NORA FERL
setpainting | painting | graphic
About setpainting
Since outsiders mostly don't really know how to imagine the profession of a setpainter, I briefly describe the individual steps of a typical prospectus painting in the following paragraphs. Of course, my way of working is not representative of my entire professional group, because in the end every painter has his own techniques.
First steps
Much of the setpainter's work consists of careful planning.
Every step needs to be carefully considered so that there are no errors during execution. First the fabric has to be stretched and primed. Then the template is transferred to scale using charcoal.
This is followed by "tintering", in which the charcoal drawing is traced with one (or more) colors. The tinting serves as a background for the theater painter and is important for the following steps.
Glazes, shadows, lights ...
In this step, setpainters usually limit themselves to a few basic tones, which they reuse throughout the picture. These shades are then used to gradually color all parts of the picture. The colors are mostly used as "glazes", ie they are applied very diluted in several layers on top of each other. First the colors are painted roughly with large paint brushes, later you focus more and more on details and use thinner brushes. After all the colors are in place, the highlights and shadows of the image are enhanced with dark and light tones.
Precision work
After everything for the finished setpainting is in place, you have time to take care of the details. Smaller objects have to be added, structures such as masonry and vegetation have to be refined, and lighting conditions have to be adjusted. In addition, the prospectus must be repeatedly tested for its long-distance effect.