The Vaudevillians are a group of locals who performed their first production last year (with no scenery). They write their own script, led by a professional performing arts teacher who lives in the village. Flushed with success, this year's production was to be more lavish with painted backdrops. 5 backdrops of 4.2m width by 2.1m height were required. I was given the brief by the Director, which to summarize were:
Backdrop 1: Mrs Miggins' Tavern (an adaption of the Admiral Benbow in Treasure Island)
Backdrop 2: The Squire's Drawing Room
Backdrop 3: Inside the Rutland Belle (an adaption of the Hispaniola)
Backdrop 4: The Treasure Map
Backdrop 5: Split screen: The Island/Mrs Miggins' Tavern
An additional 'feature' was for Backdrops 1 and 5 to have a number of cut-outs (peep-holes) for faces to look through. There were to be no wings or other painted props, only the backdrops.
Set design
Based on more detailed descriptions of each scene I started to sketch out ideas in a small sketchbook. Like most artists, I looked for some references to start with. Here Google images comes into it's own (beware copyright). For example my Tavern scene was to rely heavily on Jan Steen's 'In the Tavern' in Figure 1, as will become clear.
Figure 1 Reference image.Since I had not attempted set painting before, I searched online for advice, and came across the excellent site set-painting.com set up by Brian Willis. I also emailed him with questions and he was very helpful (this internet thing might catch on). I tried to take some of his advice re getting depth in the scene (using overlaps, thickness, perspective etc), and also thinking about eye-lines. I was not sure of the staging to be used, and perhaps made the eye-line a little low in my drawings.
Like me, Brian was a little dubious about the 'peep-holes' idea, but it was decided that these would remain in the plan. This meant I had to arrange for the holes to be positioned in gaps in the background wall where the backdrops were to be hung. The staging is shown in Figure 2, where a temporary stage was to be erected against a partitioned side wall of the village hall.
Figure 2. Staging
Figure 3. Scanned drawing - Mrs Miggins' TavernThis scenery is quite unusual in having painted characters, rather than background objects only. The danger is that the scale compared to real actors can mean the background characters look like midgets. I tried to make the foreground characters 'life size' whilst introducing perspective to overcome this for the other characters. The faces of the peep hole characters would also be out of scale to some degree but I had to put up with this.
Having scanned the drawings, I could then print out these greyscale images on A4 paper and start adding colour, whilst retaining the original drawings. Colour was added using Gouache paints, which are opaque watercolour. I also scanned these back into the computer, see Figure 4.
Figure 4. Scanned gouache painting - Mrs Miggins' Tavern
Note there were some minor changes at this stage. The same procedure was carried out for the other backdrop designs.
Backdrop materials and preparation
Having scanned the drawings, I could then print out these greyscale images on A4 paper and start adding colour, whilst retaining the original drawings. Colour was added using Gouache paints, which are opaque watercolour. I also scanned these back into the computer, see Figure 4.
Figure 4. Scanned gouache painting - Mrs Miggins' TavernNote there were some minor changes at this stage. The same procedure was carried out for the other backdrop designs.
Backdrop materials and preparation
Brian's website mentioned J.D.McDougall in London as a supplier of scenery materials. I looked at their website and others in the UK, and contacted them for a quote. Amongst other things they supply ND Flame Retardant cotton scene canvas and cotton canvas. I'm not sure of the difference between these (the weights are similar at 320gsm and 300gsm respectively). I think there was some misunderstanding between the original quote and when I phoned to confirm the order, since cotton canvas turned up (not scene canvas). Anyway I can confirm that cotton canvas seems to have worked OK. If anyone can explain the difference then please do.
A huge (and heavy) roll of canvas turned up and I cut off 5 pieces larger than the final backdrop size.
I now set about priming and stretching the canvases. Brian recommends constructing a wooden frame for this purpose. At the time I did not have wood available to do this so improvised a solution. First of all I tacked (using clout nails) the length of the canvas to the top of a strong wooden pelmet that ran the length of the village hall wall. Then, pulling down on the canvas, I tacked the bottom to a 4m length of wood that I lay on the hall floor. Ideally I would have fixed this wood to the floor, but was not sure the hall committee would appreciate screws in their parquet floor! As a result, when the canvas was primed, the shrinkage lifted the lower length of wood about an inch from the floor. However this did provide a uniform stress on the canvas during priming, so that it did not distort the shape. For those doing this next year the set up was as shown in Figure 5.
A huge (and heavy) roll of canvas turned up and I cut off 5 pieces larger than the final backdrop size.
I now set about priming and stretching the canvases. Brian recommends constructing a wooden frame for this purpose. At the time I did not have wood available to do this so improvised a solution. First of all I tacked (using clout nails) the length of the canvas to the top of a strong wooden pelmet that ran the length of the village hall wall. Then, pulling down on the canvas, I tacked the bottom to a 4m length of wood that I lay on the hall floor. Ideally I would have fixed this wood to the floor, but was not sure the hall committee would appreciate screws in their parquet floor! As a result, when the canvas was primed, the shrinkage lifted the lower length of wood about an inch from the floor. However this did provide a uniform stress on the canvas during priming, so that it did not distort the shape. For those doing this next year the set up was as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Set up for priming the canvasTo prime the canvas I used a mixture of cheap white matt emulsion, PVA, water and a dash of red paint. Each 4.2m x 2.1m canvas took just over 2l total mixture, made up of 2l paint, two large (serving) spoons of PVA and two of water. The pink colour lets you see where you have painted and provides an off-white surface to work from. Each canvas took about an hour and a half to prime.
After drying but before removing from the hall wall, the drawings were transfered to each canvas. This was done using a squaring-up method i.e. 12 by 6 square grid was applied to the drawing (I did this on the computer be could obviously be done with a ruler) (Figure 6) and a similar grid was drawn on the canvas using charcoal (4200mm/12=350mm squares).
Figure 6. Squared up image on paper.
Drawing a grid of this size is not so easy, and I have to own up to being a perfectionist, so this took a while. Figure 7 shows the result.
After drying but before removing from the hall wall, the drawings were transfered to each canvas. This was done using a squaring-up method i.e. 12 by 6 square grid was applied to the drawing (I did this on the computer be could obviously be done with a ruler) (Figure 6) and a similar grid was drawn on the canvas using charcoal (4200mm/12=350mm squares).
Figure 6. Squared up image on paper.Drawing a grid of this size is not so easy, and I have to own up to being a perfectionist, so this took a while. Figure 7 shows the result.
Figure 7. Squared-up canvas
The next step was to draw the design onto the canvas freehand in charcoal, using the squares for guidance. As I was beginning to realise working a large scale means things take longer than anticipated - and it is quite physically demanding to jump on and off chairs and work on your knees. Eventually all canvases were primed and drawn ready for painting.
Paints
I used matt emulsion paints (Brian recommends vinyl matt) bought in 2.5l tins. One each of Red, Lemon Yellow (I couldn't get a Cornfield yellow), Blue, Mid Green and Mid Brown, also with the remainder of the 20l white matt that I had already bought. Although I didn't buy a black I did use some black acrylic that I already had. This was mixed with blue and brown when I wanted a dark. Mixing colours was a bit difficult to predict - and obtaining bright secondaries was a problem. In the end I used most of the white, more than half the brown and perhaps a quarter of the other colours, so there is plenty left for next year. A tip is to look in the 'bargain' paint stands where strong colours are often discounted.
Painting the canvases
Having done the preparation myself, I did get help in painting, which was more than welcome. Canvases were painted on the floor, where more than one could be worked on and canvases could be rolled and moved out of the way for other hall activities. (Note when planning timescales, take into account the fact that you may have to work around others). The paint dried remarkably quickly and could take a surprising amount of abuse. The main problem of working on the floor is the strain on the knees! After a while I was offered a set of strap-on kneeling pads which I would now regard as essential. Working on the floor does make the drawing of perpective lines easier (e.g. using a long piece of wood).
Hanging the backdrops
Having completed the paintings the canvases were trimmed to give 1 1/2" around top and side edges. The edges were painted with PVA and folded over to strengthen the edges. The bottom was cut flush with the image. The backdrops were to be hung from the existing curtain pelmet. To do this 8 curtain rings (Wilko Rings Cafe Rod) were fed through slits cut though the top of the canvas and short loops of string attached to the ring eyelets. These were to be hooked over nails/screws fixed to the top of the pelmet (Figure 8). Lateral spacings were 56cm, 60cm, 60cm, 60cm, 60cm, 60cm, 56cm.
Several canvases could be laid over over each other on the same nails to speed up scene changes.
The finished backdrops
The figures below show the finished backdrops (Backdrop 1 is prior to cutouts of the peep holes, Backdrop 5 has peepholes cut). Apologies for the out of focus photos.
Backdrop 1: Mrs Miggins' Tavern
Backdrop 2: The Squire's Drawing Room
Backdrop 3: Aboard ship
Backdrop 4: The map
Backdrop 5: The finale: Island and Tavern
The next step was to draw the design onto the canvas freehand in charcoal, using the squares for guidance. As I was beginning to realise working a large scale means things take longer than anticipated - and it is quite physically demanding to jump on and off chairs and work on your knees. Eventually all canvases were primed and drawn ready for painting.
Paints
I used matt emulsion paints (Brian recommends vinyl matt) bought in 2.5l tins. One each of Red, Lemon Yellow (I couldn't get a Cornfield yellow), Blue, Mid Green and Mid Brown, also with the remainder of the 20l white matt that I had already bought. Although I didn't buy a black I did use some black acrylic that I already had. This was mixed with blue and brown when I wanted a dark. Mixing colours was a bit difficult to predict - and obtaining bright secondaries was a problem. In the end I used most of the white, more than half the brown and perhaps a quarter of the other colours, so there is plenty left for next year. A tip is to look in the 'bargain' paint stands where strong colours are often discounted.
Painting the canvases
Having done the preparation myself, I did get help in painting, which was more than welcome. Canvases were painted on the floor, where more than one could be worked on and canvases could be rolled and moved out of the way for other hall activities. (Note when planning timescales, take into account the fact that you may have to work around others). The paint dried remarkably quickly and could take a surprising amount of abuse. The main problem of working on the floor is the strain on the knees! After a while I was offered a set of strap-on kneeling pads which I would now regard as essential. Working on the floor does make the drawing of perpective lines easier (e.g. using a long piece of wood).
Hanging the backdrops
Having completed the paintings the canvases were trimmed to give 1 1/2" around top and side edges. The edges were painted with PVA and folded over to strengthen the edges. The bottom was cut flush with the image. The backdrops were to be hung from the existing curtain pelmet. To do this 8 curtain rings (Wilko Rings Cafe Rod) were fed through slits cut though the top of the canvas and short loops of string attached to the ring eyelets. These were to be hooked over nails/screws fixed to the top of the pelmet (Figure 8). Lateral spacings were 56cm, 60cm, 60cm, 60cm, 60cm, 60cm, 56cm.
Several canvases could be laid over over each other on the same nails to speed up scene changes.The finished backdrops
The figures below show the finished backdrops (Backdrop 1 is prior to cutouts of the peep holes, Backdrop 5 has peepholes cut). Apologies for the out of focus photos.
Backdrop 1: Mrs Miggins' Tavern
Backdrop 2: The Squire's Drawing Room
Backdrop 4: The map
Backdrop 5: The finale: Island and Tavern
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