Intonaco

Intonaco or Top/Skim Coat – final plaster coat on which the actual painting is done, traditional proportion is 5×8 of lime putty to aggregate (sand). Optionally topped with a thin 1/16″ layer of topping “skin” painting layer of plaster mixed at a 1×1 proportion of lime and marble dust. This “top skin” layer is applied wet-into-wet over base Intonaco coat of fresco plaster, it assumes advanced understanding or fresco techniques. This method seals, equalizes and densifies the plaster body, but makes it less absorbent and less forgiving. Most of the great renaissance frescoes did not utilize that. This method was used by Diego Rivera, however it was the most popular during the Early Roman times in Pompeii, this topcoat is also known as “Marmorino” or “Roman Marmorino“.