Sgraffito takes its name from the Italian ‘sgraffiare’ meaning to scratch or engrave.

Linear designs or blocks of colour are carved into fresh lime plaster to create bold designs which are easily read from the street.

The technique enjoyed great popularity in cities such as Prague, Vienna, Brussels and Barcelona at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries when modern telescopes revealed the beautiful intricacy of plants and microscopic forms and inspired the sensuous line and exuberant colour of L’Art Nouveau.

Multi coloured passes of plaster create strong linear designs and blocks of colour, with figures and details often painted ‘a fresco’ to produce richly polychromatic and textured surfaces.

Whether used on the exterior or interior of buildings, sgraffito creates strong line and dynamic imagery and offers the contemporary craftsman a wealth of opportunity.

Here are some of mine.