What is fresco painting?

• A. Painting on dry plaster with oil-based pigments
• B. Glazing technique on canvas with tempera
• C. Applying water-based pigments onto wet plaster
• D. A mural technique using limewash on brick

Answer: (C)

Fresco painting means applying water-based pigments onto wet plaster so the pigment fuses with the plaster as it dries. This method, often called buon fresco, makes the mural durable because the pigment becomes part of the wall material. The pigments are water-based and bind as the plaster sets, rather than sitting on top of a dry surface.

The other descriptions describe different approaches: painting on dry plaster with oil-based pigments would be oil painting, which doesn’t bind into the plaster the same way; glazing on canvas with tempera is a different binding medium on a separate surface; and limewash on brick is a wall coating rather than painting into wet plaster.