The DRY FRESCO (secco fresco) is done by applying colors to a dry, fully cured

mortar base. It is by far the easier of the two fresco technologies because the time

of its execution is not directly dependent on mortar's condition. This is because

paint is applied over the fully cured surface of the mortar which allows for pauses

and interruptions taken at will and for as long as the artist and his client deem fit.

For this technology different kind of paint can be selected: tempera, acrylics, or oils.

This is not the case with the WET FRESCO (buon, true fresco), where instead

of tempera colors the artist uses pure powder pigments, applying them to a fresh,

uncured mortar so they can be absorbed into the coating, thus becoming

an integral part of the mortar layer after it cures. At best, this technique only allows

for a few hours of work at a time and because of that, unless very small, the classic

wet frescos are created incrementally, by painting immediately after each mortar

patch is applied. When the mortar begins to cure and the paint starts running

instead of soaking in the unpainted area is removed and once a fresh layer

of mortar is reapplied, the painting process continues.