In the workshop

Here, you’ll discover the workshop recipes I use to prepare my supports and mediums. Rooted in the techniques of the 15th-century Flemish primitives, these methods have been thoughtfully adapted to suit contemporary practices.

Preparation of mediums

DAMMAR VARNISH

(lean varnish 33%)

Dammar resin
Turpentine
A blank sheet of paper
A hammer
A jar and its lid
Gloves
A palette knife
A measuring spoon

Place the Dammar resin in a large white sheet folded in two and crush gently to make powder.

Slide the powder into a measuring spoon. Pour the spoon into a jar and add two spoons of essence. Shake the mixture from time to time. The next day the resin will be completely dissolved.

PRINTING VARNISH (25%)

1 volume of resin in 3 volumes of turpentine

MEDIUM A GLACIS 1:1:3

1 volume of cooked oil, 1 volume of Dammar varnish, 3 volumes of turpentine

QUICK DRYING MEDIUM 1:1:6

1 volume of cooked oil, 1 volume of Dammar varnish, 6 volumes of turpentine

OIL IN WATER EMULSION

Glutolin type glue
Cooked or pre-oxidized linseed oil
Dammar varnish
Water
A jar and its lid
A palette knife
A measuring spoon

Pour into the jar following this order:

Two volumes of glue
A volume of oil (to be poured slowly while stirring like making mayonnaise)
A volume of Dammar varnish (to be poured as slowly as glue)
Two to six parts water

The result is reminiscent of the texture of mayonnaise.

Preparing the wood panel

SANDING

"Exterior" plywood panel. Unlike "interior" wood, this one is waterproofed. Thickness 10 mm.
Sanding kit (sanding block, 80 grit sandpaper, gloves, mask).
possibly wood paste and spatula to fill any holes. But prefer the least uneven side.

Sand and dust the chosen side and the edges.

PREPARATION OF THE GLUE

Caparol
A jar and its lid
Gloves
A palette knife
A measuring spoon
Water

Here Caparol replaces the traditional rabbit skin glue. Mix one part Caparol to five parts water in a jar. Shake well, the glue is ready.

GLUING

Caparol 1:5 (prepared in the previous step)
A spalter
Gloves

After shaking the jar well, apply a layer of glue to the sanded and dusted surface.

Once the coat is dry, sand the surface and repeat the operation a second time.

Gluing prevents moisture and bacteria, thus avoiding cracking, mold and warping of your painting.

PREPARATION OF THE COATING

Caparol
White of Meudon
Titanium White
Gloves
A palette knife
A measuring spoon

Using the palette knife, grind one volume of Meudon white with one volume of Titanium white. When the powder is sufficiently reduced, add one volume of Caparol and continue to disperse the mixture until a smooth paste is obtained.

COATING

Plaster (prepared in the previous step)
Spalter
Gloves
Water

Apply a thin layer of plaster with a spalter, focusing on the direction of the wood grain. If you don't want the wood texture, the first layer will be thicker and scraped in a direction perpendicular to the wood grain, to fill in the streaks and thus make the surface smooth. Leave to dry flat and sand once dry. Repeat the operation three times. Wait until the next day to use the support.