By Tristan, Shaina, Jessica, & Vanessa
Materials & Techniquesof Fifteenth-Century Art
(Shaded Areas)
Egg tempera was the material of choice for most painters (both in Italy and northern Europe)
Cennino Cennini (a painter during the time period) mentioned that artists only mixed the egg yolk with the ground pigment, but analysis of paintings during the time revealed that some artists used the whole egg
Painters, Pigments, & Panels
Oil paints became more widespreadFlemish artists were among the firsts to
utilize oilsReasons why oil paints grew in popularity:
Painters could build up deeper shades of colors through several coats of oil
Oils dry more uniformly & slowly, thus providing the artist time to rework areas
Leonardo da Vinci preferred oil paint because oils’ drying speed allowed him to create sfumato (smoky effect), which he was so famous for
Painters, Pigments, & Panels (cont.)
Sfumato means “gone up in smoke”It is a painting technique where there are no
harsh outlines and areas blend together
Sfumato
Wooden panels often served as the foundation for most paintingsThey used woods such as oak,
lime, beech, chestnut, cherry, pine, and silver fir
Linen canvas became increasingly popular during the time periodIt was more portable than wooden
panels
Painters, Pigments, & Panels (cont.)
Before the use of simply affixing canvas to a wooden backbone, artists considered the frame an integral part of the painting
These frames were often painted or gildedSurviving contracts reveal that as much as half of a piece’s
cost is derived from the frame aloneSome paintings had the frames attached while others were
made from a single piece of wood where the artist carved the inside to create a frame
Edges & Borders
A print is an artwork on paperAn edition is a set of prints an artist
creates from a single printThe printmaking process involves
the transfer of ink from a printing surface to paper
During the 15th century, artists most commonly used the relief and intaglio methods of printmaking
Graphic Changes
It is the oldest and simplest form of printing
Artists produce relief prints by carving into a surface
It requires artists to conceptualize their images negatively
Because of this, it is difficult to create very thin, fluid, and closely spaced lines
This results in stark contrasts and sharp edges
Relief Prints
In contrast to relief prints, the itaglio method involves a positive method
The image can be created manually (engraving) or chemically (etching)
The artist runs the plate and paper through a roller press and the paper absorbs the remaining ink, thus creating the print
Because the image is drawn directly, intaglio prints generally provide a wider variety of effects and are less harsh than relief prints
Itaglio Method
The paper and ink artists use affect the finished look of the printed image.
The type of ink ingredients affect the consistency, color, and oiliness of inks, which various papers absorb differently.
Paper is light, thus prints were very portableAlso, because artists could reproduce them,
prints were able to be sold at cheap costs, which appealed to artists during the Renaissance.
Graphic Changes (cont.)