True fresco mural painted into wet lime plaster

I start with the wall itself. I check it for damp, salts and cracks, tap out hollow spots and ask what is behind it: a fresco does not survive in a damp basement or on an outside wall that freezes through in winter, and I will tell you so honestly before any money changes hands. If the base is sound, I lay the lime plaster in layers, from a coarse scratch coat to a fine final coat, and let each one set properly.

The design is drawn as a full-size cartoon and transferred to the wall by pouncing. We approve the drawing and the colour samples in advance, because the technique is irreversible: what is painted into wet plaster cannot be repainted, the only fix is to knock the section off and plaster it again. Every morning I lay only as much fresh plaster as I can paint that day, and I place the joins along the contours of the drawing so they disappear. The palette is limited to alkali-resistant earth and mineral pigments, so the colours are soft and muted, never acid-bright. Colours lighten noticeably as the wall dries, which is why test swatches on a sample board are mandatory. Lime stings skin and eyes: I work in gloves and goggles and keep the room ventilated.

What the job includes:
— survey of the wall and a written opinion on whether a fresco will live there;
— lime plaster in layers, with proper curing time between coats;
— a full-size cartoon of an original design and colour swatches for approval;
— painting in daily sections, joins hidden along the contours;
— drying and carbonation, then a care sheet: no chemical cleaners, no furniture pushed flat against the painting;
— an agreed schedule and a photo report after each stage.