Color Cement Handicraft 11

Color Cement Handicraft 11

TO PRODUCE A SGRAFFITO TILE, the retaining bars are set to give the

desired shape and dimensions, after which the space is filled with a

half inch layer of concrete, either of sand and cement mixture or of

gravel and cement. When this layer has dried so that the top section is

moist but firm in surface, a thin layer of color and cement should be

poured onto the cement so that it forms a thin layer not more than an

eighth of an inch thick.

 

TO SMOOTH THE LAYERS after the color has been poured in, shake the glass

or table or whatever surface the mold is resting upon and if this is

done gently it will cause the color to become level and even in surface

finish.

 

TO CAUSE TILES TO BE EQUAL IN THICKNESS the surface of the glass or

table upon which the mold rests should be level when the cement is

poured in. Otherwise the tile when finished will be found to be thicker

on one side than on the other. A glass or pan of water or a spirit level

will quickly show whether or not the surface is level.

 

AFTER THE FIRST COLOR LAYER IS POURED into the mold it is permitted to

stand just long enough to settle firmly and then a second layer of

another color is poured over the first layer so that it also forms a

thin layer of even color. This second layer should be even thinner than

the first. A layer one-sixteenth of an inch is a good dimension to plan

on, though these dimensions need not be accurately adhered to. If the

first layer is permitted to dry too long before the second layer is

added the result will be that as the finished sgraffito tile is drying

it will split in layers, the split coming between the layers of colors

that were permitted to dry too long.

 

A THIRD LAYER OF COLOR may be added over the second layer if the design

being planned calls for three divisions of colors. These layers are to

respond to the next step in the process, which is to expose portions of

each layer by tooling the surfaces so as to produce different colors at

the same time that the different depths are produced.

 

THE TOP LAYER WILL DRY WITH A SMOOTH SURFACE which will produce a

sgraffito tile with a glazed or partly polished surface while the other

layers will have a surface with dull texture.

 

TO PRODUCE A TILE WITH A DULL SURFACE throughout, the pouring stages

should be reversed in their steps. That is, the color that is to be the

top surface should be poured first and the other colors in their proper

relation, the last layer being the cement and sand or other concrete

mixture. This will result in the layer first poured in coming next to

the glass, having a dull finish when it is released from the mold.

 

TO PRODUCE THE SGRAFFITO DESIGN on the sgraffito tile, the tile should

be permitted to dry for about ten to twelve hours or if it remains

overnight the surface will be about right to work upon. The paper with

the design is then placed and retained in the correct position on the

cement tile and a dull pencil is used to trace the pattern, without the

use of carbon paper or other transfer medium. This will result in an

indented or embossed guide line on the cement surface of the tile which

can be used in scratching away through the first layer to the under

color.

 

THE TOP LAYER OF COLOR should be used to tell the main part of the

design story. If the subject is to be that of a bird or a ship, the top

layer design should be the bird or ship or other motif and the motif

should be so designed as to reach the boundaries of the tile surface so

as to produce a strengthening border arrangement all around the edge.

 

THE SECOND COLOR LAYER can then play a secondary part in both the color

scheme and the design arrangement, giving with its color placing a

contrast to the upper main layer used for the design.

 

THE BACKGROUND COLOR should be brilliant or dull depending upon the

surface color. If the surface color is brilliant, the bottom color

should be duller. If the upper color is dull, the background color can

then be the bright intenser color.

 

WHERE THREE LAYERS OF COLOR ARE USED the middle layer can be a color

harmonizing with both the background layer and the top layer and can be

used either for a pattern part to the design or it may be used simply as

a blending strata or layer appearing in the cut sides of the sgraffito

work.

 

COLOR HARMONY is essential in producing sgraffito color cement and a

color sketch will be a good safe preliminary in doing sgraffito work as

false steps or errors cannot be remedied in sgraffito and each step

should be carefully thought out before the tooling commences.

 

TO DO THE TOOLING, a scratch point should be used for incising or

scraping down along the line of the portion to be scraped out. The

portion within this boundary should then be scraped out down to the next

layer of color, care being taken not to gouge or cut deeply into the

under color. If the design is one of three layers, the center layer can

be included in the scraping out if the bottom color or layer is to

appear in that portion of the design. Do not attempt in the scraping to

take out large portions at a time as it will result in the breaking out

of sections that are wanted as part of the remaining design. It will be

found that the layers of color as scratched into retain their separate

layers and that the thin layer of the upper color separates easily from

the layer on which it rests. If a slight portion of the upper color is

inclined to remain attached to the background color or under layer let

it remain as it will give an interesting color quality and harmonize the

two colors.

 

THE SIDES OF THE SGRAFFITO LAYERS should gradually slope outward, and

after the layers have been tooled clear the sides of the layers should

be gone over and evened up in slant as well as in general finish. If the

corners are to be sharp or rounded in finish, see that the treatment is

carried out similarly in all parts so that a general unity of finish

will remain.

 

THE LAST STEP IN FINISH is to place the sgraffito tile in water so that

it is entirely immersed, and it is left in the water for several days

after which it is dried by being placed flat in a cool but not draughty

place to dry.

 

TO PRODUCE SGRAFFITO SURFACE on bowls or other round surfaces the layers

are produced by rotating the bowl in colors or spraying the colors on

with a sprayer such as is described in the chapter on coloring of bowls

and vases. The color can also be placed on with a brush if it is mixed

to the right consistency and the successive layers put on at the right

intervals.

 

SGRAFFITO FOR ARCHITECTURAL WORK holds great possibilities, and is being

gradually recognized by those builders who desire the charm of hand

wrought enrichment that graces so many of the Old World buildings.

Sgraffito decorative pillars and panels for buildings, homes and courts

is an assured possibility by the use of color cement and can be produced

with less cost than by the fired clay method as well as in larger, more

unified sections in that there are no kiln limitations to be considered

in doing the color cement. A plate is shown illustrating the use of

sgraffito in the making of an entrance to a college building designed in

the Italian Renaissance style and the sgraffito and ornamentation being

of Italian source, both combined in perfect harmony with the building as

a whole.

 

SGRAFFITO CAN BE APPLIED TO MANY FORMS such as book ends, fern boxes,

garden bowls, the requirement for success being mainly the placing of

the successive layers of color on each other when neither too dry or too

wet, and the scraping away of those parts desired when the cement is in

the proper condition.

 

[Illustration: Sgraffito Tile and Sgraffito in Architecture]

 

 

 

 

[Illustration]

 

CHAPTER 9

 

Modeled and Carved

Color Cement

 

[Illustration]

 

 

FROM A STANDPOINT OF GOOD DESIGN modeling, when applied to a flat

surface or any other surface, should not be high in relief.

 

Any time that a modeled design appears to have been added onto or is in

such relation to the surface that it appears to be an independent,

detachable ornament to that surface, then it is not truly decorating the

surface, but detracting from the object decorated.

 

At all times keep the principles of unity and subordination in mind when

producing modeling so that the design will be a related development to

the material and the surface used.

 

CEMENT TILES WITH A MODELED SURFACE are produced as follows: Take a

flat, smooth piece of clay or modeling wax, cut to the size of the tile

to be produced. Such a surface may be made by rolling clay or wax with a

rolling pin or other rounded surface. Having drawn the design to be

modeled on a piece of thin paper, place this over the clay and trace

lightly. This will produce a slight indication on the surface sufficient

to guide the modeling. If there are sections that are to be low, these

parts are outlined with an incision in the surface and scraped out to

the desired level.

 

Do this over the entire surface, bearing in mind that the edges of the

tile should generally have a border or other parts retained of the

original surface. Too much elimination on the tile edge will thin the

tile and weaken its construction and design.

 

Having scraped out all the low parts, then clay or wax may be added to

such parts that are to be higher than the first surface. With the

modeling tool shape the parts, finishing them so that there are no

overhanging edges.

 

When this is completed surround with the plaster bars and produce a mold

in plaster which in turn is oiled in the usual way and a cement tile

cast from it. Neat cement should be poured first, and after a few

minutes setting, a concrete mixture is poured in until the desired

thickness is secured. In this way a cement tile is secured, duplicating

in form the original clay or plaster hand-made modeled tile. The color

of the surface can be any color according to the color added to the neat cement mixture.