Paint Layers Research Articles

Plastic Interpretations of the World Artistic Heritage in the Monotypes of Valery Babanov

Since his youth, Valery Babanov’s professional activity has been connected with the art of book design. He is a graphic artist, illustrator of classic and modern prose, poetry of domestic and foreign authors. The search for his own line in art revealed the proximity of his individual creative nature to the monotype technique. The history of the creative path of the outstanding master of prints E.S. Kruglikova, thanks to whose activity it was in St. Petersburg in the early twentieth century that the Russian school of monotype was born, had a great influence on his choice. Prominent Leningrad artists K.A. Kordobovsky, G.D. Epifanov, D.M. Plaksin became mentors in mastering the “pictorial” graphic printing technique. But an example of virtuoso artistry in working with monotype was K.I. Rudakov. A true fan of monotype in book illustration, Babanov strives to create subtle professional graphic works that reveal the essence of the literary work. Long practice has honed the techniques used by the artist in his work: the base — perfectly smooth plates of plexiglass of different sizes with slightly rounded edges, black paint layer, squirrel brushes, cotton paper. In addition to the visual interpretation of literary texts, the master actively works in easel graphics, in particular, realizing a project of plastic interpretations of the world’s artistic heritage. The artist’s solo exhibition “Striving for Perfection” (2020), which became the intermediate result of his activity, presented selected monotypes, in which Babanov reflects on the work of the great masters of painting, passing the history of art through his perception. A visual narrative of contemplation and plastic retelling of the legacy of the old masters and artists of the twentieth century — interpretation by means of monotype — in personal sensations there is a reflection of creative individuality, a fuller disclosure of natural identity. The more the artist understood, penetrated, felt the sample of copying, the more he presented himself. Turning to the past, V.V. Babanov continues to follow the eternal path of apprenticeship.

Conservation Processing of Modern and Contemporary Outdoor Bronze Sculptures

‘Pieta’(1980) by Se Choong Kim required scientific analysis and conservation treatment due to long outdoor exhibitions and paint on surface of bronze sculpture. However, there was a concern that the originality of artwork and ‘moral rights of the artist(the right of integrity)’ could be violated by including conservation treatment methods that were inevitably irreversible, such as removing the old layer and re-patination. Accordingly, the brown color that was mainly used during the artist’s lifetime, was selected as the patination color through collaboration with various stakeholders. As a result of analyzing the making technique of ‘Pieta’, it was found that it was cast in Cu-Zn-Sn-Pb quaternary art bronze. The material, methods, and environment at the time of making artwork were confirmed by comparing the result of scientific analysis of welding, repair, and defects with inerviews with casting engineers. The paint painted on the surface of the bronze sculpture was confirmed as painted twice with metalic paint mixed with polystyrene and copper powder and graphite-based paint. Laser cleaning was applied after a preliminary experiments to stably remove paint, and 95% of the paint layer area was uniformly removed as a result of comparing and analyzing the volume before and after removal through 3D scanning. Brown patina was applied through patination then wax coating to finish.

Studies of the Medium-Term Effect of Nanoconsolidants on Wall Paint Layers with a Lack of Cohesion

"This paper reports an updated overview of a comparative study on the medium-term effects of treatment with three consolidants—laboratory-prepared nanolime, commercial nanolime, and commercial acrylic resin—on fresco paint layers replicas affected by lack of cohesion. This is a follow-up to our preliminary data published in 2021. In 2020, paint layers replicas of frescos were prepared in vitro by buon and lime fresco painting techniques with blue smalt and yellow ochre pigments. The samples were treated with the three consolidants and aged at ambient conditions. In 2023, the authors repeated the analysis to assess and compare the three-year effect of the laboratory-prepared nanolime on the paint layers with regard to the commercial nanolime and acrylic resin. The analytical setup comprised photography, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and colorimetry or spectrophotometry. Monitored parameters were the impact of the treatments on the paint layer morphology and on the colour. After three years, the presence of all products is still detected on the paint surface, where they maintain their effects on the paint layer morphology. Aesthetical changes that occurred immediately after the treatment have maintained a relatively constant value over the course of time. "

Preliminary Diagnostic Survey of Deteriorated Paint Layers at the Maritime Station of Rocha Do Conde De Óbidos, Lisbon: A Multianalytical Research

This paper reports the preliminary diagnostic survey of the six controversial mural paintings painted in 1946–49 at the Maritime Station of Rocha do Conde de Óbidos in Lisbon, considered the artistic epitome of Almada Negreiros mural painting art. Four research questions drove this research: a) What are the main decay phenomena present and their sources? b) Which are the paint layers most affected, and are they linked to a particular pigment? c) Is there any relation between the painting technique used and the deterioration or stability of the paint layers and pigments? And finally, d) Are there differences in the decay phenomena present in both maritime stations of Alcântara? The analytical setup comprised in-situ and laboratory analysis by way of technical photography documentation (TP), handled optical microscopy (h-OM), handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), complemented by optical microscopy of microfragments and cross sections (OM-Vis-UV), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).The first results indicate flaking of the paint layers as the main and most severe deterioration feature present in most of the murals. The yellow ochres, browns, blacks, and light greens are the colours most affected, showing different degrees of loss. The pictorial technique used, the presence and action of soluble salts in the structure, and even the products used as adhesives during past interventions might be the root of this phenomenon.

Modern Mural Paintings. The Planisphere Painting of Almada Negreiros: Technical and Material Features of Plasters and Painting Technique

This paper presents the results of observations and analysis carried out in the modern mural painting of 54m2, known as Planisphere (or Mapa-mundi), made by Almada Negreiros in 1939 in the city of Lisbon. The painting is Almada’s first monumental painted work at fresco, and it is a striking, colourful composition inspired by early world maps of navigators. The aim is to ascertain how he built up this masterpiece and what artistic sources could have inspired him. The analytical setup comprised in-situ technical photography in the visible (Vis and Vis-Rak) and near infrared radiation (NIR), Vis-handled-Optical microscopy, complemented by laboratorial analysis of microsamples collected from paint layers with OM-Vis-UV and SEM-EDS. The data obtained was compared with the painting compendiums of Paul Bedouin’s La fresque. Sa Technique-ses applications (1914) and of Costin Petresco’s L’art de la fresque (1931), retrieved from the artist studio in 2019. The study reveals the first technical and material features found, such as the painting execution by large giornate, the use of different types of techniques to transfer the drawings to the wall, and the presence of paint layers made with buon and lime fresco. The results also reveal the likely strategies used by Almada to overcome the challenges imposed by a fresco execution, inspired by both eastern and western mural painting traditions.

Conservation and Attribution of the Early 18th Century Icon “St. Apostle Philip” from the Bonevychi Village (Lviv Region, Ukraine) using the Technique of Separation of Easel Painting

The article studies the process of separation of the two layers of painting of the icon “St. Apostle Philip”, which is kept in the church in the Bonevychi village (Sambir district, Lviv region, Ukraine). The expediency of using the chemical method of separation for these work and similar ones, according to the state of preservation and technique of execution, is substantiated. The study shows that the upper layer of the icon was made in the late 19th – early 20th centuries in the technique of oil painting on top of the new gesso (levkas). The original painting of the icon was done in the technique of tempera with the use of silvering and engraving on the background. When studying the manner of painting of the original layer of the icon and based on archival documents about the church in Bonevychi, it was found that first image was painted in the early 18th century to the newly built in 1702 wooden church in Bonevychi. The manner of painting shows that the author of the original icon was a master from the center of church art in the town of Rybotychi (now a village in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (Województwo podkarpackie) of Poland).

Biodeterioration effects of three Aspergillus species on stucco supported on a wooden panel modeled from Sultan al-Ashraf Qaytbay Mausoleum, Egypt

This study focuses on the magnificent decoration of a painted and gilded wooden panel with signs of fungal biodeterioration caused by Aspergillus species in the Mausoleum of Sultan al-Ashraf Qaytbay, Cairo, Egypt. Numerous spectroscopic analyses and investigation techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscope Equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared analysis (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) have been used to study the materials that comprise this painted and gilded wooden panel composition. Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, and A. terreus were recognized as isolated fungi, and their accession numbers are OQ820164, OQ820163, and OQ820160, respectively. The findings showed that the wooden support is of pinewood (Pinus halepensis), the white priming layer on top of the wooden support was identified as gypsum, the blue paint layer has been proposed to be Azurite, Au (gold) was the primary composition of the gilding layer, while Pb (lead) was detected in some spots, suggesting the use an alloy of gold with lead, and finally, animal glue was the bonding medium. Based on these findings, mimic samples with identical substrates and structural components have been designed, and the biodeterioration signs by the growing of the three Aspergillus species—A. niger, A. flavus and A. terreus were evaluated via SEM and color change. However, A. niger was discovered with density growth on surfaces of pinewood, gypsum, and Azurite and with less growth on the gilding layer after 6-month incubation. This contrasts with A. terreus and A. flavus, which had greater density growth on Azurite and stucco than on pinewood and less growth on the gilding layer. The used analytical methods with detailed analyses revealed the novelty and significant future aspects of the conservation of the painted and gilded wooden panel. Particularly given that this location is used for prayer and is crowded with people five times a day, which increases the accumulation of fungi and negatively affects both the historic Mosque and the worshippers' health.

Methodological approach for the automatic discrimination of pictorial materials using fused hyperspectral imaging data from the visible to mid-infrared range coupled with machine learning methods

Hyperspectral imaging represents a powerful tool for the study of artwork’s materials since it permits to obtain simultaneously information about the spectral behavior of the materials and their spatial distribution. By combining hyperspectral images performed on several spectral intervals (visible, near infrared and mid-infrared ranges) through chemometric methods it is possible to clearly identify most of the materials used in painting (i.e., pigments, dyes, varnishes, and binders). Moreover, in the last decade, the development of machine learning algorithms coupled with comprehensive and continuously updated databases opens new perspective on the automatic recognition of pictorial materials.In this work, we propose a novel procedure to support the automatic discrimination of pictorial materials consisting in a mid-level data fusion on imaging datasets coming from two commercial hyperspectral cameras, in the 400–1000 nm and 1000–2500 nm spectral ranges, respectively, and a MAcroscopic Fourier Transform InfRared scanning in reflection mode (MA-rFTIR), in the 7000 to 350 cm-1 (1428 nm − 28 μm) spectral range. The automatic recognition of 102 pictorial mock-ups from the fused data is performed by testing the performance of ECOC-SVM (error-correcting output coding and support vector machine) model obtaining a good predictive result with only few pixels that are confused with other classes. The methodology described in this paper demonstrates that an accurate paint layer multiclass recognition is feasible, and the use of chemometric approaches solves some challenges involving the study of materials.

Colourless Powdered Glass as a Drier for Red Lakes: On the Influence of Composition and Particle Size

ABSTRACT Colourless glass particles are found in oil painting layers from the fifteenth-seventeenth centuries. Several historical sources mention the use of finely ground glass powder as a solid drier. In order to assess the siccative effect of glass particles added to paint, this research focused on red lake reconstructions and followed their natural drying using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Three glasses with different sodium-potassium and manganese contents were studied. Significant differences in drying rates were observed in each of the samples, indicating a relationship between both the composition – either enriched with or without manganese – and the size of the glass particles added as siccatives. This FTIR approach highlights several complex mechanisms involved in the drying effect of glass powders mixed in paint layers.

Performance of painted and non-painted non-woven nickel-coated carbon fibers for lightning strike protection of composite aircraft

This study investigates the performance of non-woven nickel-coated carbon fibers with varying sheet resistivity as potential solutions for lightning strike protection of composite aircraft, with a focus on the influence of the paint layer on top of the protection. Carbon/epoxy laminates protected by nickel-coated carbon fibers were subjected to lightning strike tests (modified A-waveform), and the heat transfers in the composite were observed using an infrared camera. The damages were analyzed with C-Scan and CT-Scan, and the retention of mechanical properties in bending was characterized via 4-point bending tests. The sheet resistivity, depth and area of damages, retention of mechanical properties, additional cost and weight were then compared to the expanded copper foil currently used in the aerospace industry, with and without a paint layer. With an additional weight of at most 140 gm−2, nickel-coated carbon fibers are lighter than expanded copper foil (325 gm−2), while providing 100% of retention of flexural strength after lightning strike, better than the expanded copper foil (90%). However, adding a paint layer decreases the retention of flexural strength to at best 87% when the composite is protected by nickel-coated carbon fibers, but has a very small effect on composites protected by an expanded copper foil.

Techno-economic assessment of retrofitted parabolic trough collector for Kalina power cycle

In this study, the integration of a Kalina cycle with a parabolic trough collector (PTC) was proposed. The PTC underwent retrofitting with a dual-layer coating on the receiver tube, consisting of an inner layer of MXene-doped black paint and an outer layer of silicon oxide anti-reflective coating. This coating configuration aimed to reduce re-radiation losses and enhance the solar absorptivity of the absorber surface. Additionally, MXene (Ti3C2) nanoparticle with weight concentration (0.05–0.3 wt%) is suspended in de-ionized water with varying flow rate (1–5 lpm) is used as heat transfer fluid owing to its superior thermophysical and heat transfer capabilities. Experimental analysis and mathematical modeling are conducted to assess thermal and economic performance. The outcomes reveals optimal weight concentration and flow rate to be 0.15 wt% and 3 lpm, respectively. Comparing conventional and coated PTCs, the maximum thermal efficiency was reported as 48.17% and 58.5%, respectively. The corresponding maximum useful heat generation values were approximately 422.72 kW and 513.312 kW. The thermal efficiency of the Kalina cycle calculated was 11.10%. The conventional PTC-driven Kalina cycle had a Levelized cost of electricity of $0.164/kWh and a payback period of 7 years. Meanwhile, the coated PTC-driven Kalina cycle had a Levelized cost of electricity of $0.15/kWh and a payback period of 6.42 years. The study's findings highlight the superior performance and economic feasibility of the coated PTC-driven Kalina cycle over the conventional PTC setup.

A study of the effect of laser micro-texture on bond strength and fracture mechanism of paint layer

As the most common protective layer in car body protection, the paint layer is an effective barrier against corrosion of the material matrix. The adhesion between the paint layer and the substrate is an important factor in ensuring the long-term and effective protection of the paint layer. On the 5083 aluminium alloy substrate, a series of laser micro-texture with varying depths are produced by laser texturing, with the aspect ratio ranging from 0.12 to 1.76. The adhesion test of standard GB/T 5210–2006 was used to investigate the effect of different texturing depths on the adhesion strength of the paint layer. The cross-sectional microstructure and fracture morphology of the paint layer were analysed and characterized to study the deposition and fracture mechanism of the paint layer. The results show that the presence of laser micro-texture significantly enhances the adhesion of the paint layer, and the influence of laser micro-texture of different depths and dimensions on the adhesion of the paint layer is different. And found that the optimal depth size affecting the size of adhesion is around 0.67. By analyzing the cross-sectional microstructure and fracture morphology of the paint layer, it is found that the change in paint adhesion is the result of the change of developed interfacial area ratio (Sdr), the bonding condition of the paint layer and the substrate surface, and the bubble defect. At the same time, the process of the paint layer flowing on the substrate surface, filling the micro-texture, and forming bubbles was analysed.

Application of Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Analysis of Paint Layer Compositions by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Application of Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Analysis of Paint Layer Compositions by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Water Vapour Resistance of Ceiling Paints—Implications for the Use of Smart Vapour Barriers in Compact Wooden Roofs

Smart vapour barriers enable building envelopes to dry toward the interior side. This property can be used in compact wooden roofs to create more slender structures by placing the wooden load-bearing elements inside the insulation layer. There is, however, some concern that the ceiling assembly on the interior side may inhibit inward drying by trapping moisture between the vapour barrier and the ceiling boards. This article examined the water vapour resistance of gypsum boards painted with two, four, and six layers of typical ceiling paints. WUFI® 2D simulations were conducted to assess the risk of mould growth in compact wooden roofs with painted board ceilings. It was found that a painted ceiling board may exhibit an equivalent stagnant air layer thickness (sd value) between 0.074 m for two layers of the most vapour-open paint and 0.53 m for six layers of the least vapour-open. For an unpainted board, the sd value was measured to be 0.071 m. The difference was not found to make a substantial impact on the drying of a typical compact wooden roof. The application of paint may cause the assembly to dry at a slightly slower rate but was not found to present a notably higher risk of mould growth, even under unfavourable conditions.

Development of a scheme for the distribution of contact areas between the plate and offset cylinders

The object of the research is the distribution of contact areas between the plate and offset cylinders. For printing impression in the offset printing process, it is necessary to ensure the transfer of printing ink from the ink unit to the printing plate, from the mold to the rubber-fabric material (deckel) of the offset cylinder and from the deckel to the printed material. At the same time, the quality of the prints is ensured by creating the necessary technological pressure between the plate, offset and printing cylinders, which also contributes to the deformation of the elastic deckel and the transfer of the ink layer in the contact zone. The transfer of illustrative and textual information from the form to the deckel of the offset cylinder occurs due to the actual touch area. Therefore, the study and calculation of the actual contact area is necessary to study the transfer of the paint layer in the contact zones. For this purpose, a review of some studies on contact problems was carried out, their advantages and disadvantages were discussed. Theoretical and experimental relations are given. It has been established that micro protrusions of the surface roughness of the printing plate significantly affect the deformation of the deckel. To study the influence of the surface roughness distribution of the printing plate on the actual deckel contact area in the contact zone, the interaction of micro protrusions of the surface roughness of the printing plate with the deckel surface, leading to additional displacements, was taken into account. A method for calculating the number of roughness protrusions is proposed to further determine the actual deckel contact area and the actual pressure in the contact zone, taking into account the surface roughness of the printing plate. Based on the parameters calculated by the proposed method with known values of the surface roughness of the printing plate in the future it is possible to determine the actual deckel contact area and the actual contact pressure the optimal values of which are necessary to ensure the required ink transfer and print quality during printing. The data obtained also contribute to the determination of the modes of the printing process when printing the entire circulation, which leads to an increase in the circulation stability of printing forms. Increasing the circulation stability of printing plates allows to save the number of consumed printing plates. In the future, according to the results obtained, it is recommended to compile reference data, which are necessary when setting up and operating the printing machine.

Evolution and interpretation of LIBS signals based on laser selective layered paint removal from aircraft composite tail

The reliability and controllability of laser selective layered paint removal depend on effective online monitoring technology. In the process of laser cleaning the surface paint layer of the aircraft composite tail, this paper studied the evolution and interpretation of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) signals. The laser power is adjusted to achieve different depths of the laser cleaned composite surface paint layer to compare the Pearson linear correlation between the LIBS online spectrum and the reference spectrum and decode the characteristic peak signal of the LIBS spectrum. The linear correlation of the LIBS spectra and the evolution of the characteristic peaks of the LIBS spectra are mutually verified to establish the intrinsic correlation between the controllability of layered paint removal and the variation of the LIBS spectra, which demonstrates the feasibility of the LIBS technology for online monitoring and feedback of laser paint removal. The results show that the Pearson correlation coefficient r was 0.87–0.89 for the laser cleaning depth range of 44.79–51.50 μm, the layered boundary of laser cleaning the topcoat without damaging the primer is reached, it is proved that the Pearson correlation coefficient r can determine the laser paint removal process. This research compared the different LIBS spectra with cleaning depths at 44.79 and 51.50 μm. It was found that the characteristic peak of strontium element Sr I at wavelength 460.66 nm could characterize the delamination boundary of laser paint removal from aircraft composite tail.

Laser ablation microsampling of copper phthalocyanine blue by the second-harmonic radiation of Nd:YAG laser

An original nonlinear optical method employing laser ablation with single nanosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of λ = 532 nm is used to study organic paint layer (copper phthalocyanine blue (PB15)). Two processes (photochemical reaction and formation of craters), which appear to be nonlinear result from the pulsed radiation. It is shown that the nonlinear optical procedure (laser ablation microsampling (LAMS)) can be used to obtain microparticles of PB15 sufficient for the further analysis. The Raman spectra of the surface of the paint layer prior to and after LAMS and microparticles are obtained. Spectral data, including those in the low-frequency region, are discussed.

Technologies and standards in ceramic production of middle–late Trypillya culture

Abstract In recent decades, many studies have been carried out on the technology of ceramics of the Trypillya-Cucuteni culture. The presented article gives a summary of much of the information amassed. All stages of the Trypillya ceramic production have been considered: the preparation of the clay mass, the methods of modelling, the connection of structural parts, and decoration. Manufacturing standards for vessels that formed ceramic assemblages of different chronological stages of Trypillya culture are identified. Particular attention is paid to the study of engobe and the composition of pigments in the paint layer.

Towards a More Sustainable and Less Invasive Approach for the Investigation of Modern and Contemporary Paintings

In Heritage Science, sampling is frequently performed for the subsequent diagnostics of modern and contemporary paintings using invasive analytical techniques. However, it endangers the integrity of artworks, and thus, it should be carefully planned and carried out only as a last resort by specialists. Pigment mixtures have commonly been employed by modern and contemporary artists due to the ease of combining paints on the color palette. Hence, a painting might include both primary/secondary paints and mixtures of those. Therefore, obtaining a sample from a mixture might be sufficient for the identification of the individual primary-colored paints. This study focused on the creation of a user-friendly computational workflow for the analysis of images of paintings for the identification of mixtures using cluster analysis (K-means and Fuzzy C-means clustering). Sixteen modern and contemporary paintings that belong to the International Gallery of Modern Art Ca’ Pesaro in Venice have been selected: seven of them by Guido Cadorin (1892–1976), six by Andreina Rosa (1924–2019), and three by Boris Brollo (b. 1944), and the artworks of the latter being examined for the first time in this study (using Raman and ER–FTIR spectroscopies). It was found that mixtures can be identified in unvarnished paintings that consist of both non-overlapping and vibrant-colored paint layers, like those of Boris Brollo, and overlapping paint layers, like those of Andreina Rosa. Moreover, K-means clustering performs better in the case of non-overlapping colors, whereas Fuzzy C-means in the case of overlapping colors. In contrast, paintings that have been rendered with dark colors and that present a varnish layer, like those of Guido Cadorin, cannot be preliminary investigated in the proposed manner.

Study of Micro-Samples from the Open-Air Rock Art Site of Cueva de la Vieja (Alpera, Albacete, Spain) for Assessing the Performance of a Desalination Treatment.

In this work, some micro-samples belonging to the open-air rock art site of Cueva de la Vieja (Alpera, Albacete, Spain) were analysed. These samples were collected after and before a desalination treatment was carried out, with the aim of removing a whitish layer of concretion that affected the painted panel. The diagnostic study was performed to study the conservation state of the panel, and to then confirm the effectiveness of the treatment. Micro energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were employed for the characterization of the degradation product as well as that of the mineral substrate and pigments. The micro-samples analysis demonstrated that the painted layer was settled on a dolomitic limestone with silicon aggregates and aluminosilicates as well as iron oxides. The whitish crust was composed by sulfate compounds such as gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) with a minor amount of epsomite (MgSO4·7H2O). An extensive phenomenon of biological activity has been demonstrated since then in almost all of the samples that have been analysed, and the presence of calcium oxalates monohydrate (CaC2O4·H2O) and dehydrate (CaC2O4·2H2O) were found. The presence of both calcium oxalates probably favoured the conservation of the pictographs. In addition, some carotenoids pigments, scytonemin (C36H20N2O4), and astaxanthin (C40H52O4) were characterized both by Raman spectroscopy and by X-ray diffraction. Hematite was found as a pigment voluntarily used for the painting of the panels used in a mixture with hydroxyapatite and amorphous carbon. The results of the analyses of the samples taken after the cleaning treatment confirmed a substantial decrease in sulphate formation on the panel surface.