Venetian plaster gets its name from Venice, Italy, where it was perfected.
Venetian plaster is a technique of applying plaster to walls, raised or curved surfaces, and ceilings to give an enhanced stucco appearance and texture. The method was perfected by craftsmen in 15th-century Rome in the region of Venice, Italy, from which it gets its name. It remained popular in 2011 and refinements in the technique and gypsum compounds used have made it an affordable process for any contemporary construction or renovation project. Changes in technique have also adapted it for its most frequent use in modern times, which is to apply it to flat drywall surfaces.
Venice is a city in northeastern Italy, at the top of the “boot”.
The primary method of applying Venetian plaster to a wall is to use a putty knife, putty knife, or trowel to apply the plaster in thin, successive layers that you can dry individually before adding the next layer. Initial coats must be thinner and smoother than subsequent coats for the plaster to adhere effectively to the wall over time. As additional layers of Venetian plaster are applied, the goal is not to create a smooth surface, but rather to work patterns and textures into the plaster that remain after it has dried. A thin final coat of Venetian plaster is applied to seal surface imperfections, and after drying, the surface is usually lightly sanded to polish and remove any imperfections that could cause chipping or cracking.
Latex paints tend to work well with Venetian plaster.
The use of the Venetian plaster technique, whether for finishing walls or ceilings, can also involve the use of paint. Instead of using plaster, or in addition to that, the paint itself can be applied with a palette knife to the wall surface at a slight angle in successive layers, giving the final appearance of texture and subtlety. Using paint produces a thinner surface than plaster due to its lower viscosity, and latex paints, which are thicker than enamel-based paints, tend to be more effective. A hybrid method includes applying the Venetian plaster itself and then following up with a Venetian paint as a finish, although some painting projects use a common primer before applying the Venetian plaster technique with the paint. The more time spent working the repeating patterns into the surface, either with paint or plaster, the better it will look when finished and, in general, the appearance tends to be that of an artificial aging of the wall or tile surface. the ceiling.
Since the Venetian plaster technique has been practiced for more than 500 years, several different branches of the method have formed with individual histories. The Marmorino style is based on a popular Renaissance design that used crushed marble and lime putty for surfaces that allowed for a wide range of color and texture combinations that resemble the look of natural stone. Scagliola is another branch that focuses on sharp edges and inlays like those seen on columns and sculpture, and was a dominant form of stucco plastering in 17th-century Tuscany in west-central Italy.
Sgraffito looks much more like typical Venetian plaster in form, but is also often used on ceramics and incorporates small scratches on the surface. The use of Sgraffito is popular in African art and has been dominant in Europe since the 16th century. Tadelakt is another technique related to the Venetian plaster methodology, originating in the palaces of Morocco in North Africa. The end result with Tadelakt is one of soft waves and flowing shapes on the surface of a wall or ceiling, like the patterns of the ocean or the growth patterns of trees and vines.