It depends. It must be fine enough for me to paint extremely small details, but I prefer it to have enough texture to give the painting some life and character. At first, stir properly and use with a brush to a neat and clean surface. I look forward to hear about your experiences in the world of painting supports! I am now talking about going over old paintings…. And that might well depend on how you paint. Should be fine. I should really do some time. Thanks for your input, it is really interesting. There are two grades of gesso that you can buy. This doesn’t take long to dry, and acts as a shield between your wood and the oil paint. No, never tried NP paints, but I hear they are very good. Hi Donna, thank you for adding your comments. Is it the same as for acrylic primed linen? I’ve been buying birch plywood from a timber place, sealing both sides with shellac, and then sanding and priming it. If you like to err on the side of caution as many of us do, leave it for an hour to be 100% certain that it’s dried properly. Preparing to paint on wood . Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Some artists like the immediate staining of their canvas, others like to move things around a bit more. However, there are a few considerations that you should take into account first. Thank You for posting. Let us know how you like it! I am really pleased my blog post has helped you somewhat. You may also know linseed oil by something else: flaxseed oil. I’ve heard more people that paint on doors! You don’t hear much about it, because it’s no longer required for commercial construction. It has a hint of a texture but is pretty smooth. Hi Sophie Great article. I now use it to coat both sides of the MDF before priming it with Golden primer. Some painters like a high absorbency, others don’t. Next is maple, which is a nice, rigid and hard wood. I have stuck to shop bought materials. Doors today are built as torsion boxes and dont warp. Hi Sophie, Great advice. Gesso is a primer and not a sealer. Way back when they made canvases out of rough cotton, it was the only way to get paint to blend with the material. To apply canvas to a wooden panel always use an archival PVA glue or gel, smear it out with a spatula or brush so that every inch is covered, and place your canvas on it, smoothing out any remaining air bubbles. Alternatively you can buy clear primed canvas – which will show the pale brown canvas through it- black primed canvas or unprimed canvas. Ah, yes…oil priming is not to everyone’s taste…its like rollerskating with brushes – that’s how slippery it is. I think that the Ampersand panels are of a very good quality and I am reluctant to go back to priming my own hardboard panels like I did in college because I don’t think that I could match their quality. They are not very common here in the UK though. You can also use other types of wood if these are too pricey. It is an isolating layer between the canvas and the paint. It might not be ideal, but at least we know what will happen to it. Good luck! Acrylic primers will always have some absorbency and I am afraid you will have to try and see which ones you like the best. It has a varying degree of absorbency which you will notice while painting. Must be great for quick sketches etc. Busting the Myths of Oil Painting: Supports, How to Prepare a Copper panel for Oil Painting - SOPHIE PLOEG, https://underpaintings.com/2017-the-art-of-the-portrait-conference-day-1-2/, http://www.naturalpigments.com/art-supply-education/shellac-use-art/. So the longevity will be useless. Thanks, Kim. Birch is fairly pouros, which is why we don’t want to immediately add the oil paint to it. You can prime a canvas with acrylic mediums, clear gesso, or rabbit skin glue. Less volume, more expensive, but you require less to dry out a canvas or wood. But Jackson panelss seem to be different as they are pure aluminium (I’ve just bought a small sample) and have received a special treatment, so I don’t know what to do. I’d love to have your advice ! Thank you for sharing. They are wood panels so you can sand them more if you wish but I find the oils grip the wood … It’s often used in decorative augmentations in furniture and aesthetic elements of your home, but if you can order a full panel of maple wood, it’s going to be the best thing you’ve ever oil painted on. Linen canvas has an irregular, natural weave. This way you can benefit from the rigidity that the support offers as well as enjoy the weave, feel and look of canvas. Well... nothing is mandatory, but holy crow is it a good idea. Acrylic Gesso – This is a modern alternative primer and allows you to paint an acrylic ground and a thin acrylic under-painting before moving onto an oil paint layer. Step 1. I’ve been working using oils on small 10 x 8 ins pieces from Jacksons Art Supplies. Hi Simon, thanks for your comment! Linen, on the other hand, is a bit stiffer and less elastic. If wood is not sized or sealed properly before applying the gesso, yellowing can occur because water [a solvent] can cause acids, occurring naturally in wood, to migrate to the surface. This means that I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase through these carefully chosen links. Many artists choose to paint over an unwanted and unfinished oil painting. Any ideas are welcome – Love your blogs. You can buy acrylic primers and oil primers in pots and tins. Glue chalk gesso is good for oil paintings because it will absorb some of the oil from the base layers, helping the painting to dry faster. Ampersand is a great brand. Required fields are marked *. Some artists prefer the qualities of linen, others prefer cotton. Can you use primer instead of gesso? I am not sure I even mentioned oil paper! No mention was made of sizing. I tried Dibond with and without priming and found the one with acrylic primer much stronger as a painting surface than the one without or the one with oil primer. Thanks for the insight. ‘Universal’ acrylic priming, as said, can vary a lot, but I quite like Belle Arti (from Jackson’s) and Artfix canvas. You can usually get pieces that are at least ¾” thick without spending a lot of money. She paints portraits and still life and specialises in painting drapery and lace. If the panels are larger over 16″, I will seal both sides of the wood, to keep it from warping. Have you tried the paints from Natural Pigments? Of course you can make your own easily, but brands like Belle Arti and Ampersand sell wonderful boards with a high quality primer that makes them a pleasure to work on. I use to paint on canvas that I stretched myself. It prepares several absorbent substrates like canvas, plaster, concrete, cardboard, and wood, for painting with acrylic or oil colors. I too am worried about MDF, but do use it now an d again. Her love for painting as well as the skills learned as a teacher make her a valuable resource for new and experienced painters alike, and she loves to share everything she knows with other enthusiastic artists. Linen and cotton are simply different. I would not risk that as the aluminium is quite heavy. We built and stretched our own and because of that, I went big. Without gesso, the paint would soak into the weave of the canvas. If you make your own canvases or use other surfaces for painting, starting with a layer — or more than one — of gesso is a great way to ensure the paint won’t soak into the surface. Do you have any experience using acrylic / plastic panels for painting supports? It requires less treating, but is slightly more catatonic to deal with. It is … dunno. It’s a yellow liquid that’s taken from dried flax plants, and isn’t chemical-based, so it’s safe to use on your wooden surfaces. I have an issue with canvas boards tho. After reading this post, I’m tempted to try Jackson’s aluminium panels, for which you provided a link. Miracle Muck claims their glue creates a barrier, so you don’t need to prime the wood first- but I prime/seal it sometimes anyway. You can paint on many different surfaces—canvas, wood, paper—but whichever you choose, it's important to apply a type of primer called gesso to the painting surface to prevent the oil from seeping into the surface, protect the surface from the acids in the paint, and provide a surface that the paint will adhere to more easily. I’ll stick to the more traditional supports…. Our art school teacher who was also a practising artist was all about using such things but used acrylic primer in the first instance.. I find the canvas stretched by good professional art materials shop much better than the pre-stretched ready-made ones. I have acrylic paint… Great blog with lots of information – has inspired me to finally try linen. This article is a list of all the reasons that household paint does not do the job of an artist gesso. Artist grade gesso is basically a super concentrated version of student grade gesso. Happy Painting! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It has a coating on it so it not the same as the panels from Jackson’s. I prefer a very fine, almost smooth-but-not-quite, linen texture. Regards, Simon. I am working on stretched linen and cotton most of the time, but you have encouraged me to try Dibond. So much excellent information! I started to look into painting on wood because we are running a Pebeo workshop. Turn it upside down and put some heavy books on top and let it dry. You’re the artist; the art is just a mark of your creativity that’s left behind, so apply it to everything you can get your brush on. Of course you don’t always need professional materials. Liquitex’s white gesso, available in a range of sizes, is made for both oil and acrylic paint. Oil primer or acrylic primer – many brands have their own characteristics and it is a matter of trial and error to find the one you like best. Glad you enjoyed this blog post. Turpentine dries wood out, but it also seals it. Gesso is a drying agent, so it doesn’t take that long. I do agree with you in liking a rigid surface. You need a mixture to treat the wood with first. Wrong. They are very smooth but do have a very slight texture to it and the absorbency is not too bad. Hi … thanks for your info … I am a budget buster and am wanting to re use old paintings I did at art school as they are on great substrates. Your email address will not be published. Of course the least absorbent paintings supports are metals, like copper or aluminium. Regards Kaustav. Jo. A great read Sophie – really informative and so helpful. Do let me know if you can add anything to the list, if you have experience with a particular support or just want to add some pleasant comment. Thank you for reading and commenting! I use a hatching technique with a small brush and the wet paint blends and mixes a little on the canvas. If you work with acrylics, you can also paint directly on raw canvas without priming it first. I don’t think you could ever sell paintings with such materials in there. Use two layers of gesso to ensure the liquid in oil paint doesn’t seep in and rot the wood. It can be painted on a whole host of supports and the choice can be baffling. Thank you for this information. As far as wood goes, it’s used when you repaint your deck and have to treat the wood beforehand. I can’t really go into sizing and priming as I tend to opt for the time-saving-but-expensive option of the bespoke and ready-made and I only have experience applying primers to already primed stretched canvas. Rot occurs when moisture is trapped and turns into mold, mildew, or when mold and mildew dry out and turn into dry rot. It’s also cheaper and comes in more abundance. The beauty of gesso is that you can apply it to nearly any surface, and then you can paint on that surface with acrylic paint. Afte… Rigid surfaces like alumium or wood therefore are much preferred if longevity is important to you. I hope you will find this (by no means comprehensive) list useful. Since turpentine is very toxic, you might not want to use it if you have little ones in the house that could get their hands on the wooden surface. The word gesso is a noun, but many artists also use it as a verb. Or just use the white paint to cover the painting without the clear gesso. Hope this helps! If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Good stretching methods are vital when working with linen. I am thinking of using hardboard with acrylic primers (mostly due to easy availability and rigid surface quality). Shop from top brands like … I have seen this on market available canvases but I am not sure if that is due to poor priming job or acrylic primer itself. I have used Golden Acrylic Gesso ( a confusing name as it isn’t actually gesso but an acrylic primer) and Roberson’s Oil Primer for many of my paintings. I must admit I have never tried it. I've ordered some wood board but forgot to order the primed stuff. I’m wondering about framing though?? I enjoy the slight texture of the grain and also the rigidity, allowing me to rub back – also want to also try the shop-bought panels now too. The gallery that I show my work at in group exhibits does not seem to have a preference when it comes to supports, but I am hoping to get gallery representation in the future. Shop the top Oil Priming Materials - Save on oil priming materials at Jerry's. This is not a sustainable image due to rot and degrading of the paper over time. But aluminium – float frame – don’t really know. I have read somewhere that it tends to suck oil. Do I Need to Seal the Entire Piece of Wood? I'm wanting to glue oil-primed linen (Claessens) to an MDF board, and no-one near me (in Australia) seems to know what glue to use. It has a linen texture and is nice for studies. Cotton is more elastic than linen and so will stretch more beautifully. You might well find you like your own the best! Hi, thanks for stopping by! If you use acrylic gesso, it will suck the oil from overlayers of paint and create flat spots _ the dreaded suede effect. Please edit the query for content to display. The quality of the wood is important as nobody wants their stretched canvas to warp, shrink or expand. Oil-based household paint would be a worse solution as a primer as that means oil … I hope this overview of supports that are generally available here in the UK can be useful to you. The choice of texture in a canvas is partly prescribed by how you paint and which brushes you use. Hi Pam, I would use an archival PVA glue. This creates a thin barrier between the paint and the wood, which will prevent damage and the wear and tear of time. Modern ‘Gesso’ is usually acrylic primer and no sizing is required. Canvas is perceived by many people to be the best support for painting, but hardboard (or wood) should not be shunned. This was really helpful, thank you. Great addition! Ampersand claims the boards are completely archival (meaning they will stand the test of time) but the high price might put many artists off. I'm desperate!.Hoping you can help. If you want to use a rigid support you can opt for primed wood or aluminium. This chemical is damaging to health and art. I do like cottons’ elasticity as stretched cotton rarely sags or waves, a problem that happens with stretched linen much more often. Cotton has a regular, more bobbly weave. Many commercially purchased canvases for painting are pre-primed with gesso. I must mention that oil primers are not easily available in India and are very expensive online. link) does gesso boards, made from hardboard with their own special coating. This is why you’ll need to apply multiple coats. Jackson says the panels need no priming and can be used as such, which would be great, as I would love a very smooth surface. I can take a sheet of canvapaper and mount it to hardboard or plywood with double sided tape in a jiffy, and can be off painting without the normal time it takes to make a linen panel. They create a very smooth and slippery surface to paint on with almost no absorbency whatsoever. Allow it to dry thoroughly before moving on to oil paint. Sophie. Most primed canvas comes with a universal primer applied in numerous coats. Many art shops supply wood panels, often made of plywood or hardwood. So “gesso” refers to the water based grounds, that is, the traditional hide glue/calcium carbonate or the modern acrylic polymer variety, while “primer” is the name reserved for an oil based ground for oil painting. Of course you can frame it in a traditional frame with a rebate just like any other board. It is bouncy and will not sag or wave once stretched. In fact, it is extremely important t… . Priming and stretching can be done in your studio fairly easily but to save yourself time and hassle you could opt for ready-made primed and stretched canvas from an art materials store. It’s also better for you to not be inhaling the turpentine or tung oil fumes. I must admit I have never tried it. Just use some clips to keep it in place. If Jackson’s says they can be painted on as they are I would definitely take their word for it and when I use them (hopefully soon) I will do just that. __CONFIG_group_edit__{"jumbzp5n":{"name":"All Column(s)","singular":"-- Column %s"}}__CONFIG_group_edit__, __CONFIG_local_colors__{"colors":{"b3390":"Border","2248f":"Button "},"gradients":{}}__CONFIG_local_colors__, {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}. Gesso is painted onto the canvas to seal and prime it before the oil paint is applied. That’s great! I am an architect by training and professional practice since the early 80’s and I am now getting back into drawing and painting again. link). It is therefore harder to stretch and if the stretcher or the linen expands or shrinks a tiny bit, the linen will sag or wave and will need re-tightening. __CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"37cf7":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default","value":{"colors":{"37cf7":{"val":"rgb(125, 197, 85)","hsl":{"h":98,"s":0.49,"l":0.55}}},"gradients":[]},"original":{"colors":{"37cf7":{"val":"rgb(125, 197, 85)","hsl":{"h":98,"s":0.49,"l":0.55}}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__, __CONFIG_group_edit__{"k5p8kjyf":{"name":"All Text(s)","singular":"-- Text %s"}}__CONFIG_group_edit__. On oil priming I love the fact you can move the paint around and it keeps it oily glow. But if it’s just for fun and practise and your own use – then why not. The nearest I’ve come to it is a nylon/linen mix canvas. And generally it is fine to work on primed MDF. Once dry and done, it will stay at it is for years to come (other circumstances being equal of course). Thank you in advance for any advice. First is birch wood, which is often used by canvas makers. Hi Sophie, Thanks for providing detailed insight about various supports and grounds and getting rid of confusion. Oil Gesso – This is a traditional primer and allows an oil ground and oil paint on top of it. Throwing straight turpentine into your oil paint could cause it to separate, so a 50/50 mix will do the trick. They used a gesso ground made from chalk and glue. New layers of paint would lift the underlayers. Gesso is the same as a primer, as in ‘pre-primed canvas’. These brushes are delicate and on a coarse textured canvas they would wear in no time at all. So in that case you should be fine! Depending on the size of your wood surface (such as if you’re painting on an interior wooden wall), you might be better off buying a commercial grade gesso in a high volume for budgeting purposes. Hi Daniel, thank you for your kind comment! Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I would like the wood grain to be visible and part of the painting … The absorbency of ready-made canvas can vary enormously so it is really worth experimenting. Hi Carol, that’s great, go for it. I don't have an art store near me for 4 hours, what can I use to prime other than gesso, purely because I don't have any. Hi Samantha. I have explored all sorts of framing ideas with my canvas and paper pieces. Hi Kaustav, thanks for commenting! Thanks again for stopping by! if you like. I have improved and changed my style considerably and just don’t want to waste these canvases. A lot of great information…thanks for sharing. Your email address will not be published. So, it all depends on what you are going to do with the paintings. A coarse or heavy canvas is usually heavier in weight than a fine canvas. Your email address will not be published. Prepare your painting surface with oil priming materials & gesso for oil painting to provide an excellent adhesion for oil paint and to create a luminous painting surface. I have gone through many articles, but your way of changing the myth of oil-painting is very impressive. And good quality stretched canvas or Ampersand panels are that! You can paint over the graphite without problems. Not sure about a float frame for aluminium. When dry, trim the sides of the canvas off with a knife. Now I paint on Ampersand gesso panels. So if you are concerned about the future, then please don’t worry. But better late than never I hope! For oil paper, my favorite is Canva-paper, made by Canson. Thanks for the suggestions! I became accustomed to working on rigid supports, so for larger studio paintings I have purchased or built cradled plywood panels and I either glue or stretch the linen over the plywood. Can I apply an oil primer directly over my pencil drawing onto the Arches paper and paint oils on top of that? They will come completely untreated, so once again, have plenty of gesso, linseed oil, or your turpentine/tung oil blend at-the-ready. Do let me know how you get on with it. Is there anyway I can stop that so I have a fighting chance to blend? But there is some wonderful, professional quality cotton out there as well. 4. Some are unprimed, others are primed with an acrylic primer. To be able to use them as an oil painting support you need to sand the surface with a fine sandpaper, clean it and prime it. I adhere alkyd primed linen which I buy from a supplier in New York City to birch plywood with a glue called “Miracle Muck”, or BEVA 357 using a heat press. Many artists love MDF. Even though they might be made for canvases, you can apply them to wood. A few years ago I took a class at Daniel Smith Art Store in WA on stretching canvas. Gesso is the preferred sealer for the porous canvas. If you’re buying a panel of wood that’s going to be positioned somewhere and then painted, you have to seal the entire thing, even the backside. GAC 100 is also useful for diluting and extending colors, increasing flexibility and film integrity, sizing for fabric and sealing for wood. Using hardware store materials is obviously not intended for fine art. What are the differences between types of canvas? You can usually walk away from your project and return no less than twenty minutes later, and have a completely dry surface to paint on. I use arches oil paper, it’s a fantastic surface, inexpensive and fully archival and I have had great success with it.However I felt that I needed to experience a broad range of surfaces. The whole tray needs to look great so, we need to make sure it is usable as well. Have fun experimenting! So use canvas, board, oil paper or whatever is already suitable for oil painting, and do your initial sketch onto that. If neither of those options are available to you or don’t seem like the best option, then you can go for a laminated compressed cardboard with a mica film on it. Much has been said in the past about the difference between linen and cotton canvas. You can buy either of them from multiple online sources. Turpentine is commonly used to thin out acrylic paints, and works well to treat wood that’s going to be put through harsh weather. You’re welcome! An oil painting should be done on canvas, right? What should a beginner use? What would you recommend based on your experience ? Can you please let me know if you ever noticed any problems with acrylic primed canvases or boards over the years? Gesso Comes First. Professional linen can be hugely expensive. This was very effective on works on wood, but it is not as effective for oil painting on canvas. I'm hoping you can help with a small problem I have. It won’t cost you a penny extra. Funny thought. Whether you wait for layers to dry (if you have the patience) or not – using it will tell you whether its for you. Oil Paintings in Glass Frames: 3 Pros and Cons. Whether it has to be treated, sanded, primed or built from scratch, you can use oil painting to transform just about anything in your home. I love oil primed linen as the paint just dances around on top of the canvas, in all its full-colour glory. Gamblin Oil Painting Ground is the top choice for a new generation of painters looking for a convenient, non-toxic alternative to traditional lead oil grounds. Learn how your comment data is processed. In fact, some would argue that it is a superior support for oils because, unlike canvas which is flexible, wood is rigid and this helps to prevent cracks in the oil paint. I paint many layers very thinly. Hi Sophie, I really appreciate the information and the blog, very informative. Conclusion.
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