One of my paintings, an egg tempera on panel, titled "Morning". The frame is very specific to the painting. The frame is carved basswood; the spikes or thorns are birch dowels, glued into holes in the frame. Gesso and polychrome. I wanted rough and sharp; prickly is a good term. I also wanted a slight imbalance; to give the overall piece an "edge". The gesso was sealed with a red pigmented shellac. Acrylic paint was used for the basic color, then a wash of Japan color in V,M & P Naptha. This was allowed to dry, followed by a dusting with rottenstone which was colored with a little yellow ochre pigment. Rottenstone is traditionally used to add some age to frames, as it very much looks like real, age applied dust. Rottenstone is a traditional polishing agent for finishing, for furniture as well as frames. About the only "modern" material I use regularly are acrylic artist paints, and sometimes latex house paints. Hide glue, shellac, oil sizes, Japan colors, rottenstone, are all very old materials. There are two other modern materials I use; cyanacrylate glue, "super glue", and catalyzed polyester resin. More on these later.
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