Plastic processors associated with color. The uses of color in the faces of Fayoum. The uses of
gilding in the faces of Fayoum. “The gilding appeared along with the colors in the paintings of the
faces of Fayoum as if it was a final touch, as the painted and gilded crown increased the splendor of
the image and they used the original gold leaf for that, and sometimes the crowns are drawn by
coloring that mimics gold, where they were able to reach the golden color by mixing Yellow oak
with white and part of red, as they used egg whites to paste the original gold paper on the plate
painted with wax colors "The golden branches decorated for the heads of some men and women, as
well as boys and children gave the attribute of sanctity to the people with pictures, and it also
increased the luxury and respect for these Christians and says Berenice said that this road was
similar to the traditions of the Byzantine icons and also confirmed that sometimes the lips were
topped with a thin golden touch, expressing their submission, reverence and respect for the
deceased, because it is the prevailing belief in Pharaonic Egypt that gold is seen as a symbol of the
body of the goddess above all that in those paintings is The women’s ornaments executed on the
drawing with the utmost sensitivity and tenderness, and they expressed it by adding the paste
protruding from the surface of the painting in order to resemble the truth, and they used the yellow
color that shines in it. It's the beauty of gold".
Background processing:
"The Faiyum artist in this period dealt with photo backgrounds. There are light backgrounds and
dark or dark backgrounds, and some have gilded backgrounds".
"A face of a woman with a full face and eyes in black, and here the artist relied on showing the
features through the shadow and light areas in the woman's face, and did not depend on the specific
lines of the figure, and we can realize this through the expression of the nose and mouth. As for the
woman's hair, it is styled in easy tufts." Short curly hair from the front and surrounding the face and
the rest of the hair raised to the top and showing a golden pin, and on the right side of the woman,
she wears an oval gold earring with pearl beads in the middle of a black stone bead, and she wears a
gold chain with a pendant from the middle of the black stone and a necklace of black stone around
her neck. The golden and black balls, and the woman wears a purple dress with a black ribbon
light backgrounds:
"The face of a man from Al-Hawara with light skin and a little yellowish, with brown eyes with a
sad expression. The eyebrows close to the nose line, which the artist expressed in a thick black
color, and the man's hair is short and curly, revolving around the face line and meeting the beard
and chin area from the ear, and the man with a mustache." It is almost related to the beard area that
he expressed, which came in proportion to the movement of the man’s hair.As for the background,
it was expressed by an artist in light colors commensurate with the tones in the man’s face, which
separated them with a lot of black in hair and beard
Gilded backgrounds:
The face of a young man with a long oval face, black eyes, curly hair, arranged in spiral locks,
which were clarified through some hanging tufts at the top of the forehead, and a crown of gilded
leaves on his head. The young man has a light mustache, which the artist expressed in thin black
lines. Light colors, close in tones, while the background is gilded and perfectly coexist with the total
tones in the face
أ.د/عصام محمد محفوظ | Prof.Dr.Essam Mohamed Mahfouz | 21572