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An Introduction to Leonardo da Vinci and His Paintings
By: Vijay
Leonardo da Vinci is also known as ‘Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci’ was born on 15th April 1452 was a Tuscan polymath. He was a great mathematician, inventor, scientist, engineers, botanist, architect, anatomist, sculptor, writer, musician and a greatest painter of all times. He was born at Vinci, Florence; whose father was Piero da Vinci and his mother was a peasant girl. Da Vinci has worked in places like Bologna, Venice and Rome; he spent his last final years in France at a place offered by the King Francois l. Leonardo da Vinci has been described as a universal genius and know as the ‘Renaissance man’. He was renowned for two of his works; the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. These were the two paintings which are considered to be the most religious paintings, most parodied portrait and reproduced.
The Mona Lisa is an amazing sixteenth century portrait painting worked on poplar panel with oil. It is also known as La Gioconda (La Jocondda), this is the most arguably and famous painting in the world and few other works of art has been subject to as much study, scrutiny, parody and mythologizing. Now the painting is owned by the French government at the Musée du Louvre (Museum of Louvre) in Paris, France. The painting is a half length portrait that depicts a lady whose gaze meets the viewer's with an expression often described as mysterious. The haziness of the sitter's look, the monumentality of the half figure composition and the delicate modeling of forms and atmospheric illusionism were novel characters that have been contributed to the painting's continuing attraction.
The Last Supper is a fifteenth century mural painting, worked for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza and for his duchess Beatrice d' Este. The painting represents a scene of the last supper of Jesus Christ during his final days, when Jesus announced that one of his twelve disciples would be disloyal to him. This painting measures about 460 × 880 centimeters or 15 feet × 29 feet and the painting can be found at the back halls of the dining hall at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. Leonardo painted this on a dry wall rather than on a wet plaster, so it is not a true fresco. As fresco can’t be modified as the artist works, he instead wanted to seal the wall with layers of gesso, pitch and mastic. The paint was preserved with tempera, as it is one of the methods used, however the piece didn’t withstand well; within many years of completion it already began to show signs of deterioration.
Boat and Yacht Painting, Repairs and Restoration
By: Jeremy96 Dawes96
The decking and topsides of wooden boats need repainting every few seasons (or more often in the tropics). Fibreglass boats can look brand new with a fresh coat of paint that can restore the beauty of the yacht. Two-pac epoxy or linear polyurethane paints do a better job protecting the boat than its original gel coat. These paints are available in a wide selection of colors and many will stay shiny years longer than gel coat. Repainting should be considered anytime the gel coat becomes so dull that chemical cleaners and buffing cannot renew the lustre.
A significant difference between an amateur and a professional painter is preparation. The amateur focuses on painting while the pro puts most of his efforts into preparing the boat for painting. The majority effort of a good paint job lies in the preparation. It doesn't matter if the boat is wood or fiberglass, prep work still has to be done. This job on both types of boats starts with removing all hardware, windows, ventilators, decorative name plates etc.
After that, the steps to prepare a fiberglass boat are slightly different from those taken with wood. It is no longer possible for do-it-yourself application of many two-part urethanes popular for refinishing fiberglass boats. These paints use isocyanates and other dangerous chemicals in their formulations.
Less durable formulae are available for most two-part urethanes. These do not use the regulated chemicals, so can be used for do-it-yourself application. Even so, true chemical respirator masks, protective clothing and eyeware are essential. Unless you are an expert with spray equipment, the best way to apply paint to fiberglass is the "roll and tip" method. One person rolls a thin coat of paint onto the hull. The second person follows the roller with a foam brush. The brush removes the "stipple" created by the roller and produces the smooth finish. We are able to both look after and maintain fibre glass vessels, as well as more traditional classic wooden yachts by also providing a full varnishing and teak preservation service.
Gel Coat and Painting experts will match the color of your boat as closely as humanly possible to make any repair practically unnoticeable. Maybe it’s repairing minor aesthetic damage, maybe refinishing a structural repair, or refreshing the whole vessel with a complete re-paint. Together with our technicians, you will choose the boat painting technique that will create the best results for your budget, however regardless of whether you choose roll and tip, spray painting, dockside or boatyard service, you can be sure of the top quality results you’d expect. Allure Boats is located only minutes from Lake Macquarie - Australia. Allure Boats' shipwrights are among the most experienced boat builders in the business. Allure Boats specialises in custom design and construction of fibre glass and timber boats. We are very experienced in expert restoration and repair of vessels new and old. |
