PAINTING AND METHOD OF PRODUCING IT

Abstract: Basic pictorial content is provided on a uniform dark (e.g. black) coloured varnish surface of a support board 10 by application of a lighter (e.g. white) coloured base layer 12. It is important that the surface of the board 10 should be embossed so as to have a grained appearance, preferably resembling leather. Translucent colour washes 20,30,40 50(e.g. red, blue, yellow) are subsequently applied over all or only part of the board surface for the purpose of colouring in the plain base layer in any manner desired by the end user. No great care is required in application of these colour washes; it is expected that they will overlap onto the remaining dark varnish coating, but due to the dark, glossy and grained nature of this area the regions covered by the washes and particularly their edges are not visible. More­ over, as the surface is glossy and does not immediately absorb the wash errors can readily be put right.

Description: This invention concerns paintings. As is well known, the creation of original paintings is a laborious task requiring the application of a considerable amount of skill, patience and experience. The creation of aesthetically-pleasing paintings by untrained persons, especially youths and children, is usually achievable only by a very few gifted and talented persons having a natural ability, and in general the results obtained by novice painters are usually quite poor. In order to enable novice and inexperienced painters to produce acceptable or pleasing paintings, so-called 'Painting by Numbers' kits have been proposed. These comprise a receptor sheet or board the surface of which is divided up into a plurality of discrete areas by distinct perimeter lines, each said area bearing an identifying symbol, such as a number, corresponding to a paint colour by which such area should be painted to achieve a painting of predetermined composition. With the use of these kits, it is essential for the user to exercise a reasonable degree of skill in applying the respective paints over the respective areas bearing the respective symbols, and whilst there is a little room for inaccuracy, in that an acceptable picture can still be achieved when the areas coloured do not correspond absolutely precisely to the discrete areas defined by the perimeter lines, the possibility of producing an unsatisfactory painting is still high. Moreover, in the case where the areas are reasonably successfully painted, one still has the disadvantage that there can usually be no shading or graduation in the colour applied to each area. A method of making a painting has also been proposed in the applicant's prior patent No. GB-A-1243284 whereby areas of a base layer component of uniform colour are applied to a sheet of supporting material having a surface for receiving and retaining paint, so as to depict pictorial content thereon, which areas are shaded and decrease in density at their edges so as to have indistinct outlines, and at least one translucent colour wash is applied to all or part of the paint receiving and retaining surface, said areas being visible through the wash layer. In this method proposed supporting materials were relatively smooth materials, often giving a matt surface for example fibreboard, cardboard, wood, plastics materials, woven fabrics, velvet, felt and glass, and the possibility of embossing such materials (where this is possible) was also suggested. However, in practice, the rough side of hardboard was found to be the most suitable supporting surface for reception of paint. In carrying out this latter method, a user can apply colours according to his own volition, and is not restricted to applying specific colours to predetermined areas in order to produce a reasonably satisfactory finished product. However, I have appreciated a disadvantage of the previously known method, namely that it is possible, in the finished picture, to perceive which areas of the supporting material have had the translucent colour wash applied thereto, especially if it is held at an angle relative to a light source. Moreover, removal of incorrectly-applied colour wash in order to rectify errors of application was usually difficult, if not impossible, so that it is possible to produce pictures which are not aesthetically pleasing or are faulty and which cannot be rectified by the unskilled user. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved painting of the aforesaid type wherein errors in the applied colour wash can be easily rectified and the edges of the colour wash areas are substantially invisible in the eventual picture. Pursuant hereto, the present invention provides a painting which comprises a support sheet having a paint receiving and retaining surface provided by a uniform dark coloured glossy surface, said surface being embossed to present a grained appearance and provided, on at least part thereof, with pictorial content constituted by areas of an applied base layer of a colour which is lighter than the surface coating so as to be visible thereon, at least one translucent colour wash layer having been applied over all or part or parts of the paint receiving and retaining surface so as to modify the appearance thereof and/or the colour of the base layer areas. It is preferred that the grainy appearance is an embossed pattern providing smooth, generally level raised zones separated by indented zones. The relatively raised zones may be of greater area than the indented zones. The glossy surface will generally be a coating and is desirably provided by a varnish layer. The support sheet may be a stiff board. Preferably the surface coating provided by the dark coloured varnish is black. Preferably the pictorial content is provided by areas of white or grey base layer applied thereto. Then, selected colour washes may be present over different areas of the pictorial content for example to match the appearance thereof to the natural colours of what such areas represent. It is desirable that the glossy surface and pictorial content are washable, absorbing little or none of any water applied to it. If the colour washes are then removable with water, it is possible for mistakes to be corrected by washing off the wrongly-applied colour wash, without encountering difficulty arising through the water used to correct the error being absorbed by the base layer or supporting material. Secondly, it makes it possible to remove all the applied colour if desired, by subjecting the surface to a flow of water over it, while agitating with (say) a soft brush or a sponge. The user can then make a fresh attempt at applying colour wash. The invention further provides, of course, a method of producing a painting using a support sheet having a paint receiving and retaining surface provided by a uniform dark coloured glossy surface which surface is embossed to present a grained appearance, including the steps of applying pictorial content to said surface by the application of areas of a base layer which is of a colour which is lighter than the surface coating so as to be visible thereon, and subsequently applying one or more translucent colour wash layers over all or part or parts of the paint receiving and retaining surface so as to modify the appearance thereof and/or the colour of the base layer areas. The colour wash layers are conveniently applied by brushing, each such layer being selected as desired from wash layer stocks. It is practical to utilise as few as three wash layer stocks which are coloured respectively magenta, cyan and yellow, if oil based printers inks, or scarlet, cobalt blue and yellow if water based indian inks. The use of these three colours enables the user to obtain virtually any colour he or she may desire by appropriate selection and/or mixing. Where mixing is necessary or desired, this can be affected before application to the receiving surface; or by successive application of layers of the different translucent colour washes, whilst the layers are wet, and mixing them in situ, on the support sheet. Of course a larger number of wash layer stocks can be utilised if desired. The invention further includes, of course, pictures when produced by the above-described method, as well as a painting kit adapted for carrying the method into effect. Such a kit will comprise, for instance, one or more support sheets each having a paint receiving and retaining surface provided by a dark or black coloured glossy surface, which surface has been embossed to present a grained appearance and has applied thereon pictorial content in the form of areas of a base layer of a colour which is lighter than the surface coating so as to be visible thereon, in combination with one or more containers each containing a respective translucent colour wash medium, such as an ink or a water colouring medium, and one or more brushes for enabling the colour wash medium to be applied over the whole or part or parts of the receiving surface. A plurality of support sheets could be supplied as a continuous roll. The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a support sheet having a uniform dark coloured varnish surface coating for receiving and retaining paint to produce a picture in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed enlargement of the surface of the support sheet shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of an intermediate painting in which a white base layer providing basic pictorial content has been applied to the support sheet shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a completed picture made in accordance with the present invention. In the preferred manner of carrying out the method of the invention, one starts with a support sheet in the form of a board 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This may, of course, form part of a kit which will also include the components subsequently referred to and, if desired, may also include a number of alternative such boards, which may be selected for use as desired. The board 10 comprises a foundation of strong compressed card, for instance in the range of 2 to 4 mms in thickness, one surface of which has been treated by application thereover of a surface layer of black varnish. This varnish provides a paint receiving and retaining surface on the board which is also embossed so that such paint receiving and retaining surface presents a grained appearance resembling grained leather or imitation leather, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 2. This type of varnished, embossed board is commonly used for the manufacture of briefcases. It has approximately level raised zones separated by indented zones. Referring now to Fig. 3, a white base layer 12 is applied over predetermined areas of the paint receiving and retaining surface of the board 10 to provide thereon basic pictorial content which is readily visible on the black surface provided by the varnish. The configurations of these base layer 12 areas may be chosen as may be desired in the preparation of the boards. Moreover they may be initiated as a separately prepared painting or drawing which is then reproduced upon the paint receiving and retaining surface of the board 10 by screen printing, transfer printing, lithographing or any other suitable method, as a pictorial base layer. This white base layer is preferably of a water based ink or paint but it may be of any suitable ink or colouring medium which will adhere substantially permanently to the varnish surface of the board 10. The white base layer can be applied as a pattern of dots of varying size - akin to a gravure pattern -so that some areas appear white while others graduate to appear as shades of grey. Also provided in the kit referred to above are a number of resealable containers. These need only be three in number, each containing a respective translucent water-based ink, the colours being respectively scarlet, cobalt blue and yellow (selected from the wide range of different indian ink colours commercially available), and the ink comprising a thin suspension or mixture of pigment in a vehicle in the form of a very fluid water based glue solution. The advantage of these particular three colours is that a very wide range of other colours and shades can be obtained therefrom by appropriate mixing. It is thought that fifteen or sixteen other different colours can thereby be produced. More colours may be supplied if desired. To convert the support sheet 10 (or selected support sheet, where more than one is available) into a multi-coloured painting, the user applies one or more of these colour washes 30,40,50 over the paint-receiving surface of the board 10, to cover the whole or part or parts of the base layer areas 12 according to how his fancy may take him. It is not essential to confine the wash or washes to specific portions of the base layer 12 and application of the wash or washes over areas of the varnish, which provides a background to the pictorial content, is of no consequence. So soon as the wash dries or the washes dry, it is virtually impossible to detect the edges thereof on the dark grained background. In other words, the appearance of the non-covered varnish so closely matches the dried colour wash, where the latter overlies the varnish, that the transitions therebetween cannot be seen, even if the finished picture is held at an angle to a light source. No specific instructions need to be given to the user as to the application of the transparent washes to the paint-receiving and retaining surfaces of the support sheet, other than to point out that the washes can be mixed in an appropriate receptacle or receptacles to obtain different colours prior to spreading on the surface e.g. by means of an artist's brush, a sponge or a pen, and that successive layers or washes of the same or different washes can be applied over the surface or selected areas as desired, either with a dwell between each application so that the preceding wash can dry, or without such a dwell when the two successively applied colours can be mixed in situ on the paint receiving surface. The indentations forming the grain in the surface of the board serve the function of promoting flow of the translucent colour applied to the adjacent regions of the grained surface, and enable textured, wrinkled, graduated and other effects readily to be achieved, even by very young children. Skill and care is not necessary, and every user can quickly and easily produce a finished coloured painting of pleasing and acceptable appearance in a very little time. Spillage of one or more of the washes onto the paint receiving surface does not spoil the product. Large excesses can, of course, simply be wiped away with a tissue or the like, but small amounts and residues after wiping can simply be brushed to appropriate locations on the paint-receiving surface to colour the base layer or portions thereof as desired. Should the resultant picture have areas of unsatisfactory colour, they can simply be painted over again using the translucent washes as appropriate. Alternatively they can be washed off, if a water removable colour wash has been used. A board of the type used here can withstand being washed off with a flow of water and a soft brush or sponge. It can withstand having this done several times typically 4 to 6 or more. The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto, as will be evident to those skilled in the art. For instance, although reference has been made in the foregoing to water-based washes, the invention may, in fact, be carried out using transparent oil-based colours or washes. Also, the varnish surface coating on the board need not be black as long as it is relatively dark in hue e.g. brown, dark blue, dark green, maroon, purple, and the pictorial base layer need not be white as long as it is lighter in colour than the underlying varnish e.g. pink, pale blue, cream etc. Furthermore, the grained appearance of the embossed paint-receiving surface of the support sheet need not resemble leather, but may bear some other suitable pattern, such as cross-hatching or resembling hessian weave or buffalo hide. Finally, in the kit for production of pictures, the support sheet or board may be initially devoid of pictorial content, and screen printing apparatus may be provided as part of the kit to enable the user to select and apply his own base layer picture prior to application of colour washes.

Claims: A painting comprising a support sheet (10) having a uniform dark coloured paint receiving and retaining surface, and provided, on at least part thereof, with pictorial content constituted by areas of an applied base layer (12) of a colour which is lighter than the aforesaid surface so as to be visible thereon, at least one translucent colour wash layer (20, 30, 40) having been applied over all or part or parts of the paint receiving and retaining surface so as to modify the appearance thereof and/or the colour of the base layer areas, characterised in that the dark coloured paint receiving and retaining surface is glossy and is embossed to present a grained appearance. A picture as claimed in any claim 1 wherein the glossy surface is a coating provided by dark coloured varnish. A picture as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the glossy surface is black. A picture as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the pictorial content is provided by areas of light-coloured base layer applied to the glossy surface. A picture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the grained appearance of the paint receiving surface of the board resembles leather or imitation leather. A method of producing a painting using a support sheet (10) having a dark coloured paint receiving and retaining surface, said method including the steps of applying pictorial content to said surface by the application of areas of a base layer (12) which is of a colour which is lighter than the said surface so as to be visible thereon, and subsequently applying one or more translucent colour wash layers (20, 30, 40) over all or part or parts of the paint receiving and retaining surface so as to modify the appearance thereof and/or the colour of the base layer areas, characterised in that the dark coloured paint receiving and retaining surface is formed so as to be glossy and is embossed so as to have a grained appearance prior to the application of the base layer (12). A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the colour wash layers are applied by brushing. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein the colour wash layers are selected and/or mixed, as desired, from three wash layer stocks which consist of water-based glue solutions equivalent to indian inks of colours scarlet, cobalt blue and yellow. A picture when produced by the method claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8. A painting kit adapted for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 and comprising one or more support sheets (10) each having a paint receiving and retaining surface which is provided by a dark coloured glossy surface, which surface has been embossed to present a grained appearance and has applied thereon pictorial content provided by applied areas of a base layer (12) of a colour which is lighter than the surface coating so as to be visible thereon, in combination with one or more containers each containing a respective translucent colour wash medium (20, 30, 40), such as an ink or a water colouring medium, and one or more brushes for enabling the colour wash medium to be applied over the whole or part or parts of the receiving surface.

Inventors: HASSALL, JOHN GRAHAM
Applicants: SPECTRUM ARTS LIMITED
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B44F11
IPC codes: B44F9, B44F11, B44D2