In the ancient world stencils were used in the
decoration of Egyptian tombs. The artist would
stencil an outline of the figure or hieroglyph
onto the wall, after which a sculptor would
incise the outline in low relief.
Once this was done a thin layer of stucco was
added to receive the paint. The Egyptians
tended to use very bright primary colours
mainly red, green, blue and yellow.
Exterior and interior walls, as well as the
columns and piers, were covered with
hieroglyphic and pictorial frescoes and
carvings painted in brilliant colors.
Many motifs of Egyptian ornamentation are
symbolic, such as the scarab, or sacred beetle,
the solar disk, and the vulture.
Other common motifs include palm leaves, the
papyrus plant, and the buds and flowers of the
lotus. Hieroglyphics were used for decoration
as well as records of historic events that tell
stories or document spells.
Egyptians used a special code of colors in each
painting they did, with each color representing
a different quality of the people represented.
There were six colors the Ancient Egyptians
used in their paintings red, green, blue,
yellow, black, and white.They made these colors
of mineral compounds and that is why they have
lasted so long.
The color green was symbolic of new life,
growth, vegetation, and fertility. Depictions
of Osiris often show him with green skin.
Red was the color of power it symbolized life
and victory, as well as anger and fire. Red was
associated with the god Isis. It also
represented the God Set who was considered evil
and who caused storms.
The color blue was the color of the heavens and
the water and it symbolized creation and
rebirth. The god Amun, who played a part in the
creation of the world, is depicted with a blue
face.
Anything yellow symbolized the eternal and
indestructible, the qualities of the sun and
gold. It was the color of Ra and of all the
pharaohs, which is why the sarcophagi and
funeral masks were made of gold to symbolize
the eternalness of the pharaoh who was now a
god.
The color of death was black. Black also
represented the underworld and the night. Both
the gods Annubis and Osiris were depicted in
black as the gods of the embalming and the
afterlife respectively.
Lastly white was the color of purity, it
symbolized all things sacred and simple.
Normally used in religious objects and tools
used by the priests.
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