Exploring Strappo Painting
Presenter: Bruno Moskola
Email: bmmoskol@volusia.k12.fl.us
“Strappo” is a Greek word that translates to “peel” or “strip”. This technique was named by the artist,
Harold Garde, who has developed and taught the Strappo technique since the early 1990s after he
noticed the interesting appearance of acrylic paint that he peeled off of a glass palette.
The process involves painting with acrylic paint onto a sheet of glass. Many layers of color can be
applied until the glass is completely opaque. Then, Layers of gesso are applied (usually between 5 and
10 layers) until the paint is thick enough to peel off of the glass without tearing. The resulting image can
have the textural appearance of a heavily layered painting, but is actually as smooth as glass.
Materials: A sheet of glass, acrylic paints, brushes, scraping tools, Utrecht Professional Gesso, masking
tape (if the glass is sharp)
Is Strappo printmaking or painting or both?
The Strappo technique can be seen as a method of monotype printmaking. The painting can be directly
transfered onto a backing of paper and then pulled like a print off of the glass when the wet gesso has
dried and bonded with the paper. The appearance of the brushwork on the smooth surface of the glass
is even very similar to the look of a monotype created from a similar surface.
Strappo can also be seen, not as a printing process, but as painting in reverse.
Most traditional paintings begin with a surface that is primed with gesso, layered with an underpainting and then successively with more precise and descriptive lines, shapes, textures, highlights, and
shadows until the final and markings are made on surface of the painting. In a strappo painting those
steps are basically reversed and affixing the painting to the surface of your choice (paper, wood,
fabric,etc) can be seen as a final step.
Things to know:
As a strappo painting is created, the artist will spend much time looking at the back of the painting and
will need to frequently flip the glass to check the appearance of the painting’s front surface.
Layers of paint that are meant to be permanent should dry before deeper layers are applied over them.
Even after they are dry they can be slid, warped, or easily scraped away by aggressive painting because
the paint does not really bond with the glass.
Scraping away layers of paint from the surface will allow you to add more precise details, remove
unwanted areas, and create interesting textures. This can be done with any number of tools including
the staff end of the brush, an etching needle, sharp pencils or pens, fingernails, and toothpicks.
Utrecht Professional Gesso is what many Strappo artists use. The Gesso must have great flexibility and a
heavy body.
Before pulling the finished painting off of the glass, excess paint should be scraped off the sides with a
razor. Then, the Strappo should be pulled very slowly and gently from one corner.
If an area of the painting seems to be stuck to the glass don’t force it off. Instead, peel from a different
corner so that the area has a chance of loosening without ripping the painting.
Be ready to face the unexpected. Several aspects of this process may make you feel out of control, but
try to “go with the flow” if things are going well. Also remember that these paintings can be scraped
away and started again without much trouble.