Murals and Frescos

[urban oyster]

A mural is a large piece of artwork painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling, or other permanent surfaces. Murals can be found both indoors and outdoors and are a popular form of public art.

Fresco is a mural painting technique that uses water-based pigments on wet plaster to integrate color with the wall for durability and a matte finish. Famous frescoes include Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling and The Last Judgment, Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, and Raphael's The School of Athens. Contemporary artists use fresco for its lasting quality and aesthetic in modern murals and mixed-media pieces.
This technique is ideal for murals as it lends itself to a monumental style, is durable, and has a matte surface.

While it's most commonly associated with the art of the Italian Renaissance, the fresco painting technique has been around for millennia and continues to inspire ancient and contemporary artists.

More broadly, in contemporary art, the term 'fresco' is sometimes used to denote wall painting, regardless of the technique used. However, it's important to distinguish between the true fresco technique and other forms of wall painting to maintain clarity in art historical discussions.

ChatGPT uses the entire context of your coversation to make images, not just simple prompts. To make the attached image, I first discussed fresco murals with ChatGPT to set the context, and then gave the very simple subject request: “can we show a large contemporary fresco in a public building such as a city hall?”

This prompting method separates the style discussion from the subject request, allowing you to specify many things before you request the specific subject matter you want to focus on.

[crimson walrus]

Here are some of the perspectives that can show off your frescos or murals in the best way possible(p.s. I made this for photographers, but the perspectives work for all type of illustrations):
**Direct Upward Perspective: **Captures the entire fresco in one shot, showing the full design.
**Diagonal Upward Perspective: **Adds depth and a dynamic look, showing how the fresco fits in its space.
**Wide-angle Perspective: **Good for capturing large frescoes when you can't step back far enough.
**Panoramic Perspective: **Useful for very large frescoes, combining multiple images for a complete view.
**Tilt-shift Perspective: **Corrects angled distortions and can focus on specific parts of the fresco.
**Detail Shot: **Highlights the fine details, textures, and colors of the fresco.
**Contextual Shot: **Shows the fresco within its surrounding space, adding context to the artwork.

rare medium that was pretty cool to see was knitted fresco, a cousin to a tapestry 😅

[upbeat magnet]

Modern frescoes reflect contemporary artistic expressions and innovations. The use of fresco technique in the modern era is less common than it was during its peak in the Renaissance, but it still holds a significant place in the art world. Through an extensive discussion with ChatGPT, I learned that modern fresco artists explore a wide range of subjects, including abstract concepts, social and political themes, or personal narratives. Frescoes may also be used in various architectural contexts, enhancing the interaction between art and space. They are often featured in public art projects, playing a role in urban beautification and community engagement.

Combining these characteristics of modern frescoes, my theme for this Technique Tuesday is “fresco murals for international airports.” Fresco murals, which are durable and suited for large-scale projects, would be a perfect way to adorn the large walls of airports and add some color and regional character to what is too often a bland architectural behemoth. For a touch of personal narrative, I chose busy international airports in some of my favorite cities, starting with Tokyo:

“Create a modern abstract mural with subtle anime influence, on the interior wall of Tokyo's airport, using traditional buon fresco technique on lime plaster over concrete. This mural also abstractly depicts a Harajuku street scene full of cosplayers, utilizing a different interpretation with simplified abstract geometric shapes, maintaining a minimalist, asymmetrical composition. The textured plaster adds depth and character to the mural. It's painted with earth and mineral pigments in natural and vivid colors, achieving a luminous quality, where the colors appear to glow from within. The mural showcases broad brushstrokes, subtle shading, diffuse edges, and a mottled, blotchy texture, merging modern abstract art with anime elements, offering a distinct artistic vision of Harajuku's cosplay culture.”

My second example is Rome, in which I featured Colosseum and Renaissance art style. First image represents a "realist" and "maximalist" approach, which is perhaps closer to the traditional Renaissance fresco. In the second image, I experimented with an "abstract" and "minimalist" twist to create an updated look.

Prompt 1: "Create a modern mural with subtle Renaissance influence, on the interior wall of Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport, using traditional buon fresco technique on lime plaster over concrete. This mural also depicts the Colosseum and Roman cityscape, but in a different realist style with a maximalist asymmetrical composition. The textured plaster adds depth and character to the mural. It's painted with earth and mineral pigments in natural and vivid colors, achieving a luminous quality, where the colors appear to glow from within. The mural showcases broad brushstrokes, subtle shading, diffuse edges, and a mottled, blotchy texture, merging realism with Renaissance elements, offering a distinct artistic vision of Rome's historical landmarks."

Prompt 2: "Create a modern abstract mural with subtle Renaissance influence, on the internal wall of Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport terminal, using traditional buon fresco technique on lime plaster over concrete. The mural is an abstract depiction of the Colosseum and Roman cityscape, characterized by simplified abstract geometric shapes in a minimalist and asymmetrical composition. The texture of the plaster varies, adding depth and character to the painting. It's painted using earth and mineral pigments in natural and vivid colors, creating a luminous quality where colors seem to glow from within. The mural features broad brushstrokes, subtle shading, diffuse edges, and a mottled and blotchy texture, blending modern abstract art with Renaissance elements, capturing the essence of Rome's iconic landmarks in an unconventional artistic expression."

[worthy nest]

To reiterate, Frescoes are mural paintings created by applying pigments directly onto wet plaster. This ancient technique has been used for centuries, with notable examples in places like Pompeii and the Renaissance-era Italy.

A fresco of an aerial view of the pompeii eruption, spewing lava anfd hot gasses with a small town seen below.

Murals are large-scale artworks painted or applied directly on walls, ceilings, or other substantial surfaces. They can convey cultural, social, or political messages and are found in various cultures throughout history, serving as public expressions of creativity and identity and history.

Here we have a mixture of history and identity, where the steam trains of old are remembered in the halls of a modern train station.

A colourful mural painted on the hall of a huge train station. the modern trains on the tracks are contrasted by the steam trains in the mural.

[dense marsh]

When considering murals/frescos, the dominant technique is the classic 'fresco' method, known for its durability and the texture it gives to the artwork. However, another intriguing but less celebrated cousin of fresco painting is the 'Secco' technique. Unlike fresco, (Italian for "fresh," with water-based pigments on wet plaster), Secco (Italian for "dry") involves painting on dry plaster. This allows for greater versatility in terms of materials used, enabling artists to use a broader palette of colors and even gold leaf. An 8th-century text mentioned the five "pure colors" for Secco painting from which other hues can be derived: terre verte (green earth), white, yellow, red, and black

Secco is much more delicate than traditional frescos, demanding significant preservation efforts. This sensitivity to the elements has made surviving Secco works rare and precious, holding secrets of artists’ techniques and styles that differ significantly from their fresco counterparts.

Prompt: "An ancient Secco mural depicting a serene, nature-inspired scene with lush greenery and a calm river. In the distance, a deer is visible, drinking from the river, blending into the environment. The artwork is intensely worn, faded, and strongly washed out, giving it a faded, sun-bleached look that reflects the passage of time. The paint is cracked and peeling. The image implements earth green and rusty red hues, complemented by a gold leaf border."
(Bing's Image Creator, outpainted with DALL-E 2)

[worthy nest]

I'll reuse the murals showing cultural, social, or political messages. Here is the Berlin wall, with a mural depicting the wish of many people at that time.

The Berlin wall with a grand mural. the mural depicts a broken wall.

[serene copper]

🖼️ Fresco and Murals DALL.E 3 via ChatGPT 4 0Shot

Sylvie : Hello ChatGPT, can you explain simply what murals and frescoes are?

ChatGPT : Hello! Certainly, I can explain murals and frescoes in simple terms.

1. Murals : A mural is a large painting that is directly created or applied on a wall, ceiling, or other large permanent surface. It's like a giant painting that becomes part of the building itself. Murals can be found indoors or outdoors and are used to add beauty or convey a message. They can be made with various types of paint and techniques. 🔤 Prompt : Image 1 + Murals text and childhood

2. Frescoes : Frescoes are a specific type of mural. They are made by painting onto freshly laid wet plaster on a wall or ceiling. As the plaster dries, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall. This technique was very popular in ancient times and during the Renaissance. Frescoes are known for their durability because the paint merges with the plaster, and for the vibrancy of their colors. 🔤 Prompt : Image 2 + Frescoes text

In summary, all frescoes are murals, but not all murals are frescoes. The key difference is in the technique used to create them, especially the use of wet plaster in frescoes.

[magic solar]

Sgraffito: This involves applying multiple layers of plaster tinted in different colors. The top layers are then scratched away to reveal the colors underneath, creating a design. This technique was popular in Renaissance Italy and Northern Europe.

“A detailed illustration of the sgraffito technique being applied to a fresco. The scene is set in an old Italian villa with rustic charm. The wall is coated with multiple layers of plaster, each layer tinted in different colors like ochre, sienna, and azure, with a topmost layer in terra-cotta. An artist is carefully etching into the top layer using a small, sharp stylus, revealing the contrasting colors beneath. The design emerging on the wall is a vineyard scene, showcasing the depth and texture achieved through sgraffito. The artist’s focus and precision are evident, as they work to create a multi-tonal, textured fresco with depth and historical significance. The environment around the artist hints at the rich cultural and historical context of this art form, with tools and artifacts of traditional fresco making visible in the background.”