The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti

surface prep

Construct or acquire a solid wood panel, preferably radial cut (Source 4). Plane and sand the wood. Apply a size mixture of animal-skin glue and resin, potentially covering with linen (Source 4). Once dry, apply layer upon layer of gesso, sanding down each layer before applying the next, potentially up to 15 layers, to achieve a smooth, hard surface resembling ivory (Source 4).

underdrawing

Lay out the design on the gessoed surface using charcoal (Source 4). Given the complex narrative requiring three representations of Nastagio and specific placement of tents, trees, and figures, a precise underdrawing is essential to manage the 'grid' of vertical trunks and horizontal seascape (Source 1).

underpainting

Tempera technique typically involves applying paint in very small, almost transparent brushstrokes to build up volumetric forms through thin layers (Source 4). Unlike oil painting, which requires days for layers to dry, tempera dries quickly, allowing for immediate subsequent layers, but the buildup is gradual (Source 4).

Egg Tempera Layering

Using small brushes to apply pigment mixed with egg yolk in very small, almost transparent brushstrokes to create volumetric forms through thin layers (Source 4).

Gesso Preparation

Applying up to 15 layers of gesso, sanding between each, to create a smooth, hard, ivory-like surface (Source 4).

Narrative Composition

Depicting successive scenes within a single image, requiring multiple representations of the same character (Source 1).