Gouache Paint Research Articles

Raman spectroscopy of thermo- and laser-induced transformations of gouache paint layer of copper phthalocyanine blue

Methods to control polymorphic modifications of phthalocyanines using optical (laser) radiation and possible photoinduced transformations of polymorphs are of practical interest in problems of identification and attribution of paintings, laser (micro)sampling, and the development of phthalocyanine structures for technical applications in optics, optoelectronics, and medicine. In this work, we compare the thermal and laser-induced changes of a gouache paint layer based on copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) PB15. The thermally induced color changes of the paint layer are quantified using the CIE Lab D65/10 color space. (Nano)rods formed in the paint layer when the sample is heated to 450°C at normal pressure without humidity control are studied using absorption spectroscopy, Raman microspectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that the formation of (nano)rods is related to the α→β polymorph transition of CuPc. Low-frequency markers of the CuPc β-polymorph are revealed in the Raman spectra. For the sample containing (nano)rods, the a* color coordinate substantially increases (by about 30 units), whereas the L* and b* coordinates remain almost unchanged. Irradiation with a single nanosecond laser pulse at a wavelength of 532 nm leads to the laser ablation of the paint layer at fluences exceeding a threshold level of about 3 J/cm2. Irradiation at fluences of greater than 0.5 J/cm2, but lower than the ablation threshold leads to color change of the paint layer due to the α→ε transition of CuPc. Similar transformations are observed at the periphery of and inside ablation crater.

Innovation in Green Materials for the Non-Contact Stabilization of Sensitive Works of Art: Preliminary Assessment and the First Application of Ultra-Low Viscosity Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) by Ultrasonic Misting to Consolidate Unstable Porous and Powdery Media

Paintings and other works of art created with fragile and mechanically unstable powdery media present challenges to conservators. Frequently, powdery media is water-sensitive, extremely fragile, tends to delaminate, and may be altered by even the slightest physical action or interaction with liquids. Materials that can provide an efficient stabilization without unacceptably altering the optical characteristics of the delicate substrate are extremely limited. Among these, Funori, Isinglass, and Methocel A4C have become established for this use. In bench practice, consolidants are frequently applied in a non-contact way, using ultrasonic and pneumatic aerosol generators to minimize the impact of the consolidant on sensitive substrates. However, nebulizing the available materials is problematic in bench practice, because of their high viscosity and, only extremely low concentrations can be nebulized using low kinetic impact ultrasonic or pressure-based misting systems adopted from the healthcare industry. As a potential innovative solution, this study introduces novel ultra-low viscosity (ULV) cellulose ethers (ULV-HPMC) for stabilisation of unstable porous and powdery surfaces, which have been successfully applied in bench practice for the pilot treatment of Edvard Munch painting on canvas and two 19th c. Thai gouache paintings on panel. Novel ULV-HPMC materials have multiple desirable qualities for consolidation treatments in conservation, and in accelerated aging tests marginally outperformed Methocel A4C, considered to be one of the most stable consolidants in the practice of conservation. Because of the ultra-low viscosity, higher concentrations of ULV-HPMC materials can be applied as water-based aerosols in a non-contact way and in fewer applications, which is a significant advantage in the treatment of delicate water-sensitive surfaces. Notably, novel ULV biopolymers are low-cost, derive from sustainable and renewable sources, and do not raise health and environmental concerns. Such novel materials and methods seamlessly resonate with the ICOM-CC’s Melbourne 2014 declaration, EU Green Deal, and the UN’s Sustainable Development goals and show potential adding new sustainable materials with the exceptionally low viscosity to the conservator’s tool box.

Containing the Past: Edith Kiss’s Deportation and Jewish Experiences at Ravensbrück

The artist Edith Kiss (1905–1966) was deported from Hungary to Ravensbrück concentration camp in 1944. After liberation, she returned to Hungary and created a series of 30 gouache paintings portraying her experiences. These artworks, which were exhibited in 1945 as Deportation, have so far attracted little attention. This scholarly essay will analyze the insights Deportation and other oeuvres by Kiss can provide on Jewish identity and experience at Ravensbrück. Deportation is compared with representations of Ravensbrück made by the French political prisoners France Audoul, Jeannette L’Herminier, and Violette Rougier-Lecoq.

The Landscape Gouache

Abstract This article gives an overview over the development of gouache painting – from Flemish Waterverfschilderij, Lenten cloths (tüchlein paintings), miniature paintings, and landscape gouache in “heroic” and “rustic” styles to the landscape veduta of Alpine sceneries. The – often confusing – usage of the term gouache will be discussed and traced back in history, leading to a clear definition of our present-day conception. The findings are based on the study of art technological sources as well as observations of gouache paintings from a variety of different artists including Hans Bol, Marco Ricci, James Stuart, and Johann Ludwig Aberli. The author’s own experiences with gouache painting will also feed into the portrayal of a technique which in the past has often been disparaged and is underrepresented in the art technological research.

Art therapy for chemsex: A pilot study of representations of memories among this subset of self-identified gay men as expressed in gouache painting

This pioneering art-based qualitative phenomenological study examined expressions and representations of memories among Israeli self-identified gay males who engaged in chemsex11A term associated with the gay community int Israel. (combining drugs such as crystal meth and GHB with sexual behavior) as expressed in gouache painting. Fourteen openly self-identified gay secular Jewish men (25-45) represented their chemsex experiences and then described their feelings in semi-structured interviews. The interviews and artwork were analyzed according to the principles of thematic analysis and the phenomenological approach to shed light on gouache paint as a medium that prompts access to the thoughts and feelings of the gay male community involved in chemsex. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: 1. From longing to belonging and visibility, 2. Lack of excitement during sex, 3. Elicitation of the original feelings and sensations when under the influence of drugs, 4. Recalling sexual experiences as reflected in the artwork. The analysis suggested that coming-out processes have certain similarities to immigration processes and are characterized by attempts to affiliate with the peer group while embracing its behavior patterns, even when these are not in line with the individual’s desires. The shame elicited when recalling these sexual experiences generates a need for emotional disengagement to continue functioning. Without a suitable therapeutic response, this may lead to addiction. The gouache medium helped identify a reemerging desire for control the participants felt they had lost.

The Wind & the Clover by Audrey Helen Weber

Reviewed by: The Wind & the Clover by Audrey Helen Weber Amanda Toledo Weber, Audrey Helen The Wind & the Clover; written and illus. by Audrey Helen Weber. Little, 2022 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780316459914 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 3-6 yrs In a verdant clover field, ground bees scurry out of their burrowed homes to enjoy playful, sunlit days and return to safety for restful windy nights. One morning a ground bee wakes up and flies on a cardinal wind to somewhere new. The next morning, another bee; the following day, another. One bee remains and wakes to find the familiar clover field turned wondrous, full of bits of vegetation and wildlife brought on the wind from the other bees' travels. The gouache painting style, with its varying opacity and richness of colors, enhances the whimsical mood of the story. Most pages are visually packed without overwhelming the senses, and portrayals of different ecosystems invite children to spot and name various critters and flowers populating the new homes for the ground bees. Short sentences on each page, plenty of repetition, and an engaging author's note call readers to notice the little things around them, making this a great fit for storytime. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Diversity and Metabolic Activity of Fungi Causing Biodeterioration of Canvas Paintings.

Research into the biodeteriorative potential of fungi can serve as an indicator of the condition of heritage items. Biodeterioration of canvas paintings as a result of fungal metabolic activity is understudied with respect to both the species diversity and mechanisms involved. This study brings new evidence for the physiology of fungi biodeteriorative capacity of canvas paintings. Twenty-one fungal isolates were recovered from four oil paintings (The Art Museum, Cluj-Napoca) and one gouache painting (private collection), dating from the 18th to 20th centuries. The species, identified based on the molecular markers Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (tub2), or translation elongation factor 1 (TEF-1), are common colonisers of canvas paintings or indoor environments (e.g., Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., Alternaria spp.). Fungi enzymatic profiles were investigated by means of hydrolysable substrates, included in culture media or in test strips, containing components commonly used in canvas paintings. The pigment solubilisation capacity was assessed in culture media for the primary pigments and studied in relation to the organic acid secretion. Caseinases, amylases, gelatinases, acid phosphatase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase, and β-glucosidase were found to be the enzymes most likely involved in the processes of substrate colonisation and breakdown of its components. Aureobasidium genus was found to hold the strongest biodeteriorative potential, followed by Cladosporium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Aspergillus. Blue pigment solubilisation was detected, occurring as a result of organic acids secretion. Distinct clusters were delineated considering the metabolic activities detected, indicating that fungi specialise in utilisation of certain types of substrates. It was found that both aged and modern artworks are at risk of fungal biodeterioration, due to the enzymatic activities’ diversity and intensity, pigment solubilisation capacity or pigment secretion.

Extraction of Colour Information from Digital Images Towards Cultural Heritage Characterisation Applications

Colour is a primary characteristic of visual perception and a very important characteristic to describe cultural heritage works in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. To quantify colours, portable colorimeters are often carried and used for measuring colour of interest. Spatial resolution of colorimeters is manufacturer and model dependent and typically worse than 3 - 10 mm in diameter. The colour measurement has to be done on site at the time of interest. It poses very significant limitations in colorimetric characterization of cultural heritages. In this paper, the possibility of extraction of colour information from digital photographs, scanned images and video files using customized image processing/analysis software (PicMan) was investigated for cultural heritage characterization applications. As colour information extraction examples, a commercial Gouache paint colour card, a digital photograph, a portrait of a Korean scholar of Joseon Dynasty and a severely deteriorated old medical text book before and after restoration were examined. Colour information from various digital images was successfully extracted from points and regions of interest in RGB, HSV, L*a*b*, Munsell colour and hexadecimal colour code formats. The spatial resolution of colour information extraction is as small as a single pixel in a digital image.

Графика А. В. Хвастуновой и А. В. Фонвизина в контексте художественной традиции мастеров «Мира искусства»: сравнительный анализ

The paper aims to identify similarities and differences between A. V. Khvastunova’s ink and gouache paintings of the XXI century and watercolours of the famous domestic painter A. V. Fonvizin (1883-1973) in the context of the Miriskusniks’ (members of the artistic movement “Mir Iskusstva” (1898-1927)) creative achievements. The article reveals specificity of the Miriskusniks’ pictorial language based on the Art Nouveau aesthetics. Scientific originality of the study involves identifying influence of the Miriskusniks’ artistic tradition on the modern domestic art. Relying on the conducted analysis, the researcher concludes that A. V. Fonvizin’s watercolours are meditative by nature, with features of aestheticism typical of the “Mir Iskusstva” style, whereas lively figurativeness of Khvastunova’s paintings makes aestheticism more energetic.

Examining Changes in HRV and Emotion Following Artmaking with Three Different Art Materials.

This protocol enables the examination of psychological and physiological responses to different types of behavioral engagements. Specifically, in this study example, the emotional response and changes in heart rate variability are examined in response to artmaking with three different art materials that vary in their levels of fluidity. This protocol can be adapted to examine other types of behavior or engagement in artmaking with other materials. There are several benefits to using this protocol. Firstly, the order randomization of the materials improves the probability that the response measured is associated with its qualities and not the order of presentation. Secondly, the continuous measuring of electrocardiogram enables the examination of changes in heart rate variability after engagement with each art material and changes that might occur during the artmaking itself. The advantages of this protocol should be considered with their limitations. The music listening is before each art making session; thus, the return to baseline can only be measured in the first two conditions. The return to baseline provides information on how fast individuals recover after response to working with each of the materials. Furthermore, a more liquid material instead of gouache paint with a brush, such as finger paints, provides more difference between materials. Finally, this protocol can be adapted to specific research needs.

“Seashells – Professor Andrzej Samek’s private collection and gouache paintings”. An exhibition in the Collegium Biologicum Library, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

“Seashells – Professor Andrzej Samek’s private collection and gouache paintings”. An exhibition in the Collegium Biologicum Library, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

Emotional Response and Changes in Heart Rate Variability Following Art-Making With Three Different Art Materials.

Art therapy encourages the use of art materials to express feelings and thoughts in a supportive environment. Art materials differ in fluidity and are postulated to thus differentially enhance emotional response (the more fluid the material the more emotion elicited). Yet, to the best of our knowledge, this assumption has not been empirically tested. The current study aimed to examine the emotional and physiological responses to art-making with different art materials. We were particularly interested in vagal activity, indexed by heart rate variability (HRV), because of its association with numerous health related outcomes. In this study, 50 adults (mean age 33 ± 10.27 years, 52% males) participated in a repeated measures experiment, in which they were requested to draw with three art materials (order randomized) differing in their level of fluidity (pencil, oil-pastels, and gouache paint) intermittent with periods of music. We measured the emotional response to art-making with each material using a self-report measure and matrices of HRV using a wearable electrocardiogram device. We calculated two indices of HRV, one indicative of parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity, and one indicative of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. Art-making with gouache paint and oil-pastels resulted in improved positive mood, while pencil did not. Art-making explained approximately 35% of the variability in parasympathetic reactivity, which may indicate changes in emotional regulation processes during the art-making task. Yet, fluidity was not sufficient to explain the reaction to art-making. Surprisingly, the largest suppression of PNS and augmentation of the SNS occurred during art-making with oil-pastels and not with Gouache. Moreover, PNS and SNS reactivity to oil-pastels were related to emotional valance, which may point to emotional engagement. We can conclude that art-making with oil-pastels, first created in Japan in 1924 to increase self-expression of students, results in a unique emotional and physiological responses. These findings might be explained by the enhanced tactile experience of art-making with oil-pastels along with their relative fluidity, triggering an arousal pattern. Further studies that take the format and presentation of the materials as well as the content of the artwork, into account, are needed.

HCA-2018 Winner Igor Oleynikov: Never Stop Asking Questions

HCA-2018 Winner Igor OleynikovNever Stop Asking Questions Ekaterina Eskina (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Igor Oleynikov is one of the most appreciated contemporary Russian illustrators. He has illustrated so many and such various books that it could be enough for several persons' professional careers. The worlds that he creates spellbind both children and grown-ups. His artistic vision is unique, his space is vast, and his characters are unusual. His illustrations are very dynamic—sometimes they look like cinema shots. Oleynikov's interpretation of classical and traditional pieces of literature is always surprising; it is never what you expect. Any new edition with his art is an important event for connoisseurs of illustrated books. The books illustrated by Igor Oleynikov vary in genres: from fairy-tales and myths to science fiction, from fantasy to the WWII memories, from the Bible to Soviet avant-garde poetry. Like a pioneer of the Age of Discovery, he is never afraid of exploring the new illustration grounds, eager to try his hand at difficult texts' interpretation and to challenge the most complicated topics. He admits to preferring the stories where the writer does not go too deeply into describing all the daily life details—so that he, the illustrator, is given space for his own imagination. For the same reason, he prefers illustrating writers from the past to contemporary ones, so no one would protest against the original plot's interpretation. In total, Igor Oleynikov has more than eighty books, with his illustrations published by various publishing houses in Russia and abroad—which makes him one of the most highly demanded contemporary Russian illustrators. As many prolific artists, Oleynikov has a versatile background. Not having any artistic degree, he spent [End Page 10] his early career years in Soyuzmultfilm, the main animation studios in Russia, and then nearly ten years in the Russian branch of BBC's Christmas Films Studio. At first, he was mostly a backgrounds artist, and then he gradually reached the position of an art director. The years in animation without a doubt have brought to his style the dynamic approach to narrative, the dramatic viewpoints, and a brilliant understanding of the right pace for each story he had to illustrate. Oleynikov's personages are incredibly vivid—also thanks to his animation background. He got used to paying particular attention to movement, unusual angles, expressive poses, and mimics. He is not interested in drawing an elegant portrait of a still standing person; he takes his audience to a film set, lets the readers take a sneak peak of the shooting process and see with their own eyes what miracle happens when "…and action!" is still tinkling in their ears. Igor Oleynikov's first book, I've Been in the Computer City, was published in 1984, but he fully dedicated himself to illustration from the second half of the 1990s, seeking more artistic freedom and independence in decision-making. In the early 1990s, Oleynikov, among many talented Russian artists, collaborated with the innovative Tramway magazine, the ultimate perestroika-spirited periodical for the kids of the new generation. Its ironic texts were full of charismatic, funny, unforgettable personages—a general who turned into an ant, a dad and a son who learned to fly but got quickly bored, and many others. The magazine format itself required developing the character with just one or two pictures, and this is how Oleynikov became a "sprinter" illustrator—able to describe his heroes in a particularly short "distance." The characters created at the beginning of his career as an illustrator are incredibly captivating—exactly the image one would expect of a fairy-tale animal, a beloved teddy-bear, or a mischievous boy next door—just as your childhood best friend was. After years of experiments with diverse illustration media, Oleynikov obtained this effect by his particular artistic techniques: first the oil paint and then gouache paint combined with the dry brush, worn rags, or old brooms. Such a technique permitted the artist to create numerous vivid, dynamic images in short periods of time and to be one of the most productive contemporary Russian illustrators. This sketchy style never really left him: even...

Modeling and Visualizing Bacterial Colony Purification Without the Use of Bacteria or Laboratory Equipment.

Microorganisms typically exist in diverse and heterogeneous communities within their various environmental niches. The isolation of an individual species from these communities is an essential laboratory skill to study of the properties and behaviors of that organism. To achieve this separation, the “quadrant streak” for single colony purification is often included in undergraduate microbiology laboratory curricula. To aid student mastery of this technique, I have developed a simulated culture purification activity that allows students to immediately visualize the dilution and separation of an artificial microbial community with the goal of isolating purified colonies. This tool uses readily available, inexpensive, art supplies to simulate a mixed bacterial culture. The “mixed culture” consists of craft glitter of at least two distinct colors, held together with water-soluble, highly pigmented watercolor or gouache paint. Students practice aseptic technique by using a paintbrush to mimic an inoculating loop to streak and dilute the culture on a piece of cardstock. Sterilization of the “loop” is simulated by rinsing the brush. Students will immediately self-assess whether they are correctly performing the quadrant streak, rather than having to wait until the next laboratory session for bacteria to grow, which may allow them to master the technique sooner.

Non-invasive characterization of colorants by portable diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy and chemometrics

During the last years the need for non-invasive and non-destructive analytical methods brought to the development and application of new instrumentation and analytical methods for the in-situ analysis of cultural heritage objects. In this work we present the application of a portable diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) method for the non-invasive characterization of colorants prepared according to ancient recipes and using egg white and Gum Arabic as binders. Approximately 50 colorants were analyzed with the DRIFT spectroscopy: we were able to identify and discriminate the most used yellow (i.e. yellow ochres, Lead-tin Yellow, Orpiment, etc.), red (i.e. red ochres, Hematite) and blue (i.e. Lapis Lazuli, Azurite, indigo) colorants, creating a complete DRIFT spectral library. The Principal Component Analysis–Discriminant Analysis (PCA–DA) was then employed for the colorants classification according to the chemical/mineralogical composition. The DRIFT analysis was also performed on a gouache painting of the artist Sutherland” and the colorants used by the painter were identified directly in-situ and in a non-invasive manner.

The Joint Painting Procedure: Parents and children creating shared space

The Joint Painting Procedure (JPP) is an art-based assessment and clinical intervention that evaluates and focuses on implicit aspects in parent–child relationships in middle childhood. The JPP has been utilized in parent–child art psychotherapy and various other clinical settings over the past 15 years and involves the parent and child painting together on the same sheet of paper using gouache or tempera paints. The JPP enables multi-dimensional expression and representation of implicit qualities of the relationship that cannot be expressed verbally. Sharing the same space and creating together enables transformational processes such as fostering mutual recognition, encouraging reflective function and creating mutual regulation. The JPP offers the painting dyad a meaningful non-verbal intersubjective experience, as well as ways of looking at various aspects of their relationship. The JPP and its clinical aspects are being examined and validated through rigorous research. Keywords: Dyadic art psychotherapy, art-based assessment, mutual recognition, mentalization

Relationships Between Attachment Avoidance and Anxiety and Responses to Art Materials

In this study, we examined the relationships between the attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance and participant reactions to using a range of art materials typically employed in art therapy. Participants (N = 409) engaged in art making with one of five materials: markers, oil pastels, gouache paint, finger paint, or clay. It was expected that a correlation would be found between the attachment dimensions and an individual's response to one of the different materials, and that these correlations would differ by gender. The findings indicate that the higher the score on the avoidance dimension, the more negative was an individual's response to the art material. This pattern was particularly evident in responses to working with oil pastels, gouache paint, and finger paint. Most of the correlations were found exclusively for women.

Scientific visualization as a possible component of the imaginative part of academic drawing and painting in a process of industrial design teaching

The article raises the question of the conscious possibility of scientific visualization usage in a context of designers’ education. The article considers the problem of mixing creativity (such as academic drawing) and computer technologies in the process of design students’ education. This article underlines the priority of impressions and the secondariness of constructive specifications of images that may appear in the very beginning during the process of work with material. The material of the article covers such things like the nature of image appearance and presumable results of original ideas realization. The actual ideas of image appearance are given as a singularity of a gouache painting technique. According to the tradition of school of academic painting, aspiration to stand out by originality of smear, tone and color of stretch marks, relief, pasty painting are welcome.

The Viennese Croÿ Albums: Options and Decisions Leading to the Conservation and Remounting of a Convolute of Double-Sided Gouache Paintings on Parchment

Abstract The so-called Croÿ albums, kept by the Collection of Manuscripts and Rare Books at the Austrian National Library, form a convolute of 15 baroque red leather bindings housing 936 gouache paintings on double-sided parchments dating from 1560 to 1621. The opulently decorated topographic views of the possessions of Charles Duc de Croÿ (1560–1612) have undergone conservation treatment at the Institute for Conservation, followed by digitisation, allowing for a restricted access to the valuable albums. The planning of the project involved a wide range of possibilities and several levels of decisions. The construction of a decision tree and decision matrices helped to visualize the complexity of the issues involved and to consider the various options. The cultural importance of the Croÿ albums was decisive for choosing an overall treatment. Polyester pockets which had been added in the 1970s were removed from the albums. The fragile paint layers on the parchments were consolidated with gelatine. The modified remounting of the gouache paintings into the albums was done with a modified form of T-hinges which are combined with a protective layer of Japanese paper. Extremely sensitive paintings were taken out of the albums and mounted in double-sided mats. For the readers, an illustrated instruction sheet was placed into each volume’s archival box. It shows the correct turning of the album pages.

The impact of LED lighting parameters on viewing fine art paintings

This study investigated the main visual perceptions and the optimal LED lighting parameters for viewing museum paintings. Oil and gouache paintings seen under different LED illuminants were assessed using the categorical judgement method. It was found that ‘visibility’ and ‘warmth’ are the main perceptions for viewing paintings. The results showed that a correlated colour temperature around 3500 K, a negative deviation of the target from the blackbody locus and a high colour rendering index can achieve satisfactory results. The difference between colour fidelity-based colour rendering indices and colour preference-based colour rendering indices for a museum application was also explored.