Artists of Khokhloma painting. Traditional technology of Khokhloma wood painting

One of the most famous paintings in Russia. Perhaps, there is no person who has not held a painted wooden spoon in his hands or seen beautiful and amazingly richly designed Khokhloma products. But where did this fabulously beautiful painting come from? What craftsman came up with the idea of ​​applying silver to wood and then covering it with varnish, achieving a golden glow? This is what the material collected in this section is devoted to.

Painting of wooden utensils appeared in Rus' a long time ago - in the 16th century. They produced it in large quantities, hundreds, thousands of pieces, since the wood quickly wore out, and utensils were necessary in everyday life. It was sold "at Makariy's", in Moscow and in Ustyug Veliky.

Art historians date the origins of the Khokhloma craft to the second half of the 17th century.

The first mention of this village is found in documents of the 16th century. Even under Ivan the Terrible, Khokhloma was known as a forest area called “Khokhloma Ukhozheya” (Ukhozheya is a place cleared of forest for arable land).

Since ancient times, wooden utensils have been in great use among Russians: ladles and brackets in the shape of a swimming bird, round bratins, dinner bowls, spoons different forms and sizes were found in archaeological excavations dating back to the 10th-13th centuries. There are samples that date back several thousand years.

In ancient times, in the dense Trans-Volga forests near the trading village of Khokhloma, the first settlers hiding from persecution were “leaks,” that is, fugitives who took refuge here from persecution for the “old faith,” from tsarist tyranny and landowner oppression. Among them were artists and masters of hand-written miniatures. It was not easy to feed oneself on the meager land by peasant labor, and the fugitive people got used to painting wooden dishes, which has been sharpened here by local craftsmen since ancient times. A previously unknown painting fabulously transformed the modest kitchen utensils. But especially beautiful and unique were the various supplies, bowls and brothers that came out from under the brush of one famous master. It seemed that his painting had absorbed the sun's rays - golden, which are at noon, and red - cinnabar at dawn.

People said that the artist painted his dishes not with ordinary, but with a magic brush woven from sun rays. Bright, festive tableware was loved not only by residents in the area, its fame spread throughout Rus'. Seeing the Khokhloma dishes, the tsar immediately guessed who was painting them, and sent guards to the Trans-Volga forests. The forewarned painter managed to escape, but he taught the intricacies of the extraordinary craft to the local residents and left them paints and a magic brush. This is the old legend about the birth of bright and original art Khokhloma painting, which is often called golden, fiery, or fiery. And this is no accident; the art of Khokhloma could not have been born without fire, without hardening products in a Russian oven.

This legend explains how a close connection arose between the Trans-Volga and northern Old Believers, which had a great influence on the art of Khokhloma.
The proximity to the big river and the fair created favorable conditions for various trades and trades. Fairs were held on the banks of the river, to which goods were brought from the north and south of Russia. The territory of the region looked like a large workshop. Residents of the Trans-Volga villages, scattered in the Nizhny Novgorod and Kostroma provinces, were engaged in various crafts. Peasants who produced the same things settled nearby in nearby villages, and every week they sold their products in a large trading village. Products from all over the area were brought here. They came from Kostroma and Vetluga and brought a variety of painted and carved objects. But wood chips - wooden spoons, cups, bowls - were in particular demand. Dyers at such fairs bought wooden blanks and sold their products. Turners and spoon makers exchanged their goods for wood for further work. Finished products Merchants bought it, loaded it onto carts in the summer and sleighs in the winter, and took it to the fair “to Macarius.”

Khokhloma painting has long history– it originated back in the 17th century. in villages on the left bank of the Volga.

Several villages mastered this craft, but the sale of products took place mainly in Khokhloma - hence the general name of this artistic craft.

The concept “Khokhloma” has many meanings: it is not only the name of the village, but also the name of a type of craft, and all the products of this craft, and a type of painting.

Currently, the city of Semenov in the Nizhny Novgorod region is considered the center of Khokhloma.

Artistic Association “Khokhloma Painting”

In 1925, the Artisan-Artist artel was created in Semyonov, and since 1931 it has been the Export artel. In 1960, the enterprise became known as the Khokhloma Painting factory, and in 1970, the Khokhloma Painting factory was renamed an artistic association.

Khokhloma: Semyonovskaya matryoshka

Back in 1922, the traditional Russian Semenov matryoshka was born. It features a yellow-red background and a bright bouquet of flowers on the apron. Today, the art factory exports more than 60% of its products.

Versions and legends

When and where Khokhloma painting originated is more or less known. But main question: how did it come about? What was the impetus for the creation of this bright and unique color, this sparkling golden background?

And here we learn that there are several versions and legends on this topic. Let's retell one of the legends.

In ancient times, there lived a master icon painter in Moscow. The king highly valued his skill and rewarded him for his efforts. The master loved his craft, but even more loved his free life. One day he secretly left the royal court and moved into the deep forests.

The master built himself a hut and began to do what he loved. He dreamed of an art that would become familiar to everyone, like a simple Russian song, and that would reflect in it the beauty of the Russian land. This is how the first Khokhloma bowls appeared.

The fame of the great master spread throughout the land. People came to admire the master’s work, many stayed to live nearby. The glory of the master also reached the formidable sovereign. He ordered a detachment of archers to find and bring the fugitive. Having learned about the impending disaster, the master gathered his fellow villagers and revealed to them the secrets of his craft. And in the morning, when the royal envoys entered the village, they saw the hut of the miracle artist burning with a bright flame. The hut burned down, and the craftsman was nowhere to be found. But its colors remained on the ground, which seemed to have absorbed the heat of the flame and the blackness of the ashes. The master disappeared, but his skill did not disappear, and to this day Khokhloma colors remind everyone of the happiness of freedom, the heat of love for people and the thirst for beauty.

This legend is told in different ways, but if you are very curious, you can find and read it in collections of legends and fairy tales of the Nizhny Novgorod region.

Can you believe the legend? Who knows. But the art of Khokhloma has been preserved since those ancient times, and this is only possible if the skill is passed on from teacher to student, further and further.

Here's another legend.

The remarkable icon painter Andrei Loskut fled from Moscow, dissatisfied with the church innovations of Patriarch Nikon. He settled in the wilderness of the Trans-Volga forests and began to paint wooden crafts, paint icons according to the old model.

Patriarch Nikon found out about this and sent soldiers after the rebellious icon painter. But Andrei refused to obey and burned himself in the hut, and before his death he bequeathed to people to preserve his skill. Andrei burst into sparks and crumbled. Since then they have been burning with a scarlet flame and sparkling with gold nuggets. bright colors Khokhloma.

There are other versions of the origin of this fishery. For example, this one.

The unique method of painting wooden utensils “like gold” in the forested Trans-Volga region and the very birth of the craft are attributed to the Old Believers. Old Believers reject the church reform undertaken in the 1650-1660s by Patriarch Nikon and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the purpose of which was to proclaim the unification of the liturgical rites of the Russian Church with the Greek Church. This reform caused a split in the Russian Church. The Old Believers were persecuted, so they hid in dense forests in the Volga region. Among the Old Believers there were many icon painters and masters of book miniatures. They brought with them ancient icons and handwritten books, exquisite painting skills, free-hand calligraphy and examples of the richest floral designs.

I. M. Bakanov “Khokhloma artists at work”

And local craftsmen were good at turning, passing on from generation to generation the art of making dishes and patterned wood carvings.

Turning shop

Thus, the forest Trans-Volga region became a real artistic treasure. In fact, two crafts were combined here: the plasticity of turning utensils (carved shapes of ladles, spoons) and icon painting skills. Here the secret of making “golden” utensils without the use of gold was born.

The abundance of forests and the proximity of the Volga, which was the main trade artery of the Trans-Volga region, contributed to the development of fishing. Through the Caspian steppes, Khokhloma dishes were delivered to Central Asia, Persia, and India. Europeans also willingly bought Trans-Volga products. The peasants turned, painted wooden utensils and took them for sale to the large trading village of Khokhloma - there was a trade here. This is where the name “Khokhloma painting”, or simply “Khokhloma” comes from.

But there is another version: Nizhny Novgorod artisans used imitation gilding on wood in painting wooden utensils even before the advent of the Old Believers. In the large Nizhny Novgorod craft villages of Lyskovo and Murashkino, in the Trans-Volga "village Semenovskoye" wooden utensils were made (bratinas, ladles, dishes for festive table), painted using tin powder. It is believed that this method existed before Khokhloma.

But, be that as it may, we now have a unique and unsurpassed decorative painting of wooden utensils and furniture, made in red, green and golden tones on a black background. Khokhloma is known and appreciated all over the world.

Modern centers of Khokhloma painting

Founded a school of Khokhloma painting in Semenov Georgy Petrovich Matveev (1875-1960).

Khokhloma painting currently has two centers: the Khokhloma Painting and Semenovskaya Painting factories in the city of Semenov, Nizhny Novgorod Region, and the village of Semino, Koverninsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Region, where the Khokhloma Artist enterprise operates. It unites craftsmen from the villages of the Koverninsky district: Semino, Kuligino, Novopokrovskoye, etc. this moment The company is experiencing great difficulties. Promysel LLC is also located in Syomino, which has been producing wooden boxes with Khokhloma painting.

Matveev is remembered and respected in Semyonov. A bust was erected in his memory, and one of the central streets of the city bears his name.

Bust of G. P. Matveev in Semenov

There are suggestions that Nizhny Novgorod craftsmen knew how to make “golden” dishes at the very beginning of the 18th century. But most researchers argue that the “wooden gold” came from the Old Believers, who were actively migrating to the Nizhny Novgorod lands.

At first, silver powder was used for such painting, but this made production very expensive. The use of more accessible tin powder made it possible to create large products.

At Soviet power Handicraft production was replaced by factories located in the homeland of Khokhloma painting - in the city of Semyonov and the village of Semino.

Nowadays, production technology has remained virtually unchanged. As before, the process of making Khokhloma dishes is quite labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Of course, progress does not stand still: tin powder was replaced by aluminum powder, the composition of paints changed slightly, new primers and varnishes appeared, electric ovens appeared.

But all the main traditions dating back to ancient times have been preserved and only multiplied and improved.

Stages of creation

Material

The main material from which all Khokhloma products are made is linden. Before it reaches the master, the wood undergoes lengthy preparation. In specially equipped warehouses, linden wood is dried for at least three years. Only after this is it considered suitable for the manufacture of quality products.

Linen and primer

The first stage is beating the backdrop, that is, creating rough wooden blanks. Future spoons, mugs, cups - everything is oven-dried and polished.

Then linseed oil is rubbed into the workpiece. After drying, vapa - primer is applied to it. Vapa is applied with a tampon, which can be made from a nylon stocking, but according to ancient technology, it was a piece of soft sheepskin with trimmed wool.

After this, the products are dried for seven to eight hours and manually treated with drying oil in the same way, using a leather swab. The drying oil should completely cover the product, spreading evenly over it.

This is a very responsible procedure, on which the strength of the painting and the quality of the product depend. Drying oil is applied to the wooden surface three to four times, last layer dry so that the drying oil sticks a little to the finger, but no longer stains it.

Tinning

The last layer is kept sticky for a reason. Poluda easily sticks to this film.

Rubbing in the half is called tinning. The tinned mug is similar to a silver one: it covers the wood in an even layer, and it seems that the mug is cast from metal - it shines with a matte silver shine.

painting

So now the blank looks silver. You can start painting on this background.

Khokhloma painting mainly uses red, black, green, yellow and brown paints. They are presented special requirements— they must withstand heat treatment and not fade.

There are two main types of painting: top lettering and background lettering. In horse painting, a design is applied in an ornamental manner to the surface. The background is considered more complex. The artist paints over the background, leaving those parts that will become “golden” after firing.

Varnishing

After painting, the product is varnished and dried. It is after this that Khokhloma patterns become truly “golden”.

There is a special food varnish MCh-52, which is baked in an oven. It is produced in paint factories.

First, the dishes are coated with four to five layers of varnish, drying each of them thoroughly.

Previously, a painted product was covered with several layers of varnish - drying oil, and then hardened in an oven at a fairly high temperature.

And now hand-varnished objects are hardened in an electric furnace at a temperature of 160 - 180 degrees. Under a film of hardened varnish, everything that was silver in the painting becomes gold.

After repeated hardening, the varnish film acquires high strength. Therefore, the products are not afraid of hot temperatures and do not deteriorate from water.

How is Khokhloma produced?

Photo gallery

Terms

Lingerie- white, unpainted wooden blank

Baklusha- a piece of wood (mainly linden, aspen or birch), processed for making various logs wooden products(spoons and other utensils).

Primer- a composition applied as the first layer to a surface prepared for painting or finishing.

Vapa or vap (from the Greek βαφα - coloring) - coloring matter. The verb to paint means to paint something. Traditionally used in Khokhloma, icon painting and prints. It is vitriol or exhumed fine-grained clay.

Poluda- powdered metal. In the old days, tin was used as half-milk, and now - aluminum, also silver, light and cheap material.

Features of the painting

Masters of Khokhloma craft have a characteristic posture when writing. Therefore, for convenience, you need a small bench.

Almost all painting is done by weight. The tinned workpiece is rested on the knee, held with the left hand, and painted with the right.

This position allows the master to easily turn the product in any direction and at any angle. Brushes, paints, solvents, oil and other materials and tools necessary for painting are conveniently placed nearby on the table.

Modern technological process of Khokhloma painting

1. The turned or cut out polished workpiece is primed (using the dipping method). Clay (wapa) or primer (No. 138) is used as a primer.
2. Wipe the primed workpiece with a soft sponge and dry at room temperature 6-8 hours.
3. The workpiece is coated 2-3 times with drying oil or a mixture of drying oil and varnish in equal parts.
4. Intermediate drying at room temperature for 5 hours.
5. Rubbing in aluminum powder soft skin or suede until a mirror surface is obtained.
6. Artistic painting oil paints, diluted with natural drying oil.
7. Drying for 24 hours on racks at a temperature of 20-25°C or 1.5-2 hours in an electric oven at a temperature of 100°C.
8. Varnishing 3-5 times with PF-283 varnish, with intermediate drying and sanding.
9. Drying for 2-3 hours at room temperature and 15-20 minutes in an electric oven at a temperature of 200°C or 3-4 hours in an electric oven at a temperature of 130-140°C until a golden hue appears.

Khokhloma painting as a traditional artistic craft arose in the 17th century in the Nizhny Novgorod province and received its name from the large trading village of Khokhloma, where all wooden products were brought for auction.

At the moment, there are many versions of the origin of Khokhloma painting, here are the two most common:

First version

According to the most common version, the unique method of painting wooden utensils “like gold” in the forested Trans-Volga region and the very birth of the Khokhloma craft were attributed to the Old Believers.

Even in ancient times, among the residents of local villages, securely hidden in the wilderness of forests, there were many “Old Believers,” that is, people fleeing persecution for the “old faith.”

Among the Old Believers who moved to Nizhny Novgorod, there were many icon painters and masters of book miniatures. They brought with them ancient icons and handwritten books with colorful headpieces, they brought subtle painting skills, free-hand calligraphy and samples of the richest floral designs.

In turn, local craftsmen were excellent at turning, passing on from generation to generation the skills of making tableware forms and the art of three-dimensional carving. At the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, the forest Trans-Volga region became a real artistic treasure. The art of Khokhloma inherited from the Volga masters the “classical forms” of turning utensils, the plasticity of the carved shapes of ladles and spoons, and from the icon painters - the pictorial culture, the skill of the “fine brush”. And, no less important, the secret of making “golden” utensils without the use of gold.

Second version

But there are documents indicating otherwise. The method of simulating gilding on wood, akin to the Khokhloma method, was used by Nizhny Novgorod artisans in painting wooden utensils back in 1640-1650, before the advent of the Old Believers.
In the large Nizhny Novgorod craft villages of Lyskovo and Murashkino, in the Trans-Volga “village Semenovskoye” (the future city of Semenov - one of the centers of Khokhloma painting), wooden utensils were made - brothers, ladles, dishes for the festive table - painted “for tin work”, that is, using tin powder. The method of painting wooden utensils “for tin work,” which probably preceded the Khokhloma method, arose from the experience of icon painters and local Volga region traditions of tableware craft.

Khokhloma – decorative painting wooden utensils. This type of artistic folk thought originated in the 17th century in villages near the trading village of Khokhloma, Nizhny Novgorod region. In the 20th century, the village of Semino and the city of Semenov became the center of the fishery, where the Khokhloma Painting and Semenovskaya Painting factories are located to this day.

A distinctive feature of the painting is a floral ornament made in black and red paints on a golden background. In order for the dishes to receive a golden sheen, tin powder is applied to it, which, after firing in the oven, gives a honey-golden hue.
There are two types of Khokhloma painting: “mountain”, when the background is first painted over, and a drawing remains on top, and “under the background”, when the outline of the ornament is outlined before painting, and only then the background is filled with black paint.

Khokhloma painting is easily recognizable by its traditional elements: flowers, strawberries and rowan berries, and sometimes birds. The painting is done with a thin brush and applied only by hand, so the pattern is never repeated. It decorates dishes, spoons, ladles and even some pieces of home furniture.

Now in the city of Semenov there is an art school that trains masters of Khokhloma painting.

Khokhloma: dishes worthy of a royal table outside the window it’s autumn, and it’s time to remember the wonderful, very autumnal folk craft - Khokhloma painting, isn’t it true, looking at it, you can warm your soul... I remember in my childhood in our house there were such spoons that were a little simpler - they gave it to me, the borscht was much tastier with it)))) the rest were for beauty Khokhloma painting - unique phenomenon in world culture. This style of painting wooden utensils is originally Russian, and is unique nowhere else in the world!


Khokhloma painting originated in the Volga region, and got its name from one of the villages of the Nizhny Novgorod district - Khokhloma. In the second half of the 17th century after church reforms a lot of Old Believers sought refuge in these places. Among them were icon painters, thanks to whom Khokhloma painting appeared.


When painting icons, the following technology was used: to paint the background gold, the craftsmen used cheaper silver powder rather than gold. After painting the icon was covered linseed oil and baked in an oven, causing the background to become golden in color. This is such alchemy! Masters began to use a similar technology in Khokhloma painting, only instead of silver they used tin powder (and nowadays aluminum), but the result was the same - the product became sunny gold. Truly, dishes worthy of a royal table, but accessible to ordinary people!


The main colors used in Khokhloma painting are gold, black and red. Sometimes these colors are complemented with green, brown, orange, and yellow. The motifs used in painting are mainly natural: these are herbs, flowers, berries. Horse painting has several varieties, the so-called “grass painting” is the simplest of the Khokhloma paintings:




And this is a painting “like a leaf”, “like a berry”:
This kind of horse painting is called “Gingerbread” or “Ryzhik” and symbolizes the sun:
Background painting is done like this: the master draws the contours of the composition in black or red, and then paints over the background and draws in the details with strokes. This is very labor-intensive work! Background painting includes a type of composition called “kudrina” - fancy patterned leaves, flowers and fruits:
There is also green Khokhloma. Such painting is done at the Khokhloma Painting enterprise in the city of Semenov, Nizhny Novgorod region.
They say that Lyudmila Zykina once came to this enterprise and asked to make something for herself with her favorite flowers - lilies of the valley. Her request was not refused, and then they launched this version of the painting into mass production. And what a wonderful pattern it turned out to be! Thanks to Lyudmila Georgievna Zykina for inspiring the masters to create a new standard of Khokhloma. It is very pleasant and joyful that such an ancient and unique folk craft not only flourishes to this day, but is also developing harmoniously. And, here is such a masterpiece of modern Khokhloma






In the 19th century, Khokhloma dishes could be found not only in Russia, but also in Persia, India, Central Asia, the USA and Australia. And in our time, Khokhloma dishes have become even more widespread.
From the mid-1960s to the present day, the Khokhloma Painting enterprise has been largest producer artistic products made of wood with Khokhloma painting, and the city of Semenov is rightfully considered the capital of Golden Khokhloma.
The original technology of gilding wooden products, developed over centuries, which came from icon painting, has been preserved practically unchanged to the present day.
First, turning utensils ready for further processing are turned from dried linden wood: bowls and barrels, stands and vases, spoons and ladles are cut out.
Next, they are dried and covered with a special red-brown soil, which makes them all look like clay. Then soak in boiled linseed oil (linseed oil) and rub with aluminum powder. They become matte-shiny, reminiscent of silver, and in this form they are sent to the painting workshop. Painted items are varnished two or three times and hardened in an oven at a temperature of 120–130 degrees. The resulting varnish film gives the silver surface a golden shine. Thus the tree turns into “gold”.
Thanks to a special varnish coating and high-temperature treatment, the products are practical and safe to use. You can drink and eat from Khokhloma dishes, and it does not lose its appearance from cold and hot dishes, as well as salty and sour foods.
All products of the Khokhloma Painting CJSC enterprise are certified and protected by the internationally registered trademark “Semenov. Khokhloma painting".
Products with Khokhloma painting are business card not only in the Nizhny Novgorod region, but throughout the country as a whole.
The Semyonovskaya matryoshka doll, produced at the Khokhloma Painting enterprise, represents the symbol of Russia for many people in the world.
Khokhloma products are supplied to the domestic Russian market from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, as well as to many countries of the world, where high interest in them has not faded for many centuries.
The company's assortment includes more than 1,800 items of products for utilitarian and decorative purposes - these are sets for fish soup, desserts, sets (about 100 types, in some up to 180 items), carved ladles, bratins, candlesticks, vases, suppliers, barrels, damasks, panels, music boxes, spoons and painted furniture.
In addition to the main assortment, the company prepared a souvenir produced for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
And also a nesting doll with the symbol of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The enterprise includes large workshops: the first and second art workshop, carpentry, drying and procurement, experimental, pressing, transport, packaging, as well as a materials warehouse and a packaging workshop finished products
Work at the Khokhloma Painting enterprise in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

Khokhloma is a colloquial term for painted items, a traditional Russian folk craft. Wooden dishes were most often decorated. A golden background or golden ornament in combination with rich, saturated colors and ornate painting technology made it possible to create a truly spectacular product.

History of the fishery

The fishery arose in the second half of the 17th century in the villages of the Volga region. Khokhloma, a major sales center, “gave” the painting its appropriate name. Characteristic– gilding of wooden surfaces and generous decoration with various patterns. The free brush style made it possible to work in two key directions at once: background painting and riding composition.

On the left bank of the Volga there were many villages where fishing flourished. Residents of the villages of Glibino, Khryashi, Shabashi, Bezdely, and Mokushino brought goods to Khokhloma for sale. The true homeland of Khokhloma is the Koverninsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region.

The “gold” coloring is often associated with the Old Believers of the Volga region. They persecuted the “old faith” and settled in deep forests. Among them were many talented artists who, using fine brushwork, painted icons and decorated ancient books. Residents of the Volga region excelled in turning and wood carving. The fusion of two traditions gave rise to the birth of Khokhloma craft. It absorbed the rich presentation and pretentiousness of the icon painters, as well as the traditional forms and impeccable lines of the Trans-Volga region masters.

There are also several beautiful legends. One of them is about the icon painter Andrei Loskut, who at one time fled the capital due to the reforms of the patriarch. He found shelter in a deep forest and continued to paint icons “the old fashioned way. However, the patriarch was informed about the whereabouts of the fugitive and that he was teaching the “old” icon writing to the residents of nearby villages. The rebel icon painter voluntarily burned himself in a fire, before bequeathing to his students to preserve his skill.

According to another legend, in the thicket of the forest there lived an unknown master, with whom he himself invented such a luxurious letter on wood. From time to time he presented the residents of nearby villages with his creations. After some time, the fame of the wondrous master reached the king. He immediately sent his subordinates into the forest to bring the founder of Khokhloma to the chambers. However, the master did not want to submit to the king. The talented stranger was never found. So do ordinary people and the simple trade was not taken away.

Colors of Khokhloma painting

(painting on a white background)

Traditional Khokhloma creations are to some extent paradoxical: the masters managed to create truly complex compositions using a rather meager palette of colors. Richness and interesting texture were formed due to the obligatory golden base. “Golden” was either the background or key elements ornament.

(painting on a black background)

Other central colors of the palette are black and red. It was possible to give completeness and versatility to the drawing through the use of white and ocher.

(painting on an alloyed red background)

Much less common were paintings on turquoise, emerald, orange, and scarlet backgrounds. The true goal of any Khokhloma master: to convey high idea through perfectly matched colors, creating a complex and highly technical play of brushstrokes.

Primary colors

To create “Khokhloma” paintings, the following colors are used:

1. Black(#000000);
2. Red(#FF0000);
3. White(#FFFFFF);
4. Orange(#FF4F00);
5. Select yellow(#FFBA00);
6. Green(#00FF00);
7. Brown(#964B00);
8. Emerald(#50C878);
9. Blue(#00BFFF).

Elements and motifs of Khokhloma painting

There are “top” and “background” writing. In the first case, the master forms a pattern on a golden background using black, red and white tones. It is on the example of Khokhloma drawings that one can very clearly examine the entire “soul” of the Russian people, a special presentation, warm and slightly naive life philosophy a whole people. These are his well-known “grass” and “spikelets”, his love for still lifes, where the masters especially generously used bright rich colors, and the ability to create complex compositions using delicate strokes.

(branches and bushes)

Herbal painting presented with sedge motifs. Most old type The pattern is written in curls, strokes, small berries, spikelets on a silvered background. From individual blades of grass, skilled craftsmen could form a motif of a hen or a cockerel, which, for example, sits on a branch among dense foliage;

(berries and leaves)

"Berry" and "leaf" differs from the previous technique in larger “fat” strokes. Masters form oval leaves, round berries, stylizing compositions with massive plant forms. Particularly popular are patterns with grape bunches or leaves, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and large cherries. On a scattering of tulips, asters, buttercups, daisies, and bluebells, the craftsmen managed to arrange currants, gooseberries and rowan;

(stitches and patterns)

“Gingerbread” or “saffron milk cap” Usually performed inside cups, dishes, bowls. This geometric figures, which fit into a square or rhombus. A “sun” is drawn in the center. The periphery of the ornament is enriched with miniature details.

(floral ornaments )

Horse writing is always created with thin, delicate strokes. The composition turns out light and airy, as if illuminated by a golden glow from within. As a rule, this is a fairly simple method of applying paints, allowing you to improvise to some extent, modifying the composition at your discretion in the midst of work.

When writing background writing, a canvas with contour outlines is initially formed. Then the surrounding background is painted over with red and black paint. Background painting is a more complex and time-consuming process. There is no room for improvisation here, and the original idea must be implemented exactly as the master came up with at the very beginning.

Technique for performing Khokhloma painting

(In the artistic painting workshop, Semenov, USSR)

Prepared wood products are dried and primed using wax or liquid clay. The blanks dry for at least 7 hours. Then wooden surface carefully processed with drying oil. In total, the procedure must be repeated 3–4 times throughout the day.

The next stage is tinning. Aluminum powder is rubbed into the wood. The procedure is carried out manually using a leather swab. After this, the products become shiny and ready for painting.

Only thin brushes of different “calibers” are suitable for applying the design. The finished drawing is left to dry for a while and then opened with varnish. The final stage is hardening in an oven at a temperature of +160 degrees. It is then that a luxurious “golden” film is formed.

What is the difference between Khokhloma and Gorodets paintings

The unique Khokhloma painting is difficult to confuse with other folk crafts. Craftsmen use exclusively plant ornaments. The key feature of the painting is the golden background. Rich tints are effectively set off by openwork top patterns and massive large elements of the red and black palette in the background painting.

(Gorodets painting)

Unlike Khokhloma, Gorodets ornaments have no gold motifs at all. However, against the backdrop of a minimalist color palette Khokhlomas, the masters of Gorodets painting used a lot of colors, playing with shades, tints, and whitening. If in Khokhloma painting one cannot find situational drawings, then in Gorodets crafts it was images of various celebrations, entertainment events and simply images of everyday life that were popular.

These paintings may seem similar only at first glance. Having carefully studied the features of the crafts, it becomes clear that they are radically different from each other.