DOI Heft:
No. 17 (August, 1895)
DOI Artikel:Webb, Matthew: On Gesso, and some designs in a competition for a finger-plate
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17190#0170
On Gesso
ON GESSO AND SOME DE wor'i and have not read it should lose no time in
SIGNS IN A COMPETITION d°™S S°"
FOR A FINGER PLATE BY -More elaborated modelling can be executed by
MATTHEW WEBB ' mixing fibres with the gesso ; by using with stiff
gesso the modelling tool, which should be kept wet
It does not fall within the or oiled with raw linseed oil; or by incising, or even
scope of this article to treat of carving, the dry gesso.
the actual modelling of relief, But such measures all constitute departures from
whether directly in gesso or the typical gesso-work. It is fairly safe to say that
stucco, or indirectly by casting, when you find your relief occupying a tedious time
nor of the objects, situations, you may suspect the fitness of the design for the
• and purposes of adornment to work, and that it is leading you off into fields which
which coloured relief can be are not rightly within the province of gesso-work,
applied. It must be remembered Take, for example, the heads and bodies of the
that the two extremes which birds in " Cockatoo's" design. These would pro-
1 meet in coloured relief are, on bably require an extra interest given to the planes
the one hand, relief unpainted ; of the relief by raising them with gesso thickened
. j on the other, unraised painting, with fibre. This fibre might consist of pulled
cotton-wool, or tow snipped with the scissors into
..... , short hairs. In such a
' • •] case one must be careful
. to mix the fibre well in
• with the gesso, for fear of
i leaving inside the model-
ling hollows of dry fibre
not saturated with gesso.
• ' Several other points re-
quire explanation in the
accompanying designs.
gesso door-plate for lb WIN
™* sharp, esq. by a. silver
.- If the intermediate degrees be
many, all presuppose very practi-
cal acquaintance with both model-
ling and painting. To the painter,
gesso especially recommends it-
self, because much of its manipu-
lation is practically that of painting it on with the
brush.
Of the designs selected to illustrate this article
those signed " Josser " and " Seaweed " may be Such a border as that
quoted as quite suitable for this method. Simi- " Booby " employs
larly the palm border of " Iron's " design is good. (p. 157) might be cut
" Josser's," especially, has all the appearance of out separately in stout
being made by one who has worked in gesso and cardboard or thin wood,
knows practically what he is designing for. This glued to the ground
particular manipulation of gesso is described by panel and then covered
Mr. Walter Crane in an article on the subject with thin gesso.
which appeared in The Studio for May 1893 ; an The finger-plate ""^^yyA^
(A
designed by w. robinson
article so felicitous that it is almost presumption to " Boss " is most beau-
attempt to add to it. Those who care for gesso- tiful; it shows an un- loughton. "cockatoo"
i53
ON GESSO AND SOME DE wor'i and have not read it should lose no time in
SIGNS IN A COMPETITION d°™S S°"
FOR A FINGER PLATE BY -More elaborated modelling can be executed by
MATTHEW WEBB ' mixing fibres with the gesso ; by using with stiff
gesso the modelling tool, which should be kept wet
It does not fall within the or oiled with raw linseed oil; or by incising, or even
scope of this article to treat of carving, the dry gesso.
the actual modelling of relief, But such measures all constitute departures from
whether directly in gesso or the typical gesso-work. It is fairly safe to say that
stucco, or indirectly by casting, when you find your relief occupying a tedious time
nor of the objects, situations, you may suspect the fitness of the design for the
• and purposes of adornment to work, and that it is leading you off into fields which
which coloured relief can be are not rightly within the province of gesso-work,
applied. It must be remembered Take, for example, the heads and bodies of the
that the two extremes which birds in " Cockatoo's" design. These would pro-
1 meet in coloured relief are, on bably require an extra interest given to the planes
the one hand, relief unpainted ; of the relief by raising them with gesso thickened
. j on the other, unraised painting, with fibre. This fibre might consist of pulled
cotton-wool, or tow snipped with the scissors into
..... , short hairs. In such a
' • •] case one must be careful
. to mix the fibre well in
• with the gesso, for fear of
i leaving inside the model-
ling hollows of dry fibre
not saturated with gesso.
• ' Several other points re-
quire explanation in the
accompanying designs.
gesso door-plate for lb WIN
™* sharp, esq. by a. silver
.- If the intermediate degrees be
many, all presuppose very practi-
cal acquaintance with both model-
ling and painting. To the painter,
gesso especially recommends it-
self, because much of its manipu-
lation is practically that of painting it on with the
brush.
Of the designs selected to illustrate this article
those signed " Josser " and " Seaweed " may be Such a border as that
quoted as quite suitable for this method. Simi- " Booby " employs
larly the palm border of " Iron's " design is good. (p. 157) might be cut
" Josser's," especially, has all the appearance of out separately in stout
being made by one who has worked in gesso and cardboard or thin wood,
knows practically what he is designing for. This glued to the ground
particular manipulation of gesso is described by panel and then covered
Mr. Walter Crane in an article on the subject with thin gesso.
which appeared in The Studio for May 1893 ; an The finger-plate ""^^yyA^
(A
designed by w. robinson
article so felicitous that it is almost presumption to " Boss " is most beau-
attempt to add to it. Those who care for gesso- tiful; it shows an un- loughton. "cockatoo"
i53