Bright and unique, memorable and poetic art of Gzhel is popular all over the world. Scenes from everyday life and fairy-tale characters, floral ornaments, made in various shades of blue on a snow-white background, attract the eye and fascinate.
There are no two identical Gzhel objects in the world, be it a cup, sugar bowl or plate, because each of them is painted by the artist manually. In the article we will try to tell about the history of the development of the craft, the features of the painting, which Gzhel is famous for, how to draw its patterns and where to start.
Where to find her?
Just 60 kilometers from Moscow, on the banks of the Gzhelka River, is the ancient village of Gzhel. It got its name from the old Russian word “jelly”, which means “burn”. Old Believers inhabit these lands, who even in modern life have managed to maintain their traditional way of life and their beliefs.
How it all began
Clay has become that starting point, thanks to which the art of Gzhel originated and developed through the centuries. It is in these places that the Gzhel-Kudinovsky deposit of refractory clays is located. Locals mined it and made the necessary utensils in the household, decorating it to please themselves and others.
Since the 17th century, Gzhel peasants sent clay to the Moscow Pharmaceutical Order for state needs. In the XVIII century, clay from these places helped to solve the riddle of porcelain and was used to create the first Russian products from it.
In the XIX century, craftsmen working alone became less and less, they united in artels, and the most successful opened their own, albeit small, factories.
The revolution of 1917 destroyed artels and workshops, left Gzhel masters without work. Only in 1933 was the Gzhel Ceramics Plant created in the village of Turygino, where they began to produce blue-white, rather than multi-colored, as before, mugs, plates and other things necessary for the Soviet state.
In the postwar years, folk craft is actively developing. In the works of that time, one can already see how the Gzhel art, the origins and the modern development of the industry, harmoniously combining, bring the skill of artists to a new level.
In 1972, the Gzhel Production Association was created, combining all the existing production facilities at that time.
How do they do it?
The art of gzhel begins with the creation of a sketch of a future work. According to him, special master-modelers mold a model from plasticine, with which a plaster mold is already cast. When it hardens, it is cut lengthwise into two equal parts, in each of which a slip is poured through rubber hoses - refined clay diluted with water. After drying, the product is taken out of the mold with residual marks from the connectors, which are cleaned by the maids. The cleaned item is sent to the oven with a temperature of 900 0 C.
How is gzhel painted?
After the hot stove, the time for painting begins, which begins with the translation of the drawing, invented by the artist, on the product, put on a spinning turnstile. The masters have only one chance to recreate the intended pattern with precise movements, because the porous material instantly absorbs the paint. A spatula, brushes, a glass palette and a jar of black cobalt oxide - these are all the tools. Cobalt is a special paint intended for painting on ceramics. During application, it remains black, changing color to blue only after firing. The paint is the one and only, but there are many shades of bright blue on finished objects! Such diversity is achieved by special techniques of Gzhel writing.
Features
Gzhel art refers to the so-called underglaze paintings, that is, performed on a burnt shard before applying glaze on it. After the drawing is applied, it is dipped into the glaze, after which it is fired again, but already at a temperature of +1350 0 C. The main methods of painting are a wide brushstroke that allows you to create a smooth transition from dark blue to slightly blue. The pattern forms a continuous smear, both wide and narrow, turning into a thin line.
Today we can talk about the formed system of Gzhel writing and that a special and unique style was created - Gzhel.
Kinds
The whole variety of Gzhel painting is reduced to the creative use of its three main types:
- A plant depicting stylized and generalized herbs, berries, cereals, leaves, garlands and bouquets. Most often, craftsmen paint roses and daisies, lilies and carnations, poppies and dahlias, asters and peonies.
- Ornamental. It includes a variety of "checkers", "antennae", "droplets", "pearls" and "combs" - meshes used to fill the inner space of large elements, such as a circle or a star.
- Storyline. These are heroes and scenes from fairy tales, the artist noticed the situation in everyday urban and rural life, various states of nature and landscapes.
How to draw it?
If you liked Gzhel, how to draw it, we will tell you. Firstly, do not immediately try to draw a large and complex composition. Best of all, having prepared white and blue gouache, squirrel tassels and a jar of water, try your hand at depicting simple straight lines, nets and dots, blades of grass and curls, arcs.
Then, when all this has been mastered, you can begin to study the basic strokes used in the painting. Try to make a drawing using the Gzhel technique with your son or daughter. For children, this is not just a pleasure, it is a great cognitive entertainment! Such a joint lesson will not only allow you to unite your family and give you the opportunity to chat, but also help your child develop fine motor skills, perseverance, observation, and memory.