Painting techniques

Jun18

When we buy a picture for decorating the wall at home, most of the cases the technique it was made is secondary. Its beauty matters and if it fits for the surroundings and if the size is good. Maybe it is right. But it’s worth to know broadly the painting techniques because it may affect the value of the picture and if in doubt, it helps to define its age or origin also.
The pigment of tempera is dispersed in an oil-water emulsion. The emulsifier keeps together these two components. The simplest one is lecithin can be found in egg. Its yolk and albumen are mixed with powder pigments. The paint can be distempered before drying. This was used also by the ancient Romans, but the medieval icons were made by this technique too.
Oil paint changed tempera during the Renaissance. The pigment is dispersed in drying oil (linseed oil, nut oil, poppyseed oil). Its appearance coincides the evolvement of landscape painting which specialties are best implemented by this technique. The paint is dense, sticky, dries slow, so the colors and lines are mixable and shapeable still on the canvas. It hardens after drying and produces a shiny and resistant surface. The artists always mixed the paint freshly until the possibility for hermetic storage.
In case of aquarelle (that is watercolor painting), easily soluble pigments are mixed with water and it is applied in dilute state on the paper which is firstly wet. Fine, light, opaque colors are produced this way. This technique was used at first for sketching, later it became an individual art. It was most popular in Europe in the 18th-19th centuries, but primeval cave paintings and ancient Egyptian murals were made by water-based paints also.
Pastel is a transition between drawing and painting. Powder paint extruded to rods with minimal bonding are used for applying to the dry paper. The paper has special surface, it is grainy or on the contrary, velvety for better dispersing the powder on it. The colors are mixable longer on the paper, the picture is formable by finger, brush or even a piece of rag. Pastel appeared in France at the end of the 15th century, it was one of the favorite techniques of impressionism.
Engraving is the summary name of multiplier graphical arts. It has two groups. 1. Relief printing: the part of the picture which shouldn’t mark are dented into the surface. Printing ink is applied to the rest of the surface which is transferred to the paper. E.g.: wood-engraving lino-cut, stone engraving. 2. Gravure printing: lines of the picture are dented into the surface the paint is being applied here and it is cleaned from the topping parts. The paper is pressed into the hollows and the ink is transferred this way. E.g.: line engraving, etching, acid-washing.
In case of uncertainty in purchasing a painting, ask for help of a professional.

Brick floor

Jun15

Old and sliced bricks can be reused as floor covering – perfect solution for classic country styles

Garden gnome

Jun13

This week is Garden Gnomes’ Week. These little figures reputely bring luck, protect and fertilize the garden

Classic from modern

Jun11

When classic style lovers buy a completely renovated flat, they frequently have to face with the fact that the newly built-in materials (kitchen cabinet, lighting, tiles, doors and windows etc.) are totally modern. Since these were included in the price and probably, they didn’t choose a flat in such a condition randomly, only a few of them would undertake a full conversion just for the classic style. How could be this solved with a low budget and few works to meet our conception at the best?
Choosing the proper wall color means a lot for the sight, since one of the advantages of classic styles is that the desired mood can be easily created even with colors. Painting can be done before moving in and it is much cheaper and faster than wallpapering. Placing polystyrene crown molding is always worth. It not only heightens the room but it is an elegant solution also. Rosette fits perfectly for chandeliers. Faux wall panel frames made of polystyrene laths can be put on the walls which look good even in the same color as the wall. However, this material is very vulnerable, so be careful not to hit it.
Let’s glue a frame made of thin laths on the plain surfaces of the built-in wardrobes and kitchen cabinets, just like if they would be real framed. A prefabricated decor panel can be used for this purpose also. Both of them can be painted / burnished to the color of the furniture. Changing the handles is a really simple procedure and amends a lot.
If there is no possibility to change the lighting and the chandelier is modern, or there is a multi-light spot, don’t be frustrated. Glass beads similar to crystal chandeliers’ decoration can be purchased in several hobby shops – let’s make the garlands DIY and fix them with small metal rings to the lamps. Its modernity can be moderated with this and some glamour can be smuggled in.
If the doors have completely plain surfaces, they can be popped up in the similar way as the cabinets. In the case of a glassed variation, self-adhesive foil can be a solution to make it more classic, for example with a lace motif.
Most of the inappropriate floor can be covered with a fitting classic style carpet. The modern tile in the bathroom is a harder thing. If the color is good, we can distract the eye from it with classic style accessories (storage boxes, decorative glasses, pictures on the wall). If its color is too modern and it doesn’t fit for our concept at all, it can be painted also. However, it should be known, that this is not a long-term solution, it lasts approx 2-3 years (in the case of a proper implementation) and it could happen that the painting has to be renewed during this time.
Above the low budget was in focus, of course, more spectacular solutions can be done with a bigger amount. Many similar questions can come up in the case of a modern interior. Ask for help of an interior designer for the solution.

Brown kitchen cabinets

Jun8

Dark brown kitchen cabinets are not so popular recently, though combined with sutable elements (lighting, countertop, backsplash, wall colour) can be very attractive

Wooden panelled fridges

Jun6

Wooden panelled refridgerators are perfectly fit into classic style kitchens

Rococo

Jun4

Rococo came to be in France at the beginning of the 18th century and was popular until the 1780s. The origin of the name is the word rocaille which is a mix of pebbles, cement and seashells. The new style was a kind of rebellion against the rigidity of Baroque. The nobles desired more free, playful and more decorated surroundings after the death of Louis XIV. It culminated under the reign of Louis XV., in which his lover, Madame Pompadour had a great role also.
Rococo is actually a decorating style. Everything was decorated with carvings and gypsum decors, mostly gilded. There were twisty vine scrolls, flower and fruit garlands, C and S volutes, shell motifs around pictures/mirrors, on furniture (especially on console tables, commodes and tables), on the walls of the rooms and also on the ceiling. Genres came in fashion in painting which reflected the idealized thoughts and desires of the nobles about the world (e.g. A. Watteau, F. Boucher). Slightly looser themes weren’t taboos anymore at all, not only mythological figures were depicted without clothes and/or in piquant settings. Toile de Jouy pattern visualized the pastoral idyll which was „born” in that time. Chinoiserie was an important part of Rococo also which brought the far Eastern culture in the royal courts. Furniture was lacquered, decorated with painted scenes, ormolu and inlays became popular. Colors were muted, white and pastel shades were fashionable. Thanks to the formation of the European porcelain producing, miniature statues and figures appeared. These were placed on the mantelpiece or console table as decorating elements. Their theme was joy or love. There were many lace trimmings, ribbons, bows and embroideries on the clothes, powdered wigs and gloves were important accessories. The institution of salon appeared where the chosen companionship gathered and lived a vivid intellectual life. Rococo style gave a special surrounding for this.
From today’s point of view, Rococo might be a bit „too much”. However, it can be replaced into today’s interiors also with holding in the amount of gildings and decorations and handling the main features as only examples. Ask for help of an interior designer for this.

Raised garden beds

Jun1

One of the advanteges of raised garden beds is avoiding backache of bending down

Castle Hotel Parádsasvár

May30

Castle Hotel Parádsasvár through the eyes of the guest (2015)

Parquetry patterns

May28

The history of parquet flooring goes back to the Renaissance. The wooden floor tiles were laid in V-shape since the middle of the 16th century. The two oldest patterns are herringbone and chevron. These are the most popular today also but they are frequently mixed up.
Reputedly herringbone patterned parquetry was first laid by Italian craftsmen in 1539 for the French king Francis I. In this classic pattern, the pieces are in right angle so that the short side of one piece gets to the end of the other’s long side. Actually they show a zigzag pattern but its line is broken.
However, there are pointed peaks in chevron pattern (named after the V-shaped rank sign), this way the chock-shape is created. The pieces are cut in mitter, the ends are joined this way, so the pattern will be continuous. Nowadays ready-made floor and wall tiles are available.
The two patterns mentioned above are frequent not only as floor but as wall decorations also. They can be created from wall tiles (e.g. subway tiles), floor tiles or even vinyl flooring, not only from wood parquetry. They look good both in classic and modern interiors.
Luckily, parquetry is fashionable again, more and more people want to save the old wooden flooring of the building being renovated. It is really worth to spend money and time for it unless it is in too bad condition, since it will be beautiful and valuable part of the interior. It will look as good as new with gap-filling, grinding and lacquering (probably changing its color by burnishing).
Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing the proper patterns.