Scenic Painting:

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• Scenic Painting
• The crowning touch
• Creates character in the set
• 2 Main Areas
• 1.Materials
• 2.Techniques

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Materials
Applicators
Paints
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Scenic Paints
4 Elements of Paint 1. Pigment Material that
imparts color to a paint or dye 2. Filler
Material that creates opacity in paint 3. Vehicle
Liquid medium water, oil, lacquer, and the
like in which pigments, fillers, and binders
are suspended to create a pain mixture after the
paint is applied, the vehicle evaporates 4. Binder
The adhesive that bonds the pigment and filler
together
most scenic paints are water-vehicle paints
nonflammable / less expensive / easier to mix /
quicker to dry / lighter in weight / easier to
clean
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Safety Note Dry pigment binders Sometimes
chemicals in paint are highly toxic!!! When in
dry form, they are easy to inhale Consult MSDS
(Material Safety Data Sheets) to know how to
handle certain materials!!!
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Dry Pigment and Binder

• Oldest form of scene paint
• Pigment and filler are pre-mixed and kept in dry
  form (powder)
• Requires size water to create the paint
• Size water A mixture of one cup hot animal glue
  and one tablespoon of Lysol per gallon of warm
  water (white glue can be substituted)
• Comes in wide range of colors (See Table 10.1
  pg. 250)
• Relatively inexpensive stores indefinitely
• Going out of style
• Size water will spoil!!! Throw it away!!!
• Dont use spoiled paint!!!

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Casein Paint
Water-based paint with a binder based in soy
protein or milk Comes in a concentrate that can
be thinned with water Easily mixed Has
excellent covering properties Matte finish
Water repellent when dry Negatives Spoils
quickly when opened and smells like super-sour
milk Smell remains once dried!!!
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Latex Paint
Latex Synthetic liquid plastic with flexible
qualities White latex is used as a base to mix
tints with more saturated colors Can use dry
pigment / aniline dyes / casein / vinyl acrylic
concentrates to tint latex Matte finish Adheres
to wood and fabric well
Aniline dye A transparent pigment made from
aniline, a poisonous derivative of benzene
characterized by brilliant hues and full
saturation
Vinyl acrylic concentrate A highly saturated
pigment with a vinyl acrylic binder mixed with
an opaque base (for tints) or a transparent base
(for fully saturated hues) to create a working
paint
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Vinyl Acrylic Paint
Water-based paint with a vinyl acrylic
binder Excellent adhesion Extremely
flexible Suitable for painting wood, fabric,
most metals and plastics Water-resistant Can
create a glaze (transparent wash) by diluting
this type of paint with 8 to 10 parts water
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Aniline Dye
Often carcinogenic toxic Safety 1st when
using these!!! Powder form Transparent,
brilliant, saturated dyes when mixed with water 1
tsp dye to 1 qt boiling water as average
mix Paint scrims muslin drops cycs Tint
water-based scene paints Dye tends to bleed /
spread needs a binder Add starch / white flex
glue / animal glue size / clear vinyl acrylic
base as binder
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Varnish
Transparent coating made of synthetic or natural
resinous materials suspended in oil (oil
varnish), alcohol (spirit varnish), or synthetic
vehicle (polyurethane, vinyl acrylic) Sealing
coat Matte, satin, glossy finish Polyurethane
believed to be better for stage easier to apply
and dries more quickly than other types
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Shellac
Transparent finish coating made of resinous
material (lac insect secretion) suspended in
alcohol Extremely volatile substance needs to
be handled carefully Often used as a vehicle for
bronzing powders Lacquer Form of shellac or
varnish that has been diluted with alcohol or
other quick-drying solvents
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Polyester Resin
Not actually paint! Used to form
fiberglass Finishing method that can hold color
and textures Must be mixed with MEK to
harden Resin takes time to set Virtually
impossible to remove once put in place
MEK methylethylketone catalyst-hardener
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Enamel
An opaque paint with an oil, lacquer, or
synthetic base Hard surface Excellent covering
power Smooth satin or gloss finish Surface to be
covered should have an enamel undercoat for
proper sealing and finished look
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Important Safety Tips
Check MSDS Sheets for proper handling of all
paints and dyes Visit the MSDS FAQ online to
get more information on how to read this
information properly Make sure to wear proper
masks / respirators when mixing dry
pigment Oil-, alcohol-, and lacquer-base paints
and some synthetic-base paints are
flammable Keep all hazardous materials in
appropriate storage and also work with them in
well-ventilated areas!!!
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Applicators
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Brushes

• Good brushes are expensive but worth it!
• Natural bristles are best
• Look for length and a natural springiness
  when wet
• 3 types of brushes
• Priming applies 1st coat large (6 to 7 inches
  wide)
• Lay-in applies base coat medium (4 to 5
  inches wide)
• Detail Used for fine work small (1/4 to 2
  inches wide)

Multiple types of brushes exist for multiple
purposes Match the purpose to a specific brush
for best results
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Other types of applicators

• Sponges Use for texture and for creating
  several different paint treatments
• Rollers Use with water-base paints to get large
  amounts of coverage
• Aerosol Spray Can Allows for some control of
  paint often used to distress objects due to
  look of paint once sprayed
• Spray Gun Variety of methods use these Drops
  to furniture can be painted with these
• Useful for applying glaze coats, fire
  retardants, spattering

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Auxiliary Scene-Painting Tools
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Auxiliary Scene-Painting Tools
Charcoal Chalk Used to draw parts of the
design before painting Handle extender Allows
painters to reach inaccessible areas with ease
(Often made of bamboo) Bucket Straightedge
Guide to painting straight lines / beveled
underside to prevent paint from creeping Chalk
Line a.k.a. snap line Aids in creating
lines Paint Cart Convenient to carry
paints Electric glue pot essential for
creating size water Immersion heater Helpful
for mixing and heating water, paint, dye,
etc. Stirrers
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Preparing Scenery for Painting
Repair Holes Patch on the BACK of the
flat Applying Dutchmen 4-6 inch wide strips of
muslin to cover joints between flats Compound
¾ water to ¼ glue Flame proofing All scenery
must be flame proofed Compound 1 lb borax, 1
lb sal ammoniac, ½ pt vinegar, 1 g hot
water Horizontal and Vertical painting Prepare
the paint space for whichever method will be
used Horizontal large amounts of clean floor
space Vertical large amounts of wall space and
more care from the painters
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Vertical Painting Structures
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Preliminary Coating of Paint
2 basic coatings
Size coat Shrinks the fabric (tightens to
frame) Fills the surface of the cloth to better
take paint Water hot glue (16 to 1)
Prime coat a.k.a. Ground coat 1st layer of
paint Usually painted over with detail layer
use garbage paint Neutral color to prevent
bleedthrough
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Paint-Mixing Techniques
Dry Pigment Binder No set formula working
to get consistency of coffee cream Casein 1
part paste to 2 to 4 parts water Latex If
undiluted extend with 1 pint of water to 1
gallon of paint Vinyl Acrylic Versatile with a
wide variety of techniques for mixing
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Scene Painters Palette
Light Pigment
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Scene Painters Palette

• Practical Hints and Tips
• Be sure all paint is thoroughly mixed and stirred
• To reduce value or saturation
• add complimentary hue
• add a less saturated pigment
• add black (last resort)
• To increase value
• add pigment of same hue but higher value
• add white (judiciously)
• When mixing high values start mixing with
  lightest pigment and slowly add other components
• When mixing dark colors start with darkest and
  slowly add lighter colors
• If mixing large quantities be sure to box the
  paint
• Paint appears lighter when dry test your mix
  with various samples to make sure you are getting
  the correct end result

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Painting Techniques
Smooth Base Coat Vertical paint top
down Horizontal paint corner out Keep brush
fully loaded with paint Keep a wet edge Dont
scrub surface with brush Dry pigment binder
apply with a cross-hatch pattern to avoid brush
marks
Application here is being done in a cross-hatch
pattern working from the top down in a vertical
painting situation
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Painting Techniques
Graded Base Coat One that generally changes hue
or value over the height or width of the painted
surface. Common to fake a sense of age or
being well-worn Requires speed blend must be
done while paint is wet small areas at a time
Look at the images from top to bottom to see the
stages of creating a graded base coat
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Painting Techniques

• Scumbling
• Blends several hues together creates illusion
  of texture
• Two guidelines
• Use a separate brush for each color to maintain
  integrity
• Work rapidly paints must be wet for blending
  to take place
• Textures rough plaster / wood / stone / dirt /
  etc.

1.Sharply textured, high-contrast curvilinear
2.Softly textured, low-contrast curvilinear
3.High-contrast linear scumble 4.Low-contrast
linear scumble
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1
4
3
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Painting Techniques
Aniline Dye Different due to type of color
produced high, intense, transparent color Mix
in boiling water (vinegar or alcohol as a
potential way around boiling still requires hot
water!!!) Dye Penetrates rather than
covers!!! Dye must be mixed with a binder or
fabric must be sized Difficult surfaces to
penetrate 8 parts water to one part
vinyl Non-porous surfaces 3 parts water to one
part clear vinyl
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Spraying Techniques

• Fastest method of applying paint
• 3 Parts
• Spray gun A pistol-like device that shoots out
  a cone of paint
• Spray cone The pattern of paint emitted from
  the nozzle of a spray gun.
• Compressor A pump, typically electric- or
  gasoline-powered, that drives air into a tank,
  output pressure from the tank is controlled by a
  valve called a regulator.

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Cartooning
The process of transferring detail to the scenery
after prime and base coats are applied. Combinati
on of technical transfer using scale measurements
and grids to freehand sketching Painters
elevation provides the information on the details
to be transferred
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Grid Transfer
In scale a 1 sq grid is drawn on the
elevation In full-scale, 1 sq grid is placed on
the surface Painter makes transfer of
information using grid for placement
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Projection Transfer
Uses an opaque projector to project the painters
elevation onto the scenery Design is then traced
in charcoal or chalk Drawbacks 1. Shop must
be dark for this process 2. Projector must be
placed perpendicular to the center point or
keystoning occurs Computer technology is
changing and improving this method which is more
efficient than grid transfer
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Standard Texture Coats
Spattering Process of applying small drops of
paint to a surface Age the paint job, alter the
hue, smooth out irregularities of base coat Can
be done by hand or with a garden sprayer
(Hudson is the brand preferred by many
professional scenic artists)
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Standard Texture Coats
Stippling Applies a heavier texture than
spattering to the scenery Uses an applicator
loaded with paint in a random pattern
With a brush
With a feather duster
With a sponge
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Standard Texture Coats
Dry Brushing Painting with a brush that holds
very little paint Tip of brush is dipped in
paint, scraped across the lip of the bucket, then
dragged across the surface of the work Most
commonly used to create wood grain
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Standard Texture Coats
Lining Painting narrow, straight lines of
varying widths creates the appearance of
depth Uses highlight and shadow to trick the
eye
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Applications of Painting Techniques
Foliage
Stone
Wood
Marble
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Specialized Finishing Techniques
Texturing Use of additives in paint to give
depth and texture Stenciling Large cut
patterns used to apply paint in detailed,
intricate patterns like wallpaper Front-Back
Painting a.k.a. translucent painting Paint /
Light the back AND the front of a muslin
drop Glazing Applying a clear top coat to an
existing finish Metallic Finishes Generates
the illusion of metal or provides
accent Wallpapering Alternative to painting
costly and should be done on hard flats
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Drop Painting Techniques
Drops must be stretched and framed before being
painted Horizontal vs. Vertical once stretched
this is the orientation painting will occur
in If being painted horizontal may require
bogus paper to absorb excess paint If no
existing frame, one will need to be built
Temporary drop stretcher
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Scenic painting relies on the talent and
ingenuity of the artist There are no true
rules for the painter Experimentation Trial
and error learning from happy accidents are
the main guidelines for scene painting