Sticks & Stones: Plaster

Each installment of our Sticks & Stones series presents the history, evolution, and unusual uses of a single material. You can find our article about plaster at my.meural.com/editorial/103.

With so many variables present in the painting process, a smooth surface is the only constant—one reason plaster has been a favorite throughout art history. Made from a mixture of lime, powdered cement or sand, and water, plaster is a liquid that dries solid. The ability to manipulate the material while in liquid form makes it a multifaceted medium. It can be used for plaster-based gesso paint to prime canvases, plaster-dipped fabric strips applied to smooth wooden panels, and perhaps most notably, fresco: the practice of painting pigment directly onto wet plaster.