Painted scenery using rabbit glue and canvas

Aims

Through the construction and painting of the set design the student will learn:

• how to translate a design from a drawing to full size
• methods to achieve three-dimensional visual impact on a flat surface
• the use of traditional painting techniques with natural colours and rabbit glue
• self-organisation and group work.

Key Information

Number of learners	4-10
Number of staff	1 teacher
ECTS Credits (if applicable)	Not applicable

Learning process

	Lecture/seminar	Lecture, presentation, discussion (face-to-face or online)
X	Making project	Making a model, mock-up, plan or design (physical or digital)
	Performance project	Making a performance or demonstration (live or mediated)
	Records and Archives	Interviews, photographs and videos of artefacts, annotating archives, creating learning materials (physical or digital)
	Independent study	Reading, researching, analysing and evaluating learning materials (physical or digital) in groups or alone

Type of learner

X	Student of technical theatre
X	Student of theatre design, architecture
	Student of theatre arts
	Professional
X	Researcher
	General public

What You Will Need

Duration and schedule

Preparation by the teacher: 6 hours to prepare the teaching materials, groups and work plan.

Preparation by the students: no preparation is required, provided students are familiar with workshop tools, and have a knowledge of perspective, colour theory and drawing.

The workshop is best done as a single, continuous process. Depending on the complexity of the chosen scene and the number of students, allow 3-5 days as a minimum.

Room or type of space

A space large enough to lay out the largest piece of scenery you want to make, with a wooden floor you can nail into. The room should be well lit. You will need access to a sink and water.

Equipment

• long-handled bristle brushes
• long-handled charcoal holders
• a cooker for preparing the colours and glue
• brushes of various sizes
• rulers and squares
• paint buckets
• a large board to use as a palette
• chalk line, or a long length of string
• reciprocating and table saw
• A-ladder or platform, so the canvas can be seen from above when laid on the floor

Most of the work is done standing up. Long-handled brushes and charcoal holders reduce the amount of bending needed when working with the canvas on the floor.

Materials (consumables)

• natural-coloured cotton canvas
• pigment paints, in powder form
• rabbit glue (alternatively, use traditional size)
• sticks of drawing charcoal
• large-headed tacks or nails

Learning resources (books, websites)

Canon stories:

• E.04 Fit for a King: Baroque Court Theatres
• F.04 The Architectural Scene: The work of the Galli Bibiena family

Canonbase articles:

• perspective
• The Renaissance stage: documents of Serlio, Sabbattini and Furttenbach

Other resources:

Mello Bruno: Trattato di Scenotecnica. De Agostini, Novara 2009

C. Ossicini and P. Bignami. L’album di Scenotecnica di Koki Fregni. Clueb, Bologna 2008

Susan Crabtree and Peter Beudert. Scenic Art for the Theatre: History, Tools and Techniques. Focal Press 2012

Theatrical chandlers, such as Flints in the UK (www.flints.co.uk) sell the materials needed, and their websites also offer advice on how to use them.

Process

Preparation

Prepare a short presentation on traditional approaches to scenography using painted scenery and trompe l’oeil techniques. Select a scenic design to be created, from historic designs; make sure the chosen scene is suitable for the number and experience of the students, and the time available. Gather the materials and prepare the workspace.

The learning activity

Give a short presentation, introducing traditional painted scenography and painting techniques, and the scene to be created.

Students then start with the selected scene, preparing a scale copy and drawing on a grid of scale 50cm squares.

Cut out pieces of canvas for each of the scenic elements: backdrop and flats. If you have several groups of students, each group can make a different element, provided you have enough space.

Nail the canvas to the floor, stretching it evenly to maintain the weave of the original canvas. Do not drive the nails all the way into the floor, to make it easier to get them out again later.

Prepare the canvas with a coat of gesso, made from rabbit glue or size. Once dry, mark the canvas with 50cm squares using a chalk line or charcoal and a taught string. This grid should match the one on the scale drawing, only larger, of course.

Draw the design onto the canvas using the grid as a guide. Use charcoal in a long holder, so you can stand up and see both the canvas and the drawing. Work from square to square; several people can do different parts of the canvas at the same time, taking care the different squares ‘join up’ correctly. The charcoal can then be fixed to the canvas by a light spray of rabbit glue.

According to the chosen colour palette for the design, prepare paints by mixing the powdered pigment with the rabbit glue and heating it. The first base coat can then be painted, providing the background tone of each area of the scene. Next, the shadows and textures are painted, and finally the lighter areas and highlights.

All work is done standing up, using brushes attached to long handles. Use a ladder to see the results of the drawing and the colours from a distance, checking regularly while the painting takes place.

Once the painting is complete, the nails can be removed and the canvas stretched ono the frames of the flats, or hung on a wooden batten as a backdrop.

Assessment and feedback

This activity isn’t designed to be assessed formally, but discussion throughout the process will ensure that students’ learning is embedded, and students understand what it is they have learned.

You can also have students write a journal of the process, or give a presentation about what they have discovered.

Our Experience

Tips

Make sure the students are clear about the process to follow before starting, and there is a good distribution of work between individuals and groups.

While painting, keep checking against the original artwork, and between different parts of the painting, to get a consistent result.

If you don’t have space to paint a set of full-sized scenery, consider working at half-, third- or quarter-scale.

And remember - this workshop is not about turning you into a scenic artist in a few days, it is so you can learn about the traditional painting techniques and materials. Focus on exploring those techniques, and don't worry too much about the quality of the results!

Additional information and resources

Photographs of the scenic workshop of the Rome Opera House, where traditional techniques of painting onto canvas with rabbit glue paints are still used:

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Credits

This learning method was made by:	Umberto Di Nino
Institution:	Academy of Fine Arts Frosinone