What is gesso

By Jenn Sinrich August 06, Save Pin More. Comments Add Comment. Back to story Comment on this project. Tell us what you think Thanks for adding your feedback. A quick wipe with a dry brush or a little rubbing alcohol is good. Step 2 : Dip brush into the gesso. Most gesso is ready to use straight from the container after shaking or stirring. Step 3 : Apply the gesso in a thin, even coat to the surface, working all in one direction horizontal or vertical.

Step 4 : Allow the first coat to dry 1 hour. Be patient. Step 5 : Lightly sand the dried gesso with fine sandpaper. This smooths any brush ridges and allows for a slight tooth for good adhesion of paints. If you lie the ridges, leave them. Step 6 : Apply a second layer of gesso, working the brush in the opposite direction from the first layer horizontal or vertical.

Step 7 : Allow to dry again, sand, and repeat steps 3 through 5 as many times as you like! You can see the texture from a chip brush application to a journal page below. To sand or not to sand? I hope that you have enjoyed learning all about Gesso as much as I have!

I encourage you to go for it when playing with gesso…the possibilities are truly endless. Let me know if you find a new way to use Gesso please!! You can find even more of my art, DIYs, and whimsical shenanigans on Cre8tiva. That was really interesting. As a decorative painter, I would try to mix my own concoction of drywall mud or plaster of Paris and flat latex paint for interior use.

Not sure of the ratio, but play with the consistency…it needs to be fairly stiff. Drywall mud would need to have at least half and half with latex paint or it would wash off. Drywall mud must be sealed to become permanent. There are stucco mixes that would do the trick also and might be more affordable and less time consuming in the long run. I advise test before you go to the fireplace to make sure it is permanent and looks the way you like.

I look forward to hearing what you decide. Can Gesso be used if I need to reuse a canvas or make a mistake in a painting and wish to cover it up? Thanks for the info! I often reuse old canvases Margie. You can use gesso as a primer coat to change direction and you can also use it to cover an oops. Just be aware, that some gesso brands will take several coats to completely cover a mistake.

The professional grade does a better job of covering. The receipt will still work just fine. There are a lot of different white glues on the market but you should stick to a very basic one for this receipt.

Try to get the basic variants of these glues without any fancy additions like glitter or fast-drying variants. Add some water little by little as you mix the ingredients until the mixture has the consistency you like.

I personally like the consistency to be a little more fluent than acrylic paint. But that is up to you, really. You can use the mixture just like regular gesso. It will dry a little bit slower than gesso and the surface will be a little smoother but other than that it is almost exactly like commercial gesso just way cheaper. This is a very common question and I personally asked my art teacher the exact same thing back in my high school years.

Gesso is quite expensive compared to acrylic paint and in the end, gesso is just acrylic paint mixed with some glue and chalk, right? So how can it be so different? At least, that is what I thought. Acrylic paint can be used as a base coat but it is not the same as gesso and if the surface has to be primed then gesso is a better choice than acrylic paint.

Gesso, unlike acrylic paint, will create the perfect conditions for paint application on most surfaces. Just because a major ingredient of gesso is acrylic paint does not mean, that acrylic paint is the same as gesso. Acrylic paint will not stick to most materials the same way as gesso does and even though you can use acrylic paint as a base coat gesso does so much more than just providing a base color coat.

Although the GAC will not quite achieve the stiffness of the rabbitskin glue, it does not remain water-soluble. Apply one or two coats directly into the raw canvas, coating both front and back for maximum stiffness. It is imperative that it be applied directly to the raw canvas. Since it is an acrylic polymer, it is not hygroscopic. Note: Since GAC is brittle, it is important that it not be rolled tightly, or bent back upon itself. This will cause cracking of the polymer film and may transfer cracks into additional paint layers.

This is especially a risk with cured oil paints. Im a total newbie. I want to paint both oil and acrylic, but doing acrylic for now. What can I use to keep the paint moist enough to work on for a lengthy time. For on your painting you can add a touch of acrylic retarder, which helps to stop the paints dry quite so quickly.

Do i need to prepare the canvas beforehand or apply more coats? I need to keep bright vibrant colours,so opaques are out of the question. It depends on the effect you are after with your painting, have a solid gesso ground will make it easier to apply paints to the surface. If you are using student quality paints these can often need more coats for the same coverage you would achieve with artist quality paints. Hi will, This site was very useful and i mean it.

Many people after seeing my painting want me to sell them but i am afraid that it wont be nice to give them such an unprofessional painting and i dont even know how long it will last.

I am very new to canvas so wanted your suggestions. You usually apply gesso when the canvas is horizontal, so on a table is just fine. To hold the canvas in place most artist use an easel — either a tabletop easel or stand up easel.

Hello, I will paint with geomatrical shape by using arcylic. So,it is should have toned ground for it background because it does not landscape drawing but just geomatrical pattern. Hi Will, Thank you so much for the website. It has been so helpful and resourceful.

I am reading it everyday and try to learn more about my favorite old master and impressionist painting techniques. You have helped a lot! Thank you and please keep doing what you are doing for this online art school.

It is indeed wonderful. Hi Will Thanks for all the tips! I was wondering if you could give me some advice please? I have made a few of my own stretchers which I have painted on and I am now wondering how to finish off the edges on the back.

I have been left with raw, fraying edges and staples on the cotton canvas. Could you recommend a high-tack tape or something like that please? I an trying to achieve a professorial finish. Hi Lindsey, the best thing to do is get a roll of brown framers tape, you can run this over the back of the frame and it will look sweet. Have a look at these frame sealing tapes.

I always go for the self adhesive rather than the gummed version. I am looking to paint a large canvas; 4 feet by 8 feet. If I buy a canvas painters drop cloth and size it and put on three coats of gesso and then stretch it on a frame, would that work for painting with acrylics.

Any advice on creating a bit more of a rough surface? Thanks for the reply! Another question, could I mix something like sand or something into the gesso to give it texture? Something like beach sand? I have a little bit from Redondo Beach, California in small mason jars in the bathroom, and could use a little bit from that mixed into the gesso, if this could work.

I just happened across this site which is fantastic and I am interested in painting across a map of Wash ington DC as part of a wedding gift. What should I do to prepare the map to take acrylic paint? Any thoughts? Cheers, Will. I applied my first coat of gesso on 12oz cotton canvas. I forgot to dilute the gesso with water on the first coat.

In your experience do you think it will crack over time? Thanks for help. Most small pots come in ml.

I never tried the single sheet canvas that is tear away like drawing pages. So I started to paint on a sheet of canvas and found it was very difficult painting. I was using acrylics and my color and detail became lost soon after applying. After completing half of my subject blue jays I realized that i had painted the opposite side of the gesso.

Is this the cause of my burden? It is to be a gift to my Father. The reason I used the tear out canvass to begin with was due to shipping. I have applied generous amounts of paint and it still seemed so grainy.

Yes that will be the issue scott, the raw canvas will make it harder for the painting to flow on the surface. Hi… Let me say you thank for you kindly support, advice and shared experienced with us. Sometime I surf on your site for tips and trick, is a amazing island of wonder! Could you suggest me some advice for using canvas instead paper for watercolor? My first proof were a stunning disaster color creates stains on the canvas and spreads everywhere. My first, albeit not very helpful advice, would be to stick with watercolours on paper for the best result.

If you want a harder surface to work onto you can mount watercolour paper onto a wooden board. You can use soft-gel gloss or spray mount to attach the paper to board. Its very generous of you to share your amazing knowledge and skill like this. Second off all, do I need to size MDF board before applying gesso? I have been using a sealer mixed as recommended with my base coat but the paint absorbs VERY fast! It makes it very difficult to and time consuming to produce anything. Is there any other way to prepare wood for painting?

After your response I googled all kinds of gesso and there are a lot! What are some good kinds for wood? I am on a small budget so am looking for the best bang for my buck.

For my drawing supplies I shop at Dick Blick online. I noticed they have a line of artist acrylic paint and gesso and a variety of other things. Hope you find the tutorials helpful. Hi Will! Your blog, indeed is very informative and encouraging, am passionate about drawing and i know that i have good skill, have worked with pencil colors and soft pastels and the out come is really good, people have told me why dont i pursue this sill on professional basis.

The problem is that am not sucessful with either water colors or acrylic paints, as soon as i have brush in hand, am not able to create a painting…i have bought pre-primed canvas Titanium Fine Art trade mark canvas and want to pursue and pidilitte paints…please can you guide.

The best place to start is with a simple two colour painting, get used to holding the brush and making brushstrokes, and then you can introduce more colours as you progress. When i look at it at a different angle, it looks patchy, but straight on it looks normal. Should I be unable to see any light through the back of the painting? Or can I just start painting? What a wonderful website!!! So I bought a roll of 2. The plan is to make two painting with this using acrylic paints.

I have black gesso.. Is this possible or do I really have to stretch and painting like that? I have down it before not have the tools yet. Guess I need some stretching bars etc? I was kinda hoping to just do the painting and then pay someone to stretch, mount or frame etc. Hi Wendy, here is a simple demo on how to stretch a canvas so you can see how the different elements all work together.

Cheers wendy. If you keep on unpicking the staples from the stretched canvas every time it would also be very time consuming to do this every time you painted. Hope this helps,. I want to prime my board with Gesso.

Do I sketch my drawing before or after applying the gesso primer? I am using a charcoal pencil. Hi Will, I am new to the world of acrylic painting. My question is about gesso.

I understand its purpose now, but wonder why would one tint it. What does one consider when choosing a tint. Thank you for the great website. Thankyou for such a treat of a website with all these wonderful tutorials!

Hello Will, I have been reading all the comments and questions on this site. How delightful to find so much knowledge on one page. Thank you. I have been oil painting. I had liquid white on the canvas in question and had laid my first patches of color for the sky when I became ill and had to leave the painting sit dry.

I have managed to remove most of the oils across the sky with turpentine. There is still some color on the canvas What do I do next? Must I re-prime my canvas with Gesso, if so, should I use oil gesso or acrylic? Sincerely, Mari. I work with oils on wood. When I paint I like for it to be slightly transparent for the patterns and the grain of the wood to show through similar to the work of Audrey Kawasaki. I was wondering how you gesso or prime the wood and still be able to get that effect?

Hi Melena you can get a clear gesso that is a resin, then work with layers ontop of that. I sanded the surface before I began painting with oils.

I am wondering if I may have sanded to hard over the stretcher and accidentally sanded off all the gesso in those areas. Does this sound familiar? Is there anything I can do at this point to remedy it? Would it be appropriate for me to dampen the back of the canvas to see if it just needs tightened? Or can I gesso the back of the canvas in the areas that seem to have lost the gesso? Thank you for your time and consideration!

Thanks so much for the tip. I have mistaken the purpose of poppyseed oil and have been using it like paint thinner in the first few coats of paint on two paintings. Now my paintings are tacky to the touch, blotchy and glossy. I still plan on working on them some more, but I am afraid that they may crack with more coats of paint. I have since done research and now understand the fat over lean process. Are my paintings doomed, or will they dry enough in a few months time to continue working on them?

Thank you for your time. I look forward to your response! Sincerely, Alyssa. Hi Alyssa, the poppy oil is classes as a semi-drying oil and often has dries added so will dry eventually its just more slow drying than linseed oil. I am a complete newbie. Could I use clear gesso on top of it? I want my fabric to stay brown and grainy if possible.

Hi Katya, yes you can apply a clear gesso to your fabric, but I would recommend artist canvas so you can pull it tight on a stretcher bar to give you a taught surface to paint on top of. Hi Will, I am working on an acrylic landscape with two foreground mountains to the sides, one midground, and another background.

I was thinking of leaving it but hazing it up a bit. Will a light wash give it a lighter, hazy look or will it smear the work? Is there anything else I might consider? Thank you sir, best of the holidays, and I may try to concoct some of those whiskey macs you mentioned! Raise a glass to the teacher! Hi Denis, you can use Zinc white, which is a transparent white, this will give a lovely hazy effect. It has no center wood support.

Do I need to gesso the back at all? Thanks Will! I just found your website and will subscribe to it. What a great tool to have in the studio! My mother was given a very large roll of unprimed canvas. She wants to cut it up and make her own painting What does she need to do to prepare it for painting? She tried coating it with Gesso but it soaked right through. What can she do?

Hi Carolyn, if its acrylic painting she would just need to apply a couple of coats of gesso to the canvas, ideally stretched onto stretcher bars to keep the canvas taught. Yes, sometimes the first layers of gesso will drip through if it is a loose weave on the canvas, you can then just apply another coat on top. I bought a small canvas and did a sketch on it, just to learn I have to prime it first like I said, completely new.

Anyways, can you give me any advice on what brushes or tools will I need. I have just stumbled across your blog in my search for help. I am thinking that you in your wisdom will be able to help me.

I am a photographer, and am wanting to create some painted canvas backdrops. The backdrops would be rolled up when not in use. I have purchased a roll of pre-primed 10oz canvas from an art supplier. My questions are: 1. Do I need to prime it again with gesso to ensure that the paint that I paint on it does not crack when it is rolled up, stored and unrolled again?

What kind of paint should I be using? It will be a solid colour on the backdrop not a design. How many layers of paint should I be painting on? Oh and do I need to stretch the canvas while I am painting it?

Or can I just lay it down and paint away? To answer your questions: 1. Acrylics would be best for flexibility 3. Hi Will, Just thought I had to comment on your excellent site. Thought I might start with an easy L S Lowry copy as there are some readily available. Will let you know how I get on. Kind regards from sunny England [ I wish] Colin Eccles.

Hi Colin, thanks for dropping by and for your kind comments, hope the Lowry copy goes well and you find the site helpful.

Hi Will. Just a quick question, can I prime MDF with white emulsion instead of gesso? Or is that totally insane! Hello Will. I am relatively new to painting and have just discovered this site. My problem is this: Do I need to gesso these or will a couple of coats of white paint be ok? I am painting in acrylics. Many thanks, Rose. Hi Rose, the gesso is a good base because it will have more absorbency than standard white paint. Are you diluting the gesso with water?

I have been painting with acrylics about five years, learn something new with each painting. Lately I am using a thinned layering process on portrait paintings. My problem is the toothiness of the canvas is showing through from the watered down acrylic.

How do I get that to seal so the teeth will be covered? Thanks, love your site and articles. This will give you a smoother finish with the thin layers. I generally work in pyrographics, burning , so this information for my next project is greatly useful as I attemp a large painting behind a burning! Thanks very much. Thank you very very much for taking the time to produce such an incredibly helpful website. Your explanation on color bias was also a break-through and I can only imagine how much my painting will improve as I work my way through your lessons.

You are a saint! Hi, yes, you can use a roller for larger scale applications, sometimes the wall rollers will leave tiny textured effects on the surface in comparison to a brush, the best thing to do is test a smaller canvas first to see if you like the aesthetic. I am a little confused with sizes and gesso for oil paints. I usually use marine ply boards to paint on and was told at an art store that acrylic gesso on the board is ok for oils thin layers sanded between coats I then start with acrylic underpainting then move to oils.

Without the protection of a size layer the canvas or linen can be more susceptible to rot. Im a finance analyst by profession but has been painting since 3rd grade. I really find your site very informative and helpful, especially for art enthusiasts like myself. Will it be advisable then to apply a third layer of Gesso, or two layers should do the trick?

Thanks for sharing so much information. I truly appreciated it. I have 2 canvas backgrounded with oil paint. Can I put gesso over and then continue with acrylic? Thanks for your help. Hi Rebekka, you can paint oil paint ontop of acrylics, but not acrylic paint over oil. I live in Costa Rica and am about to work on three large canvases. It has a white coating type primer made for ink. Do you happen to know if I can gesso on top of this primer, or if I need to gesso on it at all.

This is for an acrylic painting. Would appreciate any advice you may have. Varnish is a good way to bring the colors back, but I wanted a more accurate and faster way of getting the saturation that I needed. It was recommended to me that I use an oil-base primer on top of the gesso.

Did I apply too much primer? What can I do to repair my surface before I start painting on the canvas. Should I sand it off or is there a glue like-medium that will protect the cracking?

Most gesso for painting is a combination of glue or binder and pigment, so the paint has the flexibility within it. Cracks usually appear when there is one thick layer, rather that a few thin layers. Personally, I would start a fresh and do a few small test pieces on scrap canvas to test if it was the thickness or the inherent lack of flexibility in the primer.

Dear Will Kemp, I have just been told that sanding my canvas after painting it with white gesso creates a serious problem. Apparently the Titanium white is toxic when inhaled. If inhaled over a long period of time is a carcinogen. Would it be safer to use clear gesso for priming the canvas? I use it on ready made stretched canvas to make the surface smoother to paint on.

Is the Titanium safe if left contained in the paint and not sanded? If not what other white could I use,please.? Thank you, as always, for all your help and advice.

I really appreciate you and admire your work and generosity. For smooth canvas, I would look for a portrait canvas that has a finer weave so you have a smoother surface intially.

I have bought fabric canvas and acrylic gesso. Do you recommend to sand the surface of the last gesso layer? I have noticed a few tiny gesso balls on the back of the canvas when I apply the first and sometimes the second layer.

Is it that normal? I have noticed even after 3 layer I still can see the fabric weft. Should the weft be not visible? And yes you still want to see some weave as this will drag the paint from the brush. To get a more absorbent surface I would have to use gesso or acrylic gesso?

Sorry this is a little confusing for me. To add absorbency to your acrylic gesso you would add in more chalk calcium carbonate — sometimes called whiting to the gesso. More absorbent add more chalk More flexible add more binder Less absorbent add more pigment. What could I use for binder?