Leather is a natural, environmentally friendly material that is flexible in work. It is soft, pleasant to the touch, durable. Working with it allows you to show your creativity and create unique products from unnecessary, old things. In the article, we will consider what is the artistic processing of the skin.
Types of material
The following varieties exist:
- Genuine leather is produced by processing the skin of an animal, characterized by a fibrous structure.
- Artificial leather is produced in industrial conditions from a polymer material.
- Velor is one of the varieties of chrome leather with damage to the outer surface. As a result, it is tucked under the suede from the wrong side.
- Laika - leather with a characteristic ductility and softness. They make it from the skins of small cattle, sheep and goats.
- Suede is leather made from the skin of an elk, deer or wild goat with fat tanning. It features a velvety surface and softness, on the front side has a short velvety pile.
- Markings - highly elastic soft skin. It is made from the skins of newborn calves.
- The sprout is the skin of the skin of a young animal. However, it is not as elastic as the footprints, since the animal is already fed not with milk, but with plant foods.
- Safyan - made from poorly weathered goat skin. It is very soft and thin, it comes in different colors.
- Chevret - dense and at the same time elastic skin. It is made by chrome tanning from sheep skins. Its thickness ranges from 0.6 to 1.2 mm.
- Chevro - dense and soft leather, made from goat skins with chrome tanning. It features an unusual pattern and has a thickness of 0.4 to 1 mm.
- Reptile skin - characterized by a unique pattern, high quality and high cost.
What is art skin treatment?
This is material that was one of the first to be trimmed by people. Naturally, it was originally used for domestic purposes. Later there are decorative techniques of decor, such as engraving and applique. Even after the opening of weaving, leather is still the main material for the manufacture of belts, bags, armor and shoes.
There are three main stages of dressing. After the preparatory work - flaying and cleaning, the skin becomes an undeveloped semi-finished product, called a goal. It has special properties, depending on which a certain type of skin is produced. After this, the structure of the raw material is fixed by tanning. Finishing procedures are performed to give the physical, technological and other properties of the pin, as well as the desired appearance.
The technology of skin treatment for different nationalities has its own characteristics. Mostly tanning was performed to protect the skins from rotting and decay. The most ancient type of treatment is aldehyde tanning. It consists in keeping the skins in smoke from burning plants. Nomads smeared it with animal fat, and the Indians rubbed a mixture of fat and eggs. After that, the material was washed with water and kneaded with rounded stones. It was a method of fat tanning.
In northern peoples and in India, such a process was carried out with the help of herbal and vegetable decoctions. This method is called vegetable tanning. In Asian countries, a different species was used. Alum tanning was performed by mixing flour, salt, yolk and aluminum alum, and then the skin was treated with the resulting composition.
Interesting Facts
The history of the artistic processing of leather dates back to ancient times.
Primitive people used animal skins to protect against inclement weather. However, under the influence of moisture and temperatures they did not serve for long. Therefore, only a few items from this material have survived to the present day. Over time, people begin to process the skin, extending its life. When excavating Egyptian tombs, rock paintings of the 5th century BC were discovered. e., which demonstrates the process of dressing.
Masters of that time began to make dishes, sacks, shoes, clothes from leather. The skins stretched over the frame served as swimming means. Nomads built dwellings on a similar principle, and skin shields were made for warriors. Later, artisans begin to improve their skills and be creative in processing materials. In the tomb of Tutankhamun were found clothes embroidered with gold, household items, decorated with leather applique, etc.
The Romans in the 1st century BC e. began to apply such methods of processing the skin, which made it possible to use it as parchment. They fastened the sheets, creating some kind of book. Later bookbinding develops. Since the 10th century, covers have been exquisitely decorated with artistic embossing, stamps and engravings. The entire cover was covered with ornaments. It depicted the simplest geometric shapes, animals, plants, and more.
With the rise of the Gothic style, engraving techniques became widespread. It was distinguished by complexity and was performed only by qualified craftsmen. And to this day, the preserved products of the Gothic period are considered masterpieces of art and are stored in the best museums in the world.
In the Renaissance, such a technique of artistic processing of leather (photo can be seen in the article), such as exquisite embossing, gained popularity. Relief images of mythological characters are reproduced on objects. Baroque style styles made of leather. At first they were produced in North Africa, later in Spain, and in the XVII century they were widely used in Europe. With the advent of classicism, no new trends in the decoration of leather occurred, however, in the 19th century, against the background of the popularity of Art Nouveau, engraving, intarsia and gilding returned to fashion.
During excavations in Altai, leather products dating from the 5th – 1st century BC were also found. e., such as a harness, vessels, ducts. The tanneries of the Slavs were quite well developed, but a small number of things have survived to our time. These are mainly shoes and other household items.
What is the finish
Skin treatment tools are not special. Most of them are commonly used household items.
The list of devices is as follows:
- Shoemaker's jamb knife for working with thick leathers.
- Punching knife.
- A narrow knife for engraving.
- Tailor scissors.
- Thick wooden board or glass for cutting leather.
- Scissors with a zigzag blade.
- Round punches are necessary for punching holes for fittings or for braiding.
- Nail scissors.
- Punches with a diameter of 30-40 mm for the manufacture of buttons, earrings from leather and other types of accessories and jewelry.
- Stamps. They are a rod, at the end of which a simple relief pattern is machined. Used to decorate the surface.
- Slot-hole punches. They are used for punching rectangular holes into which threaded straps are used when working in the perforation technique.
- Figured punches for perforation of various forms in the form of a star, heart, etc.
Skin Treatment Steps
Work on any product takes three steps. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Planning the shape, color, method of decoration and connection of elements.
- Making patterns. The skin is cut according to the pattern. If necessary, decor elements are also prepared.
- Connection parts.
- Giving the product a finished look.
Next, we consider the methods and features of processing products made of genuine leather.
Tanning
This is a leather processing technique that involves the use of various substances to give a material strength, elasticity and improved performance. Before proceeding to tanning, the skins are rubbed with a concentrated salt solution, soaked for several days in water, a lime solution. Then remove the muscle-fat and hair layer remaining on the skin. The material is then reprocessed in a similar manner to give better ductility and strength.
Embossing
There are different types of processing. In industrial conditions, several embossing methods are used by extruding the pattern using molds. In the manufacture of decorative products, it is performed with special typesetting dies and embossments.
Another way of artistic processing of the skin (photo is presented in the article) - stamping with filling - is performed as follows. Relief elements are cut from a dense base and placed under a moistened material. Then it is embossed along the contour. Small elements are squeezed unlined, the relief is achieved due to the thickness of the skin. Drying, it hardens and preserves the relief.
Thermal embossing is performed by extruding parts with heated metal dies.
Perforation and weaving
This is one of the oldest techniques for art processing the skin.
Perforation consists in cutting holes with punches of various shapes in the form of a pattern. This technique is used to perform delicate compositions, for example, jewelry, panels or dressing.
Weaving from leather cords is often found in the manufacture of bracelets, belts, laces. In this way, bags, clothes and shoes are trimmed.
Pyrography
This technique is more familiar as burning out. In the traditional version, pyrography consists in applying various patterns to dense skin types. This was done with copper stamps preheated to a certain temperature.
The finished image directly depends on the skill of the artist, so learning the artistic processing of leather in this technique is of great importance. Also play a significant role opportunities burning device. The pyrograph allows you to apply subtle and very complex patterns to the product. Often this look is combined with other techniques: engraving, embossing and painting.
Engraving and application
This kind of artistic processing of the skin is performed only on dense types of material, such as shabrack, yuft, shora.
Engraving is done as follows. A cutter is applied to the front surface of the moistened skin with a cutter. After that, the slots are expanded with a metal object and filled with paint. Another method of engraving involves the use of a pyrograph. The final pattern, its color and thickness mainly depend on the degree of incandescence of the device needle.
Applique on clothes is carried out by sewing decor elements from thin types of leather to the base. To create souvenirs, panels and other interior items, details can be made from all types of material and glued to the base.
Intarsia
This technique is one of the oldest of all listed. It is more like a mosaic or inlay. The skin is stained and details are cut out according to the patterns. Then they are glued to a textile or wooden base with bone glue or PVA. Intarsia is used to create panels, decorations, souvenirs, and decorate furniture.
Batik, toning, candle processing, roasting
Let's look at some more interesting finishing methods:
- The technique in which the ornament is applied to the surface of genuine leather with molten paraffin is called batik. After coating, a colored drawing is made, while the places with wax remain intact. After painting, the wax is removed with a blunt object.
- Toning is performed by a burner. First, a sketch is applied to the skin, and then lines of ornament are drawn with a needle. Depending on the heating of the needle and the pressing force, an image of different shades remains on the basis.
- A fairly simple and unusual way is to process the material on a candle. The pattern is cut out of leather elements. On the front side with a sharp object make small incisions and slightly singe above the candle flame. This method is best suited for simulating veins on the leaves of plants, flower petals. In this way, it is convenient to handle the cords for the braid.
- Frying is another thermal treatment for skin. The wrong side of the material is placed in a hot pan of the desired temperature. Soon a circle forms on the surface, giving the product a convex shape. Frying is most often used to make bulk parts.
Drapery
This method is the easiest and most beautiful way to treat your skin. For this technique, as a rule, soft types of material are chosen. The skin is generously lubricated with glue and attached to the base. Without waiting for drying, they form folds in the right direction, according to the sketch. If the drapery is made from used leather, it is pre-cleaned and stained if necessary.