Since ancient times, man has paid attention to the beauty of nature. The desire to decorate your primitive way of life and make it cozy led to the fact that the house began to be decorated with various natural elements. It was the skin of an animal underfoot, drawings on the wall, colored stones, shining metal and much more. Centuries later, plates, spoons, bowls began to be painted. Each area has its own types of painting utensils.
Types of styles
The skill to decorate their homes arose almost simultaneously with the development of the culture of people and has its own distinctive features characteristic of individual areas:
- Khokhloma painting;
- Gorodets;
- Zhostovo;
- Gzhel.
The imagination of our ancestors knew no bounds, but the differences in the drawings are still obvious. Each area has a peculiar ornament and handwriting.
The emergence of Khokhloma painting
Near the old Trans-Volga forests near the Uzola River, Russian villages are located - Khryashchi, Kuligino, Semino, Novopokrovskoye, Khokhloma. The dishes, painted with various gilded drawings, originate precisely from here.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to precisely establish the beginning of the appearance of the Khokhloma painting. After all, all the dishes were made of wood, quickly wore out, thrown away or threw themselves into the oven, like ordinary logs.
Products of the 19th century have survived to our time. But, judging by historical papers, fishing arose in the XVII century.
The unique technique of Khokhloma - on a gold basis, is painted with black paint and cinnabar - is found in ancient Russian art.
Features of Khokhloma painting
Masters have their own secret on how to “make rich” kitchen utensils. A simple way of coating dishes with gold has survived to our times:
- utensils were thoroughly rubbed with tin powder;
- covered with drying oil;
- heated in an oven;
- under the influence of high temperature the drying oil turned yellow, tin was visible through it, the effect of gold was obtained.
It is believed that this method of coloring dishes belongs to the Old Believers. Previously, in remote villages there were many runaway people who were persecuted for the "old faith." Among them were masters of icon painting and book miniatures.
Khokhloma patterns
Inexpensive household utensils can be recognized immediately. It was performed with special stamps from a mushroom of a raincoat or felt piece of fabric, the patterns were elementary, but did not lose their beauty. On such products, numerous rhombuses, spirals and leaves are visible.
More expensively painted dishes more skillfully. Compositions were created by hand. There is already much more work. Masters outlined:
- berries (raspberries, strawberries, mountain ash);
- fantastic birds ;
- flowers (cornflowers, clover, violets).
So painted spoons, plates, mugs and much more were created.
The main colors characteristic of Khokhloma painting are red (cinnabar) and black (soot). But to make the picture come to life and flourish, brown, green, blue, orange and yellow shades were added to the products.
Types of painting
Gradually from household items Khokhloma products became souvenir gifts or decorations, moreover, not cheap.
There are main types of painting dishes:
- “Horse” - the main composition is superimposed on a silver background - criul. Next, droplets, antennae, curls are added to it in red and black.
- “Under the background” - at first the silhouette of the ornament looms, and the background is filled with black paint.
On the dishes can be a variety of types of ornaments:
- "Grass" - the emphasis is on drawing small and large blades of grass.
- “Gingerbread” - inside the masterpiece is a painted geometric figure. It can be a rhombus, square, circle. It is painted with berries, flowers and grass.
- “Kudrina” - a pattern in the form of gold leaves and flowers in the manner of curls is applied to a red or black base.
Khokhloma is an amazing work of art, despite the dark colors, warmth and joy emanate from it.
History of Zhostovo painting
Another well-known type of painting utensils is Zhostovo painting. It is famous for the fact that almost two centuries adorn one thing - this is a tray. The village of Zhostovo is located in the Mytishchensky district near Moscow.
In the XVIII century, in the Urals, where the Demidov metallurgical plants were built (Nizhny Tagil, Verkh-Neyvinsk, Nevyansk), a craft arose - painted metal trays.
The birth of such fishing near Moscow was caused by some important factors:
- The Russian serf master Khudoyarov opened the recipe for “crystal” varnish, it did not crack on copper, wood and iron.
- Start of production in St. Petersburg of an unusual form of trays with interesting drawings.
- Opening in Zhostovo in the 1820s the workshops of F.N. Vishnyakov. Lacquered painted papier-mâché products were produced here: trays, caskets, snuff boxes, boxes, shopkeepers.
Products were made in villages near Moscow - Troitsky, Novoseltsev, Ostashkov. Only in the village of Zhostovo there were 22 workshops. The items were very beautiful. They depicted landscapes, winter triples of horses, summer walks, tea parties at the table. But, unfortunately, these little things turned out to be fragile and impractical.
The advent of Zhostovo iron trays
Osip, the son of Philip Vishnyakov, decided not to make papier-mâché anymore, but took up the production of iron trays. Just increased the demand for trays. They were used both for decorating the interior, and for its intended purpose. Zhostovo trays were seen in drinking establishments, famous tea houses in Moscow, taverns, hotels and merchant houses. Collections of Spanish and British kings boast the presence of Zhostovo trays.
Demand creates supply, and in 1960 the Zhostovo painting factory was founded.
Secrets of Mastery
Observing the long and painstaking process, you can notice how the craftsmen still observe the ancient technique of execution.
- Zamelevok. The basis of the future pattern. Sketches of the future drawing are made on the prepared plane with diluted paint.
- Tanya. Apply color shadows with translucent paints. A visible volume of flowers is created and shady areas of plants appear.
- Gasket color. This is the most crucial stage of the Zhostovo layered painting. The appearance of the bouquet is formed, the whole composition is clarified or darkened, important small details are determined.
- Glare. Thanks to this action, volume and light appear, a combination of features and mood is well transmitted.
- Drawing. The final part of the work on the image. The artist manually applies small but significant details.
- Snapping. The bouquet, as it were, spreads under the background of the product. Thin stems and antennae, magically appear in a single whole and combine with the background.
- Cleaning the edges of the tray. The side of the tray is decorated with all kinds of patterns. Without this, the work will seem unfinished.
- Mirror shine. With the help of chalk powder, palms rub the tray to a shine, then rub with paraffin, this makes the product shine even more.
Zhostovo trays have been around for many years, but not one of them resembles the other.
Features of painting
The background is usually chosen black, in rare cases, red, blue or green. The artist paints several trays at once.
The main focus is a floral bouquet in which wildflowers and large garden flowers are painted in a small size.
Patterns are drawn with gold powder or gulfabra diluted in transparent varnish or turpentine - white paint mixed with varnish, sprinkled with aluminum powder.
By value, the trays are divided into two groups: for decorating the interior and for domestic purposes.
Gorodets painting
Refers to one of the Russian types of painting dishes. Gorodets painting originates in the 19th century near the town of Gorodets in the Lower Volga region, on the left bank of the Volga. This is an ancient Russian fortress city. It all started with spinning wheels, the features of which were the bottom and comb.
Carriages, mistresses, horsemen, soldiers, dogs - all this decorated the bottom of the spinning wheels. Figures were carved from a tree of a different breed and inserted into the corresponding hole.
Gorodets painting was formed for 50 years. Children's wheelchairs, chairs, boxes painted. The peak of fishing development occurred in 1990.
Motifs mural
The most common elements of Gorodets painting are flowers and animals. From such images, it coziness and peace.
Painted spoons, furniture and dishes in a joyful Gorodets style refreshed and enlivened the interior.
Flower painting performed by the simplest. There are several types of ornament:
- “Bouquet” - is applied symmetrically, present mainly on dishes or cutting boards.
- "Garland" - one or two flowers are located in the center, from them smaller flowers and leaves spread in all directions. This pattern painted bread boxes, dishes, caskets.
- "Rhombus" - a kind of a garland. In the center is a flower or several, and leaves and buds decrease as they approach the tops of the rhombus. And they are located on the imaginary faces of the figure. Chests, benches, cabinets were decorated with such images.
- “Flower Strip” - remained from the time of the spinning wheels. This is a repeating ribbon pattern of flowers of the same size, diluted with leaves. Decorate bulk products.
- “Wreath” - looks like a “flower strip”. The difference is that it closes around the edges of the lid or dish.
In the floral painting there are images of a bird and a horse. Usually they are painted inside a flower garland. Elements of Gorodets painting found their place in large things: panels, sleighs, dishes and caskets.
Images can be very different: dashing horsemen, scenes with tea drinking, beautiful birds, pretty girls with dogs, exotic lions and leopards. Most often there is a proud horse or a warlike rooster.
Execution method
The technique of artistic painting differs in that it is performed directly on the basis of wood. The base is primed with different colors - bright blue, juicy green, deep red.
The item is painted with a brush without a preliminary sketch. The artist changes the pressure of the brush: then with a wide brushstroke, then with the tip, drawing another masterpiece.
Gzhel History
One of the oldest pottery districts includes about 30 villages. It is called Gzhel. Located near Moscow at the river Gzhelka. The richest deposits of clay were discovered in these places.
Gzhel is mentioned for the first time in written documents dating from 1339. It was a lucrative parish and was the property of princes and kings.
In the XVIII century, Gzhel became the Russian center for the manufacture of majolica. A century later, Gzhel began to produce semi-faience painted with cobalt and covered with transparent glaze. Closer to the XX century, Gzhel craftsmen make masterpieces of fine faience and porcelain, decorating it with floral-geometric patterns.
Theme of drawing
The painted dishes of Gzhel reflect events occurring in urban and rural life, as well as natural phenomena. Figures are divided into three main groups:
- Vegetable. Here, all the vegetation has a stylized appearance with the main features. You can notice berries, blades of grass, cuttings, flowers and leaves.
- Ornamental patterns. Original and stylized drawings, which show the association and expression of the artist. It is performed with ornamental nets - “antennae”, “blade of grass”, “droplet”, “comb” and “pearl”.
- The plot painting. These are sledding, fairs and seasons.
Gzhel is a whole stylistic direction, and not just patterns. It is used in the manufacture of ceramics, in the design of clothing and interior design.
Here in such a miraculous way arise, “like fabulous birds”, and Gzhel masterpieces fly around the globe. Therefore, the blue bird in Gzhel is a brand of modern painting.
The main features of the painting:
- surface glazing;
- cool white background;
- ornament in blue and blue tones;
- a complex pattern or drawing in a folk style;
- only handmade.
Thanks to hand painting, each product is a work of art. All drawings are unique.
Gzhel art painting
Gzhel technique requires certain skills. The master begins immediately after firing to paint any thing. One of the paintings in the Gzhel style is called majolica, it is painted with "five-flower". On the white enamel, which is the basis, a drawing was applied.
The colors for painting were previously taken from salts:
- green is a salt of copper;
- yellow is the antimony salt;
- cherry - manganese;
- blue is cobalt.
Soon, this technique was abandoned and they began to perform a cobalt-blue color on a snow-white basis. For drawing a picture, the presence of talent, spatula, brush, jar with cobalt oxide was required. It is cobalt that gives such a wonderful shade of blue, but only after firing the painted dishes, and the paint itself is black.
First, the product is painted, then it is dipped in glaze and placed in the oven for drying. The last stage of firing is carried out at a temperature of 1400 degrees. Glaze turns into a thin, light-transmitting film, covering the blue pattern.
Due to the atmosphere of non-academic folk art, the purity and originality of the patterns, the blue gzhel bird was honored to be the emblem of the Gzhel porcelain factory.
In the age of technology and change, there seems to be no cute painted things, and you can admire them only in museums. But to this day in the Russian state there are workshops that have preserved the long tradition of artistic painting, and continue to delight the eyes of people who are not indifferent to such art.