makingandknowing - SY Annotation Plans and Field Notes FA17

Annotation Group: Sumeyye Yar
Safety Protocol: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wDE6b_OM5oVcXCktNeuz1X7W7IDG0OOOAnAp2nvB6QU/edit

Annotation Description: Oil painting on taffeta without the oil running.
There are two recipes in the BnF Ms. Fr. 640 describing oil painting on taffeta; fol. 42v and fol. 10v. Students at Columbia University (Fall 2015 by Bowen & Lu) and University of Amsterdam (Spring 2015 by Kisters, Timmer, Tolstoj, Verstraten and Oosterloo) had previously recreated these recipes. I will be remaking these recipes to try out couple of new ingredients and mixtures based on my research and advice from Jo Kirby. No ratios or measurements are detailed in either recipe thus I will have to make educated guesses and experiment.

BnF Ms. Fr. 640, fol. 42v_a3
Painting in oil on taffeta
“In order that the oil shall not run, make your first layer with honey, water of alum, and starch water.”

Transcription fol. 42v_3
<id>p042v_3</id>
<head>paindre a <m>huile</m> sur <m>taffetas</m><del>qui</del></head>
<ab>Affin que l'<m>huile</m> ne coure poinct fais ta couche premiere<lb/> avecq <m>miel</m><m>eau dalum</m> &<m>eau damydon</m></ab>

Translation fol. 42v_a3
<id>p042v_a3</id>
<head>Painting in<m>oil</m> on <m>taffeta</m><del>which</del></head>
<ab>In order that the <m>oil</m> shall not run, make your first layer with <m>honey</m>, <m>water of alum</m>, &<m>starch water</m>.</ab>

BnF Ms. Fr. 640, fol. 10v_1
For painting in oil on taffeta without the oil running
“One needs to make a layer of batture, which is made of <del of well cooked honey turpentine del>colle forte soaked for 24 hours in water then gently bring to the boil so it is hardly strong. Next stir in a little honey to soften it, let it boil all together. And on top of this layer, which will soon be dry, you will be able to paint in oil, which will soften the layer even more, and which will also serve to make a ground layer for gold. Water of alum also keeps oil from running.”

Transcription fol. 10v_1
<id>p010v_1</id>
<head>Pour paindre a <m>huile</m> sur<lb/><m>taffetas</m><add>sans que l<m>huile</m> coure</add></head>
<ab>Il fault faire couche de <m>batture</m> qui se faict <del>de miel bien<lb/>
cuit & <m>tourmentine</m></del> de <m>colle</m> forte trempee 24 <ms>heures</ms> dans<lb/>l<m>eau</m> puys legierement mise a bouillir affin quelle ne soict<lb/>
gueres forte Apres mesles y pour ladoulcir un peu<lb/>de <m>miel</m> & faicts bouillir tout ensemble Et sur<lb/>ceste couche qui sera bien tost seiche tu pourras paindre a<lb/>
<m>huile</m> qui adoulcira encores davantage la couche qui te<lb/>peult aussi servir a faire assiete d<m>or</m> L<m>eau dalum</m> gardee<lb/>aussi l<m>huile</m> de courir</ab>

Translation fol. 10v
<id>p010v_1</id>
<head>For painting in <m>oil</m> on <m>taffeta</m><add>without the <m>oil</m> running</add></head>
<ab>One needs to make a layer of <m><fr>batture</fr></m>, which is made <del>of well cooked honey &<m>turpentine</m></del> of <m><fr>colle forte</fr></m> soaked for 24 <ms>hours</ms> in <m>water</m>then gently bring to the boil so that it is hardly strong. Next stir in a little <m>honey</m> to soften it, & let it boil all together. And on top of this layer, which will soon be dry, you will be able to paint in <m>oil</m>, which will soften the layer even more, and which can also serve to make a ground layer for <m>gold</m>. <m>Water of alum</m> also keeps <m>oil</m> from running.</ab>

My notes from meeting with Jo (Oct 19, 2017):

About Fol.42v. Jo stated that this protocol basically describes how to prime and size taffeta for oil painting. For “starch water”, she suggested to use flour paste, which we already have in the lab. Alternative is to trying out using wheat starch. About taffeta, Jo’s suggestion is plain, unbleached and raw silk taffeta.

About Fol. 10v. Again Jo mentioned that this recipe describes how to size taffeta for oil painting. She emphasised that I have to be very careful about “honey” as putting a little more than needed amount will delay drying. For “oil” she suggested to use drying oil as it is less runny. She also mentioned that “water of alum (potash alum)” is a waterproofing agent and I should first try using 10% concentration, however if I end up getting white particles, I should try different concentrations. For glue or “colle forte”, she suggested to use 10% rabbit skin glue which we already have in the lab.

Materials purchased:

Silk Taffeta: I've been searching for raw, unbleached, untreated %100 silk taffeta. Upon Sophie's suggestion I contacted testfabrics.com and ordered a sample of their silk taffeta (item number: 1413012) (http://testfabrics.com/product-detail.php?id=T1RRPQ==). Although testfabrics.com had initially mentioned that they can find unbleached silk taffeta for me, when I contacted them the second time they said that they don't have any unbleached silk taffeta. I received their bleached silk taffeta sample (see image below) which looks and feels OK. I could not find any other reliable source to order unbleached, %100 silk taffeta. Jo confirmed that this sample should be OK but it might be better to wash this fabric with neutral soap and water before use. I'm planning to experiment with both washed and unwashed textile.

Embroidery hoops: I will use these to keep the taffeta in place while painting on. Naomi and I placed an order through amazon.com. We ordered Caydo 5 Pieces Embroidery Hoop Set Bamboo Circle Cross Stitch Hoop Ring (different sizes) and Caydo 4 Inch Round Embroidery Hoop Bulk Wholesale 12 Pieces Bamboo Circle Cross Stitch Hoop Ring. I will use 4 inch hoops for experimenting and once I'm happy with a certain protocol I will use bigger hoops to paint out some nice looking pieces.

Drying Oil: Jo mentioned that historically the additive in drying would have been lead oxide. Jo had made her own by following a recipe in Merrifield that called for boiling cold pressed linseed oil with red lead (lead (IV) oxide). However, modern drying oils usually have manganese as the additive and Jo confirmed that those would be an OK compromise. Currently we have 4 kinds of drying oils available in the lab: 1-https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6WQLRS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 2-https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UNVMOU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s05?ie=UTF8&psc=1 3- https://www.naturalpigments.com/dark-drying-oil-black-oil.html (this one has lead) 4- https://www.naturalpigments.com/pale-drying-linseed-oil.html.

Taffeta sample from testfabrics	Embroidery hoops that we purchased

___

Annotation Diary

Day1. (11.27.17)

1. Washing and drying taffeta. I cut 1m taffeta into twelve 6X6 inches squares (to insert in 4inch embroidery hoops) and left the remaining piece uncut. Next, I washed all fabric pieces with a few drops of babysoap and rinsed with tap water. For the last rinse, I dipped all the fabric into distilled water. I then decided to inserted 6X6 fabric pieces into 4inch embroidery hoops for drying to avoid wrinkles. I made sure that the fabric is tightly inserted into hoops, almost like drum. Finally, I carefully placed washed fabric on a drying rack and left for drying overnight in the hood.

Cut taffeta into 6X6" squares	Put a few drops of babysoap into tap water in a bowl	Washed taffeta with cold water and soap

Tightly inserted washed taffeta pieces into 4" embroidery hoops	Placed fabrics on a drying rack and left for drying overnight

Day2. (11.28.17)

2. Prepared wheat starch paste (starch water or water of alum) for fol.42v

According to the protocol presented in Sanderson, Katherine. "Making it Stick: Paste on Paper" The Book and Paper Group Annual 26 (2007) 155-159. The procedure is listed as : "Combine 50 mL wheat-starch (about 30g) with 100 mL of water. Cover and soak the starch at room temperature for the desired amount of time. Transfer the starch/water mixture to a pot and begin to cook, stirring constantly, over moderate heat. Heat 150 mL of water in another small pot over high heat. Just before the remaining heated water boils, add it slowly to the starch/water mixture, stirring the paste vigorously (adding pre-heated water hastens the cooking process). Cook for 35 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove paste from heat. Fill the syringes with the hot paste, trying to avoid the inclusion of air bubbles. Rinse the tip and cap of the syringe with reagent alcohol before and after each syringe is filled. Cap each syringe immediately after filling.//"

I followed the recipe above from Sanderson, K. and prepared 1:5 (V/V) ratio starch water as follows:

Measured 60 g of Kremer's Wheat Starch Powder and 200mL of distilled water and combined them in a 500mL beaker.
Soaked for 45 min at room temperature
Poured the soaked mixture into a pan and moved on to a hot plate on low heat, whisked constantly.
Simultaneously began to heat 300 mL of distilled water in another 500 mL beaker over high heat on another hot plate.
When starch water mix started to thicken, I slowly added heated 300 mL of water while whisking the paste vigorously to prevent clumping.
Cooked the mixture for 35 mins while stirring constantly. At the end the mixture got a jelly-like consistency. Removed from the heat, poured the mixture into a glass jar with a lid, let it cool down and then put in to the fridge to store until use.

I used wheat starch powder from Kremer	Mixed starch powder with water in a 500 mL beaker	Poured the mixture into a pan over a hot plate

Whisked the mixture constantly while heating	Mixture thickened after 5 mins	Added 300mL hot (not boiling) water into the mixture while whisking constantly

The mixture liquified again, I made sure that no clumps form.	After 35 mins of cooking, the mixture got a jelly-like consistency	Poured the mixture into a glass jar for storage in the fridge

3. Prepared 10% Potassium Aluminum Phosphate (Alum water) for both recipes.
Based on Jo's suggestion I decided to start from 10% stock and try out different dilutions of it in my tests. The key is to keep the concentration low enough so that Alum does not cause white stain on the fabric when it dries. Jo mentioned that Alum water is often used as a waterproofing agent.

Prepare 200 mL 10% Alum water by dissolving 20 g of potassium aluminum sulfate in 200mL distilled water in a 500mL beaker over a hotplate at a low heat, mixing constantly with a wood chopstick.
Once dissolved completely, poured the mixture into a glass jar and stored at room temperature until use.

Used potash alum from Kremer	Dissolved 20g potash alum in 200 mL distilled water over a hotplate	Once ready, poured the mixture into a jar and stored at room temperature

4. 10% Rabbit skin glue for fol.10v
Based on Jo's suggestion, I used 10%rabbit skin glue (RSG) as "colle forte" in recipe fol.10v. We already had some soaked 10% RSG in the fridge and I decided to use that one instead of preparing a new one.

10% RSG is prepared by soaking 12 g dry RSG in 120mL water overnight. Next day the mixture is heated
au bain marie up to 40-60 degree celcius on a hotplate. The glue should now be allowed to boil as that would ruin the glue.

5. Checked taffeta. I observed that taffeta pieces got completely dry overnight. The pieces that were dried on embroidery hoops were wrinkle free while the other bigger piece was badly wrinkled so it was a good call to dry taffeta on embroidery hoops. I put fabrics into plastic bags to keep them clean until use. Silk seem to attract dust from air.

Taffeta after drying overnight

Day3. (11.30.17)

6. Planning of experimental tests

Fol, 42v: “In order that the oil shall not run, make your first layer with honey, water of alum, and starch water.”

No ratios or measurements are detailed so I will have to experiment based on previous experimental trials by other students, suggestions by Jo and similar historical recipes. fol. 32r mentions “...honey</m>, that is a few drops to make it thickens…” and Jo warned me against using too much honey as it will delay drying. Based on research done by previous students I will use wheat starch paste as “Starch water”. Based on Jo’s suggestion I will use 10% potassium aluminum sulfate as “water of alum”. I will experiment with combining different rations of these ingredients to prepare the sizing mixture.

Tests for fol. 42v
Prepare 24 mL mixtures of these:
0) Control: No sizing on taffeta
1) no honey + 12 mL 10% water of alum 1:1 (V/V) 12 mL wheat starch paste [5% alum final]
2) 2% honey (0.48g) + 24 mL 10 % water of alum 1:0 (V/V) 0 mL wheat starch paste [10% alum final]

3) 2% honey(0.48g) + 18 mL 10 % water of alum 3:1 (V/V) 6 mL wheat starch paste [7,5 % alum final]
4) 2% honey(0.48g) + 16 mL 10 % water of alum 2:1 (V/V) 8 mL wheat starch paste [6,6% alum final]
5) 2% honey(0.48g) + 12 mL 10 % water of alum 1:1 (V/V) 12 mL wheat starch paste [5% alum final]
6) 2% honey(0.48g) + 8 mL 10 % water of alum 1:2 (V/V) 16 mL wheat starch paste [3,3% alum final]
7) 2% honey(0.48g) + 6 mL 10 % water of alum 1:3 (V/V) 18 mL wheat starch paste [2,5% alum final]
8) 2% honey(0.48g) + 0 mL 10 % water of alum 0:1 (V/V) 24 mL wheat starch paste [0% alum final]

Fol, 10v: “One needs to make a layer of batture, which is made of colle forte soaked for 24 hours in water then gently bring to the boil so it is hardly strong. Next stir in a little honey to soften it, let it boil all together. And on top of this layer, which will soon be dry, you will be able to paint in oil, which will soften the layer even more, and which will also serve to make a ground layer for gold. Water of alum also keeps oil from running.”

No ratios or measurements are detailed in the recipe so I will have to experiment based on previous experimental trials by other students, suggestions by Jo and similar historical recipes (if found any). Batture is a sizing layer which is also described in fol. 10r as: “ Scribes and ordinary painters make some batture, this joiner’s glue soaked in water on fire, slightly clear mingled with a very little of honey, that means a few drops to make it turn thick…” Based on Jo’s suggestion and tests done by Amsterdam Univ. students previously I will use 10% rabbit skin glue (RSG) as “colle forte” . For preparing batture, the author practitioner calls for mixing glue with honey and gently boiling the mixture. However, we now know that boiling destroys the glue. Therefore, in addition to boiling, I will also try gentle heating of the mixture up to 60 C. I will also try preparing different batture mixes adding varying amounts of honey and “water of alum”. I will use 10% potassium aluminum sulfate as “water of alum” for this recipe as well.

Tests for fol. 10v
Prepare different batture mixes:

9) 10 mL 10% RSG (only heated up to 60 C) + no honey + no water of alum [10%RSG final]
10) 10 mL 10% RSG (only heated up to 60 C) + 2% honey (0.2 g) + no water of alum [10%RSG final]
11) 10 mL 10% RSG (only heated up to 60 C) + 2% honey (0.3g) + 5 mL 10% water of alum [6,6% RSG final, 3,3% water of alum final] 2:1
12) 10 mL 10% RSG (boil for 3 mins) + no honey + no water of alum [10%RSG]
13) 10 mL 10% RSG (boil for 3 mins) + 2% honey (0.2 g) + no water of alum [10%RSG]
14) 10 mL 10% RSG (boil for 3 mins) + 2% honey(0.3g) + 5 mL 10% water of alum
[6,6% RSG + 3,3% water of alum] 2:1

7. Labelling taffeta. I decided to apply 2 different sizing mixtures (half and half) on to each 4"embroidery hoop taffeta samples. To do so, I separated taffeta samples into two by a red tape. I then labelled each side with the test number.

8. Preparing mixtures to test.
In order to prepare 14 test mixtures listed above:

I first warmed up wheat starch paste and RSG au bain marie up to 40-60 degree celcius on a hotplate while mixing. Then I realised that my water of alum solution was crystallized although it was left at room temperature. Thus, I also heated up water of alum solution to bring it back into solution.

Next, I labelled small plastic containers for each mixture.

I then weighted raw honey (from Eco Bee Farms) into those plastic containers according to tests descriptions listed above.

Then I followed test descriptions above and started to add other ingredients into each plastic test container. Note: while I was mixing all ingredients I made sure to obtain a smooth, clump free, homogenous mixture by mixing well and heating up the mixture au bain marie as needed. Finally, I applied mixtures on taffeta using a brush. The mixtures were still warm at the time of application, this aided smooth application. I tried to obtain a smooth 1 layer coverage over the surface of taffeta. Once done, I left fabrics for drying overnight.
Observations on fol.42v tests (#1 to #8) Although all mixes dried up fairly quickly ( within about 10 mins), some mixes were slower compared to others. #2 and #8 took the longest time to dry (~10 mins). #7 and #8 were thick mixes due to high wheat starch paste content but I was still able to apply them smoothly on the taffeta. Application of #4 was the smoothest.
Observations on fol.10v tests (#9 to #14) All mixes dried up very quickly.#9 dried in 30 secs while mixes that contained honey dried in 4-5 mins.
General observations. As expected from a sizing application, taffeta was tightened as applied mixtures dried up. This created even smoother, wrinkle free surface for painting. When compared to control (#0, no size), it is easy to see the decrease in wrinkles. However, I'd like to note that #11 and #12 had a little more wrinkles compared to others. Also,I was happy to observe that none of the applications caused any obvious discolouration of taffeta when they dried up.

Day4. (11.31.17)
Prepare oil mixes and paint

Prepare Red Madder Lake with 3 different drying oil.

Tests
A. Red lake prepared with 30% Thickened linseed oil +70%linseed oil
B. Red lake prepared with 100% Linseed oil
C. Red lake prepared with 30% Dark drying oil+70%linseed oil

Separated each side of sized taffeta boards into 3 (A, B,C) sections and labeled with a yellow tape. Painted using small brushes

Results and Observations

Test Condition and photo description	Photo	Observation/Comments
Front and back views. This taffeta sample is from previous students; Lou and Bowen. Painted with madder lake in 100% thickened linseed oil, 70% linseed oil mixed with 30%thickened linseed, 100%linseed oil, 30%pale drying oil and 70%linseed oil mix, or 30% dark drying oil mixed with 70% linseed oil. Please see labels on taffeta. no sizing was applied.		Here one can easily see that oil is dispersed and formed a holo shape around the paint when there is no size on the fabric. It is much easier to observe this dispersion on the coloured taffeta sample like this one. Although oil dispersion is observed on all test conditions, it is much smaller when 100% thickened linseed oil is used. This is expected due to the fact that 100% thickened linseed oil dried up faster than other oils. It is important to note that there is also paint dispersion though it is much less than oil dispersion. Either just oil or both oil and paint dispersion might be the "oil running" phenomena that the author practitioner referred in fols. 10V &42V. When oil runs paint also runs with it inevitably. I also observed that when there is no sizing, the paint is completely wicked by the textile and it is transferred to the back side of the fabric.
fol.42V #0- Control: No sizing on taffeta. Front and back views. A. Red lake prepared with 30% Thickened linseed oil +70%linseed oil B. Red lake prepared with 100% Linseed oil C. Red lake prepared with 30% Dark drying oil+70%linseed oil		When madder red lake paint is applied directly on taffeta in the absence of sizing, I observed a deep, dark red color. The paint was completely soaked into the fibers and transferred to the back side of the fabric. I also observed a holo shape oil ring around painted parts. This oil ring was smaller in A suggesting that this oil mixture is less runny compared to B and C.
fol.42V front and back views respectively. #1- no honey + 12 mL 10% water of alum 1:1 (V/V) 12 mL wheat starch paste [5% alum final] #2-2% honey (0.48g) + 24 mL 10 % water of alum 1:0 (V/V) 0 mL wheat starch paste [10% alum final] #3- 2% honey(0.48g) + 18 mL 10 % water of alum 3:1 (V/V) 6 mL wheat starch paste [7,5 % alum final] #4-2% honey(0.48g) + 16 mL 10 % water of alum 2:1 (V/V) 8 mL wheat starch paste [6,6% alum final] #5-2% honey(0.48g) + 12 mL 10 % water of alum 1:1 (V/V) 12 mL wheat starch paste [5% alum final] #6-2% honey(0.48g) + 8 mL 10 % water of alum 1:2 (V/V) 16 mL wheat starch paste [3,3% alum final] A. Red lake prepared with 30% Thickened linseed oil +70%linseed oil B. Red lake prepared with 100% Linseed oil C. Red lake prepared with 30% Dark drying oil+70%linseed oil		Applying #1 through #5 sizing mixtures to taffeta did not help with oil running. The paint was also completely soaked into fibers. There was essentially no difference between no size #0 and #1 through #5. Note that the oil ring was smaller in A as in "no size" sample but this was due to properties of the oil mixture not because of "sizing" application. In #6 I observed that application of sizing helped a little bit and stopped the paint from getting completely soaked into fibers. Also, the oil ring around painted parts were smaller in #6 A and B compared to #1 through #5. Increase in wheat starch paste content seem to help with stopping paint from getting soaked into the fibers.
fol.42V front and back views respectively. 7) 2% honey(0.48g) + 6 mL 10 % water of alum 1:3 (V/V) 18 mL wheat starch paste [2,5% alum final] 8) 2% honey(0.48g) + 0 mL 10 % water of alum 0:1 (V/V) 24 mL wheat starch paste [0% alum final] A. Red lake prepared with 30% Thickened linseed oil +70%linseed oil B. Red lake prepared with 100% Linseed oil C. Red lake prepared with 30% Dark drying oil+70%linseed oil		Here I observed something very interesting that conditions in #8 completely stopped the paint from getting soaked into the fabric, which is what is expected from a successful sizing application. #7 was also better than #1 through #6 but it was not as good as #8. These results suggest that the higher the wheat starch paste content is better.
Tests for fol. 10v Front and back views 9) 10 mL 10% RSG (only heated up to 60 C) + no honey + no water of alum [10%RSG final] 10) 10 mL 10% RSG (only heated up to 60 C) + 2% honey (0.2 g) + no water of alum [10%RSG final] 11) 10 mL 10% RSG (only heated up to 60 C) + 2% honey (0.3g) + 5 mL 10% water of alum [6,6% RSG final, 3,3% water of alum final] 2:1 12) 10 mL 10% RSG (boil for 3 mins) + no honey + no water of alum [10%RSG] 13) 10 mL 10% RSG (boil for 3 mins) + 2% honey (0.2 g) + no water of alum [10%RSG] 14) 10 mL 10% RSG (boil for 3 mins) + 2% honey(0.3g) + 5 mL 10% water of alum [6,6% RSG + 3,3% water of alum] 2:1 A. Red lake prepared with 30% Thickened linseed oil +70%linseed oil B. Red lake prepared with 100% Linseed oil C. Red lake prepared with 30% Dark drying oil+70%linseed oil		All 6 tests that I run for fol. 10V were successful at stopping the paint from getting soaked into the fibers however the mixtures that contained water of alum in addition to RSG (#11, #12, #14) seemed to perform a little better compared to others. Boiling RSG did not seem to cause any difference.
Final paint out example. Sizing application: #11 10 mL 10% RSG (only heated up to 60 C) + 2% honey (0.3g) + 5 mL 10% water of alum [6,6% RSG final, 3,3% water of alum final] 2:1 Painting: Venetian Red and Yellow Ocher mixed with 30% thickened linseed oil and 70% linseed oil		application was successful Oil did not run. #11 sizing was also successful at stopping the paint from getting soaked into the fibers.