Ground (art)

[3] The oil painting becomes more transparent with age, so to avoid a gradual brightening of the picture, a pale beige color of ground is considered neutral.

[7] Oxford Companion to Art lists the following requirements for the good ground:[1] A mixture of gesso (or chalk in the northern countries) and glue was used to prime the panels, the technique was known from Antiquity (described by Theophilus Presbyter).

Adding soap and honey to make gesso more liquid was brought into Italy from Byzantine; a thin elastic ground that allowed the painting to be rolled was developed in Venice.

[citation needed] Pearce lists the following types of grounds:[8] The surface preparation for murals is very fragmented and depends on the local climatic conditions, painting technique (fresco, secco, encaustic), and the artistic effect to be achieved (illusionism vs.

[1] Traditional encaustic painting utilizes a special ground of beeswax or a wax and damar resin mix over an absorbent substrate.