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
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
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
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
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
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
applied one layer of