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Art Project

Updated Sept 14 '07

Student Wood Chisel Set

Sagraffito/Clean-Up Tools

MIXED MEDIA ART PROJECT:
INSTRUCTIONS, SUPPLIES & RESOURCES

PROJECT: MINIATURE FIGURATIVE RELIEFS

For a long time I have called my reliefs "Polyfilla® Reliefs" because that was the brand name of the medium that I always used. Polyfilla® however is a joint compound that I have only been able to find in Canada and now that I am also working in the Virgin Islands I have had to experiment with alternatives: some have been more successful than others.

To date I have tried Plaster of Paris®, Activa Art Plaster® and Sculptamold®. All are available through Dick Blick and other art supply outlets, (however neither Flax Art & Design nor Rex Art carry it). In this project I am using the Activa Art Plaster® because it allows finer detail than the Plaster of Paris® and the carving is easier. The Sculptamold®, being a cellulose compound, is quite different from plaster and its qualities merit an entire art project of its own.

Preparing to Create the Relief:

Wet plaster splatters and, when carving and sanding, the dry plaster will spread all over. Be sure you are protecting all table and floor areas as needed.

A rigid support with a small tooth such as masonite prepared with gesso. For this project I use a 5"x 7"Ampersand Panel, either the Textured Gessobord or the Claybord. [product details]

Gesso: you will apply this to the edges of the support to help retain color.

Plaster Medium (use a little less water than the package recommends, you don't want it runny). [product details]

Plastic bowl for mixing. To clean up, wait until the plaster is hard, flex the bowl and most of the plaster will crack and drop from the surface. The rest can be easily scraped and then wiped clean.

Water for mixing the plaster and also for keeping your tools and fingers clean as you work (so you aren't transferring crusted plaster into a fresh batch).

Spreaders: I use 2 Palette Knives: one broad for scooping and the other slender for transfering the plaster to the support. Plastic disposable student palette knives work well [product details]or a flat flexible kitchen spreader.

All purpose white glue: use if the relief separates itself from the support during the drying process.

Carving Tools: The tool I use for most of my carving is one the Sgraffito and Clean-Up Tools general used when working in clay. It is double ended; one end is a sharp, flat triangle blade and the the other a short, sharp scooped blade. I also use the inexpensive Student Wood Chisels. [product details]

Sand paper: Medium and fine.

Acrylic Paints: Your choice: I use a student grade for the under paint and then finish with my favorite brand. (Golden acrylics that come in tubes or jars.)

Acrylic Medium & Varnish: I prefer the gloss.

Brushes: Basically you will need at least 3: a cheap bristly one for placing the paint well into the crevices, a softer one for laying washes and a smaller finer brush for details. Also a small flat brush for the Varnish.

Spray container for water. You will use this to run the initial washes along the routes and into the crevices. I use either an old spritz pump container or one of my Holbein Watercolor Atomizer Bottles. [product details]

A flat pan to catch the runoffs from the spray.

MIX THE WATER AND PLASTER THOROUGHLY
The trick is to stir the powder and water thoroughly, creating a smooth, non-runny mixture and then immediately spread a layer, about 1/4" deep, firmly on your support making sure there are no air bubbles in the base.

BUILDING THE RELIEF
Move plaster around with your palette knive (or fingers, or any tool that works for you) to create a rough relief resembling the form you have in mind. Add or subtract the medium as you need.

I mound the forehead, cheeks, chin and nose higher than the rest and deepen the areas of the eyes. I taper the plaster off over the sides of the support. (It is your choice whether your relief exceeds the boundaries of the support. How you will display it would determine how thick you leave the plaster at the edges and whether the form overhangs or not.

As the mixture becomes firmer during the setting process I apply small globbs in the areas of the eyes and lips and correct the height of the nose. You will be carving after so you can afford to be somewhat general.

CARVING
The plaster will start to set in about 10 minutes. Start using your carving tools as soon as the mixture is no longer malleable. Carving will be smooth and easy at first.

Scrape away excess plaster and create your details rapidly, you will feel the medium settting and becoming hard as you are working. Continue to sculpt until you are pleased with your product. Remember in this medium that imperfection is perfect. You want the medium and the process to show through. It is character and uniqueness that you are striving for.

Carve your signature into a discrete spot.

NEXT DAY:

	FINAL CARVING & DUSTING Let it dry thoroughly overnight before you finalize the form. Carve and sand as needed. Check all the ridges and overhangs and remove anything that is the least bit fragile. You don't want anything breaking off after you have painted it. A soft toothbrush under lightly running water will free up and remove excess plaster bits. If the plaster pulls away from your support while setting it can be reattached using an all-purpose white glue.
	APPLYING COLOR Choose a color scheme. Apply paint by brush into the crevices and spray with water, tipping the work in various directions to encourage the colored water to run through the crevices. You can apply several colors allowing them to mix as they run or waiting for each to dry between applications. I like to include a dark color in this step as it will emphasise the texture of the surface. Glazing with a mixture of color and medium works well at this point and alows the dark crevices to show through.
	PAINTING & GLAZING As i apply the rest of the color by brush I continue to emphasize the crevices and ridges. With my chosen dark color and the finer brush I follow each ridge and crevice. The medium is the relief, I like to bring out all the idiosyncrasies of each piece which will give each one a unique character. The deeper the groove the darker and thicker the paint. Using washes and lighter colors on the higher mounds will help to emphasis the texture. Thin your paint using either water or an acrylic medium (I tend to use gloss). At the end I apply a final wash of a single color unifying the piece.
	VARNISH & COMPLETE Once I have applied all the color I want I apply a top coat of acrylic medium varnish, the same that I was using during the painting process. When I am positively sure I will not be working on it anymore, and after it is thoroughly dry, a thin coat or two of varnish is applied using great care to remove the excess. Each piece is unique and each is an ongoing experiment. "Mistakes" will either enhance the outcome or can be reworked for a new effect so do not fear you will "ruin" it..

Purchasing the Materials:
The catalogue numbers and prices quoted here are according to Dick Blick's online art supply store and were noted April 4, 2003.

Ampersand Panel Sampler 3-Pack: Catalogue #07000-1057 . . . $2.99
This set contains one each of 5" × 7" Gessobord, Claybord Smooth, and Claybord Textured
Dick Blick Artist's Acrylic White Gesso: Catalogue #00623-1026, Pint. . . $3.88, Catalogue #00623-1027, Quart . . . $6.88
Formulated for use as a foundation for acrylic and oil paints, gesso is a thick, bright white, opaque primer for canvas or board. Dries flat and flexible.
Activa Art Plaster, Catalogue #33525-0005, 5-lb cannister. . . $7.89
Denser than plaster of paris with better working qualities. It is carvable any time after setting (20 - 30 minutes) and takes exceptional detail. When dry it can be painted or finished.
Liquitex 3" Plastic Palette Knife, Catalogue #03113-1003 . . . $1.29
Flexible, durable, lightweight palette knife with a 3" (7.6 cm) blade. Easily cleaned, it's rustproof, stainproof, and solvent-resistant.
Student Wood Chisel Set, 33005-1009. . . $3.09
Economically priced, scholastic-grade assorted cutters and knives for relief carving, or wood block and linoleum block printing. Each tool has a smooth wood handle.
Set of 12 tools, 5¾" long.
Sgraffito and Clean-Up Tool Set, Catalogue #30310-1009. . . $14.89 Set of 3
Acrylic Paints & Acrylic Medium & Varnish: Your choice, I use a student grade for the under paint and then my favorite brand (Golden).
Holbein Watercolor Atomizer Bottle Catalogue #02912-1003 . . . $1.59
This quality constructed atomizer bottle creates a fine mist which is ideal for many painting techniques. A clear, 2 oz (59 ml) plastic bottle with a non-clogging nozzle.

Sculptamold models like clay and sets up plaster hard in 30 minutes. It is a cellulose compound like papier mache, it is light, does not shrink and adhere's to most clean surfaces. When dry it can be sanded, sawed, carved or nailed without chipping. Catalogue #: 33104-1003, Sculptamold 3 lb bag normally $5.59 now for $3.49

Dick Blick Art Materials : All artists know this art supply outlet where the selection, cusomer service and prices are only outdone by the speed of their delivery. Supplies from Dick Blick arrive here, on St. John, USVI, consistently between 3 and 7 days following the order. A very user friendly art site.

The materials listed above can all be found at Dick Blick.
To purchase them go here: Dick Blick Art Materials