Test Panel

Date and Time:

2015.October.5, 1:45pm

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: Preparation for test panel

• rabbit skin glue must be kept between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit
• first, thin layer of warm glue on front and back on panel (to prevent warping) [should take about ten minutes to dry]
• my board took about half an hour (perhaps too thick a layer of glue, applied with more flexible goat hair brush which was actually more difficult to work with)

2:34-2:37 application, dried 3:30
First layer gesso, horizontal

• white chalk in rabbit skin glue, sift in chalk until it does not sink easily into glue which is kept in water bath (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit)
• paint in thin, parallel, non-overlapping layers with goat hair brush
• first layer looks streaky (application of paint slightly uneven)

3:30-3:36 application, dried 4:13
Second layer gesso, vertical

• paint back with water, sand first layer lightly with 1000 grit sandpaper
• applied gesso with hog hair brush, stiffer brush bristles made application more even (preferable to goat hair for gesso), spreads thinner and more evenly

4:15-4:26 application, dried 4:50
Third layer gesso, horizontal

• ,paint back with water,sand with 1000 grit sandpaper
• thin layer with hog hair brush, with three layers, more difficult to see if application is even

4:55-5:03 application, dried overnight
Fourth layer gesso, vertical

• paint back with water
• dried faster between third and fourth layer, becoming more even in white color
• now undried gesso has a more yellow-white tone, easier to see which parts are not yet dry

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Name: (Also the name of your working partner)
Date and Time:

2015.October.7, 11:30am

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: continuing gesso layers

11:30-11:39 application, dried 12:00
Fifth layer gesso, horizontal

• more to sand now, striations become more obvious when layers build up, spent about 10 minutes sanding with 1000 grit sandpaper
• paint back with water

12:02-12:19 application, dried 12:44
Sixth layer gesso, vertical

• left to dry in sun (perhaps dried slightly faster)
• more difficult now to sand, needs about 15 minutes sanding
• paint back with water, apply gesso with hog hair brush (every time besides first time)

12:45-1:05 application, dried 1:35
Seventh layer gesso, horizontal

• switch to 220 aluminum Oxide sandpaper (lower grit), easier to sand smooth, much more chalk dust
• paint back with water
• easier to apply paint layers, striations no longer very obvious

1:35-1:57 application, dried 2:34
Eighth layer gesso, vertical

• unsure what accounts for variations in drying time, perhaps not being consistent in thickness of paint application
• striations become more obvious when appling next gesso layer (gesso catches on uneven surface)

3:30-4:45 Sanding

• takes about an hour, first sand with rougher (150 grit) sandpaper before using 1000 grit
• perhaps should have sanded more finely with 150 grit sand paper in previous layers because small holes appear
• when smooth, very few holes or evenness catch raking light

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Name: (Also the name of your working partner)
Date and Time:

2015.October.12, 12:45pm

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: continued preparation of test panel

• apply thin layer of 1:15 rabbit skin glue and water mixture to smoothed board
• used tape to divide in half, divide one side into roughly 40 smaller test squares with tape and number the grid
• painted first layer of bole in grid 1A

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Name: (Also the name of your working partner)
Date and Time:

2015.October.15, 3:16-5:30pm

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: testing pigments

• applied one layer of verdigris and stand oil pigment on top of black sharpie line in panel 2A
  • even application and shiny glaze, paint brush striations not obvious
• applied one layer of verdigris and linseed oil pigment on top of black sharpie line in panel 2B
  • difficult to apply evenly, paintbrush striations noticeable
• applied one layer of green earth and stand oil pigment on top of black sharpie line in panel 2C
  • layer relatively thicker (deeper color) than green earth and linseed
  • relatively easy to apply evenly, paintbrush striations noticeable
• applied one layer of green earth and linseed oil pigment on top of black sharpie line in panel 2D
  • relatively easy to apply thin layer evenly, paintbrush striations noticeable
• all translucent, all sharpie lines still visible

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Name: (Also the name of your working partner)
Date and Time:

2015.October.16, 12:30pm

Location: Chandler 260
Subject: continue application of bole

• made bole with red bole, natural earth from Germany, and water
  • take small amount of bole and water and grind together until fairly smooth and not gritty
• heat rabbit skin glue, add small amount of glue to bole mixture until it is an even consistency
• painted 5 layers of bole in test squares 1A and 2A, alternating horizontal and vertical layers, each layer taking about 5-10 minutes to dry
  • although it seems slightly gritty when applying, the bole dried fairly evenly
• sand with 1000 grit sandpaper for about half an hour, then rub with cheese cloth, skipped burnishing because I sanded fairly far down
• 4:00-4:20pm laid on gold leaf on bole
  • fake gold leaf handles very differently from authentic gold leaf, it is not easy to cut
  • first pick gold leaf out of book with knife, lay on pillow, cut to size with knife, pick up with brush (make sure it there is enough static)
  • dried around 5:00, tap with burnisher--higher pitch means dried
  • burnish, smoother texture (less resistance) means it is fully burnished
• then Marjolijn helped me apply more gold leaf to damaged parts, overlap can be burnished
• also applied silverleaf directly to board

Observations

• 2A: verdigris and stand oil pigment layer still sticky to touch but unaffected by touching; paint is fairly even, no brush marks visible (also runs easily, noticeable under tape)
• 2B: verdigris and linseed oil pigment layer relatively dry, only slightly sticky, did not even out paintbrush marks
• 2C: green earth and stand oil pigment layer not dry, touching leaves fingerprint
• 2D: green earth and linseed oil pigment layer least dry of four green pigments, accidentally wiped off a section of paint (noticeably less square than rest of square)
• all translucent, all sharpie lines still visible

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ASPECTS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN MAKING FIELD NOTES

• note time
• note (changing) conditions in the room
• note temperature of ingredients to be processed (e.g. cold from fridge, room temperature etc.)
• document materials, equipment, and processes in writing and with photographs
• notes on ingredients and equipment (where did you get them? issues of authenticity)
• note precisely the scales and temperatures you used (please indicate how you interpreted imprecise recipe instruction)
• see also our informal template for recipe reconstructions

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applied one layer of