechanical impact

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Sometimes time comes in the form of a wood-boring beetle. To imitate such damage left by an insect, craftsmen use an awl, a drill, and even a laser. In the same way, minor damage is caused - chips or abrasions similar to those that surfaces receive over decades.

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Another way to cause noble damage - put nuts and bolts in a cloth and beat the object with this bag. And then artistically refine it to the desired result.

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Imitation of past decades, aging techniques and techniques combined with chemical and mechanical processing give excellent decorative results.

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For practical decoration most acrylic-based compositions deservedly occupy the arsenal of materials. They are convenient to use: almost odorless, diluted with water, and easily washed off from tools. They have a variety of effects (imitation metals, oil paints, matte tempera) and different textures. The color scheme can inspire a remodel, even if it was not started. They are durable, resistant to water and impact sunlight.

Sebilkova Anna

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Varnishes for oil painting According to their purpose, they are divided into 4 main groups. These include: topcoat varnishes intended for treating surfaces already finished paintings, binders - to strengthen the painting layer, thinning - used to dilute the paint mass, and universal, having a multifunctional purpose. Let us dwell in more detail on the features of topcoat dammar varnish, one of the most popular and widespread.

Color fading in the sun

It is known that the disadvantage of most dyes, both those used in everyday life and those used in industrial production, is their poor resistance to sunlight. The result of this is faded and faded wallpaper of rooms, street banners and many other things around us. They usually say about them: “Burned in the sun.”

A similar fate will befall them if the artist does not take care of preserving their original appearance. The traditional method, used since time immemorial, is to coat finished paintings with special varnishes that can protect them from exposure to sunlight. They were invented a long time ago, and their composition has changed and improved many times over the centuries.

These days, the chemical industry offers painters a wide range of means to protect their works. One of the most common among them, as mentioned above, is dammar varnish. Applied in a thin layer, after drying it not only creates a protective film that protects the painting layer from the unwanted effects of ultraviolet rays of the solar spectrum, but also gives the overall color of the picture greater brightness and depth. In addition, thanks to it, small details depicted on the canvas look more clear and textured.

One more important feature Dammar varnish is its ability to resist moisture. If the painting is stored in a room where its air content is high, the paint may begin to peel off the canvas and fall off. No less detrimental is the effect on the unprotected pictorial layer of excessively low indoor humidity. In this case, it may crack and begin to crumble. Canvases on which the paint is applied in a thick, thick layer are especially susceptible to this danger.

In addition to all of the above, they may be susceptible to such negative impacts, such as a sharp change in temperature, settling of dust, as well as the ingress of liquids and gases onto their surface. Thus, the coating of the finished painting dammar or any other is an integral part of the overall process of creating a picture.

Legacy of past centuries

The main component of dammar varnish is a resin of plant origin, which gives it its name. It belongs to the group of soft, alcohol-soluble resins, on the basis of which the production of varnishes was mastered back in the 17th century. It is known that artists often used them not only to cover finished works, but also added them to oils, thereby ensuring that the paints dried as quickly as possible.

It is known from the history of art that many masters of past centuries used balms and essential oils (resin) made from soft resins (including dammar) in their work. The most famous among them are Venetian, as well as Strasbourg terpine and copai balsam. All of them gave a positive effect when used with regular drying oils.

Effect achieved with resin ingredients

It has long been noted that resin ingredients, which have high transparency and reflective properties, can give paintings additional brightness and depth. Moreover, they are in to a large extent improved the performance characteristics of oil paints, opening up new possibilities for creating spectacular lasses on canvas.

This term refers to a technique in which, by applying translucent paints over the base color, the effect of deep color tints is achieved. Among the masters of the past, such luminaries of painting as Velazquez, Titian, Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci achieved the greatest perfection in it.

Making your own varnish

Dammar varnish can be purchased in stores specializing in products of this profile. One of its undeniable advantages is its accessibility and low cost. However, many artists prefer to make it with their own hands, introducing their own innovations to the standard technology. Without touching on their professional secrets, we will consider only the generally accepted version of this process.

The main component of the varnish is dammara resin, supplied to Russia from Singapore. Externally, it looks like small transparent straw-colored granules, coated on the outside with a thin layer of crushed powdery substance.

A recipe available to everyone

Having previously crushed the resin, it is placed in a small bag made of thin cotton fabric(for example, an old stocking is quite suitable), and then dipped into a solution of artistic turpentine for several hours. It is important to note that the container with turpentine must be tightly closed during this entire period.

While in turpentine, the pre-crushed granules dissolve, and all solid impurities settle at the bottom of the bag. The result is a solution of dammar resin, which should then be carefully filtered through muslin or cotton cloth.

An important role is played by the ratio of the amount of dissolved resin to the volume of turpentine, since the concentration of the finished product depends on this. According to generally accepted standards, it is 600 ml of turpentine per 300 g of resin, however, many of those who prefer to prepare the solution with their own hands create the proportions of the components based on personal experience. In the future, if during the process of applying the varnish to the surface of the painting it turns out to be too thick, it can be diluted with alcohol.

When can a painting be coated with dammar varnish?

This issue is extremely important, since violations of technology caused by ignorance or negligence can lead to damage, and in some cases, to the death of a painting. First of all, after completing the painting, you should not rush, since the linseed oil contained in the paints must have time to polymerize, that is, when completely dry, it must turn into a solid polymer. How long does it take?

Even in the recent past, it was customary to cover paintings with dammar, and equally with any other varnish, no earlier than a year after their completion. During this long period of time, the canvases had to be carefully protected not only from dust and dirt, but even from tobacco smoke.

Ours use paints made on the basis modern technologies, providing them with greater strength and reducing drying time. In view of this, the minimum period of time between finishing the painting and coating it with varnish has been reduced and ranges from one to one and a half months.

The basic rule is that when applying a layer of varnish, you should not rush, since with rapid movements the brush inevitably captures air, leaving microbubbles on the canvas, forming cloudy whitish stripes. If this does happen, it is recommended to remove the unsuccessfully applied layer of varnish using thinner and then try again.

After varnishing is completed, the painting should be placed on a flat horizontal surface and applied for 10-15 minutes. Allow the still liquid varnish to spread evenly and harden slightly. Then it is hung in a room with good ventilation. The drying time for dammar varnish is 12 hours. Accordingly, during this period it is better not to touch the painting and protect it from dust.

There is one more important detail, which may escape the attention of a novice artist, is the shelf life of dammar varnish. If you don't make it with my own hands, as described in one of the previous sections of our article, and if you buy it in a store, you should take into account that after 3 years from the date of release it largely loses its properties.

As a result, the varnish layer may not dry completely and the surface may for a long time will remain sticky. Dust will settle on it and cannot be removed. To avoid this problem, you need to make sure that the varnish you purchase is fresh, since it could last indefinitely in an art salon. Old varnish can be added to paint to achieve painterly effects, one of which was discussed above.

At the end of the article, it should be mentioned, firstly, that dammar varnish is fire and explosive, therefore it should be handled with the necessary precautions in such cases. And secondly, it has a very negative property of turning yellow over time. In view of this, they are not recommended to cover paintings made in cold colors. This effect is shown in the last photo.

How easy it is to make a dial look aged.

All the beauty and charm of products using the decoupage technique lies in their age; napkins or cards appear as bright spots on the texture of the coating, the dark base peeks through new paint. Such places are usually called “damages”, “chips”, or “scratches”. This is achieved by waxing over dark paint before applying white base paint.

This time we decorated a watch from the “Herbarium” series, popular in our workshop. The decor technology is similar to the box, but we used a stencil for the dial. The stencil was made to order and is reusable. And we will also make the dial with “proders”.

Now I'll show you how I achieved this.

The surface is ready for stencil work.

Apply the stencil.

Rub the numbers inside the wax candles.

Then we apply brown paint with a sponge.

We wait for the paint to dry and remove the stencil.

Now we take a rough sandpaper and scratch out the cracks, and the numbers become uneven, you can also sand their edges!

The watch is ready, all that remains is to coat it with varnish!

Craquelures (crackles) are cracks in layers of paint on works of art. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the sketches of a mosaic panel for a swimming pool, the production of which you can order from us.

Initially, artists used various methods to avoid cracks in their works, but time took its toll, the paint dried out and cracks appeared. The paintings were covered as if by a web consisting of cracks and thereby emphasized their ancient origin.

The addition of egg yolk as a binder in paint compositions partially protected the layers of painting from cracking.

Modern artists use the craquelure technique to give the effect of artificial aging to their works. Today, pieces of furniture, ceramic dishes, wall panels, wall paintings in cafes and houses, and frames of paintings and photographs are often craquered.

To protect niches and entrances to the basement of your home, we recommend ordering pit coverings made of cellular or monolithic polycarbonate from our company. We will manufacture and install metal structures according to your order.

Craquelure technique, artificial aging of modern painting

IN modern painting learned to artificially achieve the effect of aging.

To do this, they specifically cause the paint layer on their works to crack. Craquelure gives the work a certain charm and spirit of antiquity.

The craquelure technique involves producing cracks by applying a special craquelure varnish to the surface of the paint. To highlight and emphasize the cracks that have formed, patina compounds are additionally rubbed into them, oil paints, pastel, ink or gold powder.

The use of each rubbing material creates its own antique effect. The more layer of craquelure varnish is applied to the surface of the painting, the larger and deeper the cracks will be later.

Craquelure obtained artificially is always different from cracks in the paint layer of a work created over time, and this quality distinguishes fakes from originals.

Application of various techniques of artificial crackle aging

For one-step and two-step craquelure (crackle) techniques, respectively, one-component or two-component craquelure varnish compositions are used.

The use of various crackle techniques for artificial aging of modern painting allows you to give works of art a shade of special originality and value.

Crackle techniques differ somewhat from each other in the composition of the craquelure varnishes used and the methods of applying it to the object being decorated.

One-component craquelure varnish and one-step craquelure technique

After applying the background color to the surface to be decorated, let it dry completely. Next, a one-component craquelure varnish is applied, it is applied simple movements and in one direction.

If the direction of movement is changed, the cracks will become chaotic or small and ugly.

When the surface of the varnish has dried, another layer of paint of the background color is applied to it. The wet paint begins to attack the dry varnish layer and its surface begins to crack along with the top background layer.

The first background layer is also visible in the cracks formed.

Two-step craquelure technique and two-component craquelure varnish

The difference between the two-step craquelure technique is that both the first and second components of the craquelure varnish are applied to the surface of the painting to be decorated.

When the varnish dries, transparent cracks form into which dark-colored paint is rubbed to make them visible. To further strengthen the cracks, the surface is sealed with a transparent varnish intended for acrylic paints.

Applying a two-component craquelure varnish in layers of varying thicknesses and changing the intensity of drying with a hairdryer allows you to get cracks the right size and frequencies.

The advantage of using two-step craquelure is that it preserves the original image of the work, on the surface of which cracks also appear, which create the effect of antiquity.