Without question, the art of plastering has always held widespread practical utilitarian value to our built environment. Stuccoes rendered in exterior provide a sacrificial function, protecting vulnerable substrates from erosion and water damage. Plaster applied inside insulates, attenuates sound and provides a sanitary, durable wall surface. Extrusions of profiles in plaster create moldings that add architectural interest, helping to delineate space by means of shade and shadow. However, among the many craft specializations of the decorative and applied arts, plaster is by far one of the most expressive mediums. We’ll take a quick overview of the art of plastering via some of the traditions still practiced in decorative plastering.
Fortunately, two of the most commonly used minerals to produce plaster, lime and gypsum, are inherently very white and accept color readily. A few clays are also a light grey and can be tinted to produce a broad, if muted range of colors. Other clays are naturally occurring in a variety of earthen colors such as sienna, umber and ochre that most of us love just as they are.