
Category Archives: The School
What is fresco painting?
The key to understanding the medium of fresco is the Lime Cycle:
This illustrated guide will outline the main concept of the fresco medium, its process, historical perspective, techniques.
Slaked Lime is mixed with the inert aggregate such as, any and all – sand, crashed marble, pozzolan (tuff – volcanic ash), etc. General mixing proportion is one (lime) to two (aggregate), exact proportions may vary per style. The work must be completed during the formation of the Calcium Carbonate.
1 – The Medium of Fresco – Carbon Based Art for Carbon Based Life
Continue reading
How to get started with fresco painting?
This guide will answer the question about how to get started with fresco painting in a fast and easy way.
First step is to get organized and ready – You will be dealing with fresco plaster, drawing (cartoon), natural and lime stable synthetic pigments selection, fresco paint preparation and actual painting.
1. Designate and Set Up the “Plaster Area”:
Fresco Painting – Past and Present at Otis College of Art and Design
This Summer Semester join iLia Anossov (fresco) for his exciting Fresco Program at Otis College of Art and Design.
Students learn traditional techniques to produce fresco paintings on panel in a contemporary context. During this studio-based course, participants create fresco panels using buon fresco techniques. Buon fresco is a method of painting, which involves the application of pigments, finely ground in water or limewater, to a freshly plastered wall or panel. Students are shown methods of transferring designs to the fresco panel.
The choice of appropriate ‘dry pigment’ and its preparation are discussed, along with other technical and artistic considerations, to develop a working knowledge of the technique. Each student completes over four (TBD) fresco study tiles and panels. In addition Mezzo and Secco fresco methods and restoration and conservation techniques are discussed during the class. In mezzo fresco water based pigment is applied over semi-cured lime plaster ground. In fresco secco water-based pigment with an addition of a binder, is applied over fully cured plaster ground.
View enrollment and further details at the Otis College of Art and Design website
Fresco School at SDP Annual Conference in San Diego

Fresco School at SDP Annual Conference in San Diego 2014
Society of Decorative Painters 42nd Annual Conference, Town & Country Resort, San Diego, CA
May 12 – 17, 2014
Meet Fresco School during the event at booth #12 – ask us a bunch of questions and receive a bunch of answers! Take advantage of event only specials on fresco school membership, workshops, classes as well as tutorials, fresco brushes, fresco materials and fresco tools!Touch real frescoes and see step-by-step fresco painting didactic panels, including an array of style specific frescoes from Roman and Byzantine, Aztec and Mayan to Chinese and Indian.
Visit event website for more info
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Learn how to get started with fresco painting! (here)
Fresco painting live demo at Salon Seattle 2014

The International Decorative Painter’s Salon has announced that the 19th annual Salon of Decorative Artists will be held in Seattle, Washington this year. This prestigious international event, which attracts artists and master craftsmen from all over the world, will be taking place in Seattle May 1-4, 2014, 10-5 pm at the beautifully restored Union Station Grand Hall co-sponsored by Sound Transit.
Fresco artist iLia Fresco (Anossov) will be painting live using two different buon fresco methods – Roman and Renaissance.
Learn Roman and Renaissance Fresco in Multi-Layer Fresco Workshop

Join our new Roman and Renaissance fresco workshop on February 21-22-23+.
This specially developed professional workshop gives you practical insights into Roman and Renaissance methods of fresco application. Learn why renaissance artists had to change plaster compositions and practice both methods.
A 3-day, extended version of a 2-day Roman Fresco workshop at the Getty Villa and Multi Layer Fresco 2-day professional class developed for International Decorative Artisans League.
Now with the option to get an extra day (Optional Day 4) to paint another fresco!
You will learn about and practice:
Roman Fresco Painting Workshop at the Getty Villa

Getty Villa – Introduction to Fresco Painting – fresco workshop with iLia Anossov (fresco) – hands on fresco plaster lesson
Join fresco master iLia Anossov for a hands-on introduction to the art of painting on fresh plaster on January 25th and February 1st, 2014. On the first day of the workshop, explore plaster preparation and cartoon-making through lecture and demonstration. On the second day, explore cartoon-transfer methods, raw pigments, and painting techniques through demonstration and studio practice. Each participant completes a buon fresco tile.
Multi Layer Fresco – New Fresco Painting Workshop, December 27-29
Fresco School is offering a new fresco workshop in December which will conclude an exciting and eventful 2013!
A 3-day, extended version of a sold-out 2-day Roman Fresco workshop at the Getty Villa and Multi Layer Fresco 2-day professional class developed for International Decorative Artisans League and taught by iLia Anossov (fresco) in Indianapolis this October.
This unique workshop is for all levels, but with professional flavor. Our mandatory class prerequisite – Buon Fresco Foundations Video Tutorials Set is included in the cost of the class.
What does that mean?
You do not need to take notes just focus on the hands on action! (if you have our videos just let us know and we will prorate the tuition fee accordingly).
You will learn about and practice: Continue reading
Fresco Artist at Work at the Getty Villa

Artist at Work, Fresco Painting Process Demo Flyer
Artist at Work: The Fresco Painting Process Weekends December 7 – December 8, 2013 2 pm – 4 pm Education Studio, Getty Villa Join internationally recognized fresco master iLia Anossov for an interactive lecture and demonstration on the medium of fresco painting, the ancient art of painting murals in fresh plaster. Discover the history, materials, techniques, principles, and stages of fresco painting in the Roman and Pompeian styles. This is a free, drop-in program.
There will be a lot to discover and get a complete introduction to the Fresco Painting Medium!
The event is Free and open to everyone.
Make sure you have your parking reservations ahead of time. Follow the link below to make a parking reservation:
http://www.getty.edu/visit/cal/days/12072013.html
or click “get the free tickets to the Getty Villa” and select the desired date.
Fresco Painting Class at IDAL Convention 2013

Gelu Pislaru, Janie Gulick, iLia Fresco (Anossov), Cleta Grant and Lisa Moon with their buon frescoes
Fresco painting workshop at the 2013 IDAL Convention in Indianapolis was a big challenge for the students. Never working with the medium of fresco each had to complete a multi layer fresco using two different plaster compositions. First was painting on a Renaissance plaster (intonaco) – an absorbent and fairly forgiving 8 parts sand 5 parts lime mixture. However learning the transparent, layered method of painting starting with verdaccio under-painting was very different from an opaque tempera-like method that is mainly used with contemporary acrylic paints was a new approach to the students. That was followed with a rather difficult to paint on, dense and tightly polished Roman (marmorino) plaster.
Packed for Getty Villa fresco class

Fresco materials and tools are packed and ready for a sold out fresco workshop at the Getty Villa this Sunday.
There is another fresco workshop at the Getty Villa coming up in January. Enrollment is open:
http://tickets.getty.edu/auto_choose_ga.asp?area=13

