The official word for this drawing is a “cartoon. ” Traditional frescoes are painted on walls as large murals. However, if you don’t have access to a large wall, it’s perfectly acceptable to make your fresco painting on a large wooden-framed canvas.
This allows you to create rough borders for the area of the canvas that you’ll need to apply plaster to. This method of charcoal tracing is the traditional way to make a fresco painting. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of perforating and tracing, you can draw your design directly onto your canvas. You can buy a charcoal stick or powdered paint at most art supply stores.
You may need to create a larger batch of plaster, depending on the size of your canvas. Check the manufacturer’s instructions on your plaster of Paris to see how much plaster you should create to cover the surface area of your canvas. Use safety gloves while mixing together your plaster. Do not mix the plaster of Paris with your hands or allow any of it to get onto your fingers. It will set very quickly and become very difficult to remove.
Apply a generous coat of plaster to the canvas. Aim to place about a 1⁄2 in (1. 3 cm) layer of plaster inside your drawing. Only apply the plaster to the area that you’ll be painting. Don’t coat the entire canvas.
You can buy these types of brushes at any art supply store. If you can, get a variety of brushes in different sizes. That way, you’ll be able to apply the paint in varying levels of detail.
Feel free to paint over the dark tones you’ve already created; the paint will only blend slightly and create a “dark” version of the color you’re adding to the canvas. Be sure to do this as quickly as possible. By this point, the plaster will be drying much faster and will soon be too dry to make a fresco painting on.
