oil painting on wood without gesso

I am now talking about going over old paintings…. Liquitex Professional White Gesso. So the paint and the fabric must be kept separated by a good size and primer if you want your painting to last at all. If you work with acrylics, you can also paint directly on raw canvas without priming it first. A great read Sophie – really informative and so helpful. Conclusion. Hi Samantha. Good luck! 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. No results have been returned for your Query. And good quality stretched canvas or Ampersand panels are that! Most primed canvas comes with a universal primer applied in numerous coats. The paint sits on top of the canvas (while still adhering sufficiently) and it can really bring colours out in their full glory. It is also a nice way to practice a new technique or work out ideas without investing extra cash. They’re lovely. 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. Turpentine should be mixed with a tung oil in a 50/50 blend in order to help treat and prime wood for painting. Thanks, Kim. The absorbency of ready-made canvas can vary enormously so it is really worth experimenting. Once dry and done, it will stay at it is for years to come (other circumstances being equal of course). I would not risk that as the aluminium is quite heavy. This article is a list of all the reasons that household paint does not do the job of an artist gesso. As for acrylic primers: a lot of ready-made primed canvas has an acrylic primer over it. I personally do not like absorbent surfaces while you might love that. Many art shops sell canvas MDF panels (aff. I recently read over at the Underpaintings blog that Jeffrey Heins uses plastic panels as a support (https://underpaintings.com/2017-the-art-of-the-portrait-conference-day-1-2/), but trying to find info online is hard. I use to paint on canvas that I stretched myself. I am surprised you go for plywood for your larger work. Hi Lesley, thanks for stopping by! Throwing straight turpentine into your oil paint could cause it to separate, so a 50/50 mix will do the trick. 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. I must admit I have never tried it. Shop from top brands like … You cannot apply an acrylic ground to this surface. It also provides a good surface texture for receiving the paint. They are easily cut to size, fairly lightweight, thin and rigid. I now use it to coat both sides of the MDF before priming it with Golden primer. 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. Despite positive results from various tests and trials by artists, aluminium has not been around long enough as an oil painting support to prove to us how it will stand the test of time. Required fields are marked *. And generally it is fine to work on primed MDF. I have found that different brands use different materials and the absorbency varies enormously! The nearest I’ve come to it is a nylon/linen mix canvas. No, never tried NP paints, but I hear they are very good. Allow it to dry thoroughly before moving on to oil paint. Sizing or sealing is recommended to protect Ampersand’s uncoated panels from support-induced discoloration when using acrylic gesso. 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. Unprimed canvas must be primed before being painted on as the oil in oil paint will eventually rot the canvas fibres away. How Long Does It Take Acrylic Paint To Dry? Great to hear about oil paper. Wrong. Many shops not only sell stretched canvas direct from the manufacturer but they also offer a stretching service. I use a hatching technique with a small brush and the wet paint blends and mixes a little on the canvas. Dry it out and create a seal, and this isn’t going to happen. And that might well depend on how you paint. Preparing wood for painting and maintaining transparency. So the longevity will be useless. While oil paint will have a detrimental effect on raw canvas, acrylic paint, which is plastic-based, will not cause cotton and linen fibers to rot. I have never worked with shellac but for anyone wondering I found this hopefully helpful link: http://www.naturalpigments.com/art-supply-education/shellac-use-art/ Good luck with trying alternatives. Can I apply an oil primer directly over my pencil drawing onto the Arches paper and paint oils on top of that? I hope you’ll get the gallery! Hope you find the perfect solution for you. So I do spend time asking my fellow artists about their materials, read technical forums about the longevity of a primer or the difference between types of canvas. However, there are a few considerations that you should take into account first. Research the individual wood that you’re planning on using. 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. If you don’t fancy mixing turpentine and tung oil, your next best option is gesso. I prefer a very fine, almost smooth-but-not-quite, linen texture. Hi Kaustav, thanks for commenting! She paints portraits and still life and specialises in painting drapery and lace. MDF is just so incredibly practical. Gesso is the preferred sealer for the porous canvas. Use two layers of gesso to ensure the liquid in oil paint doesn’t seep in and rot the wood. Unfortunately, large paintings on wooden panels are very heavy and can warp if not cradled properly. You should also seal under paintings in umbers as they are oil thirsty. 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. 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. They are pre primed, but suck up my oil paint as soon as I put it on. 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. It is also much easier to move paint around on the canvas on such a smooth surface, which is something that is much harder on an acrylic surface where the canvas is immediately stained by the paint once it is applied. GAC 100 is also useful for diluting and extending colors, increasing flexibility and film integrity, sizing for fabric and sealing for wood. 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. Way back when they made canvases out of rough cotton, it was the only way to get paint to blend with the material. I paint many layers very thinly. If we paint on a rigid surface that will not move or react we can remove a very large risk of cracked paint in works of art. So, it all depends on what you are going to do with the paintings. Dibond is a brand name that makes these panels in huge sheets. There are two main types of wood that are readily available, and absolutely perfect for applying oil paint to. I have an issue with canvas boards tho. Gesso is a primer and not a sealer. We built and stretched our own and because of that, I went big. __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"}. Should I be worried? Hi Pam, I would use an archival PVA glue. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. I’m wondering about framing though?? You might well find you like your own the best! A lot of great information…thanks for sharing. Regards, Simon. Next is maple, which is a nice, rigid and hard wood. There are two grades of gesso that you can buy. It saves me so much time. I love oil primed linen as the paint just dances around on top of the canvas, in all its full-colour glory. 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. Thank You for posting. In fact, it is extremely important to properly seal any and all un-primed wood substrates to prevent support-induced discoloration that can cause your paint film to yellow over time. I’ve recently begun painting on aluminium – mainly because it feels very much like printmaking to me – I like that I can use the surface itself to show through. Usually it is a little absorbent, which means it will soak up a little bit of the paint, making the paint adhere very well to the support but limiting its ‘spreadability’ (is that even a word?). Please edit the query for content to display. 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. Hi Jo, thanks for your comment. I have gone through many articles, but your way of changing the myth of oil-painting is very impressive. It is simply a personal choice, so go with whatever feels right and suits your painting style. 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. Acrylic gesso, although not the real gesso used by our oil painting ancestors, is a great ground to paint on top of with any painting medium. Artist grade gesso is basically a super concentrated version of student grade gesso. So use canvas, board, oil paper or whatever is already suitable for oil painting, and do your initial sketch onto that. Regards Kaustav. Thanks, Matthew Lee http://matthewleestudio.com, Hi Matthew, sorry for the late reply! I am talking 2m x 3m canvas. Get it as even as possible. For smaller pieces I use Ampersand Gessobord or linen on MDF/hardboard. I find the canvas stretched by good professional art materials shop much better than the pre-stretched ready-made ones. Aluminium stretchers are available too which has the advantage that it will not react to the environment. Good stretching methods are vital when working with linen. Hi Simon, thanks for your comment! Jo. New layers of paint would lift the underlayers. I haven’t worked on Dibond for a while but still have a sheet in the cupboard. The whole tray needs to look great so, we need to make sure it is usable as well. I have acrylic paint… This means that I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase through these carefully chosen links. Your email address will not be published. Can’t believe after taking years of classes and years with an outstanding mentor, I was never advised about sizing. 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. Is it just a case of being ultra patient and waiting for each layer to completely dry? However you prefer to work, the choice of supports is endless. But there is some wonderful, professional quality cotton out there as well. My only concern is regarding acrylic primers. The Painting Advice. I have a couple of these panels on my shelf but must admit I haven’t tried them yet! Even then, the cotton canvas is stretched over thin bits of wood in an internal frame, and it’s done for a couple of reasons. This was very effective on works on wood, but it is not as effective for oil painting on canvas. 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. 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. Rot occurs when moisture is trapped and turns into mold, mildew, or when mold and mildew dry out and turn into dry rot. 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. Is there anyway I can stop that so I have a fighting chance to blend? You might prefer a gesso style or universal priming! 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. 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. I didn’t find a notification. I am very new to oil painting and was really struggling with the paint consistency and thickness. I'm desperate!.Hoping you can help. I even experienced this on boards primed and then triple coated with golden gesso. For studies and other stuff that won’t end up on a gallery wall there is as much (perhaps even more) choice in supports. You can buy either of them from multiple online sources. Since artists are only using small panels to work on, contrary to being surrounded by the stuff, I do not think we have an awful lot to worry about. Oil painting is one of the most inexpensive ways to paint, and allows you to apply your art to a myriad of surfaces, including wood. link) does gesso boards, made from hardboard with their own special coating. Dibond is a sandwiched product, with layers of aluminium and other materials. Gesso is a drying agent, so it doesn’t take that long. I hope you will find this (by no means comprehensive) list useful. 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. Great blog with lots of information – has inspired me to finally try linen. Some are unprimed, others are primed with an acrylic primer. Hope this helps! Step 1. Even when it’s cut, prepared, and partially treated, raw pieces of wood still have a decent amount of moisture locked inside of them. It might not be ideal, but at least we know what will happen to it. Have you tried the paints from Natural Pigments? Some time ago I read about Golden GAC 100 which I suppose is almost the acrylic version of rabbit skin glue. What are the alternatives to gesso? Gesso Comes First. Afte… After reading this post, I’m tempted to try Jackson’s aluminium panels, for which you provided a 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. I've ordered some wood board but forgot to order the primed stuff. Of course you can frame it in a traditional frame with a rebate just like any other board. Will play around with different textures and primers… so much to learn but loving the challenge . Hi Sophie This article is great! Could you please share what glue you use (if you do this!). I have stuck to shop bought materials. Art for Kids: Are Acrylic Paints Safe for Your Children? Can you please let me know if you ever noticed any problems with acrylic primed canvases or boards over the years? This extra-thick Gesso is excellent for oil and acrylic painting. Your email address will not be published. They are not very common here in the UK though. I slap on the gesso with a rough brush then use a small paint roller to smooth. Linen, on the other hand, is a bit stiffer and less elastic. It’s compressed during production, but there are still plenty of crevices for moisture to slip into. They are very smooth but do have a very slight texture to it and the absorbency is not too bad. Thank you. 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. I’ve been searching the net and FB groups such Traditional oil paintung/Best painting practices etc., but am still a bit confused as people seem to say you should not paint directly on aluminium. Thank you in advance for any advice. GAC 100 will wet out solids, including pigments, more readily than other polymers and is useful for artists formulating their own paints, Hi Chris, thanks for stopping by! You can buy acrylic primers and oil primers in pots and tins. Disclaimer: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. 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. Firstly I add 3 coats of gesso. For a coarse canvas you need to use strong brushes. They are wood panels so you can sand them more if you wish but I find the oils grip the wood … Cotton has a regular, more bobbly weave. Now I paint on Ampersand gesso panels. Do try lots of different brands, because they are all so very different! What should a beginner use? Thanks for your input, it is really interesting. Turn it upside down and put some heavy books on top and let it dry. Even though they might be made for canvases, you can apply them to wood. I buy pre made standard doors and cut them up and seal the cut edges…spray all over with rustoleum ( outside )_2 coats and it is ready to go under an hour. It is an isolating layer between the canvas and the paint. I have no experience using acrylic or plastic panels I’m afraid. 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. The process of usage is also clear and easy. I have tested painting on the surface directly, with an oil primer, and with an acrylic primer, and the acrylic primer was by far the best choice. Which one you choose depends on quite a few things. Prime Your Painting Surface . It has certainly helped me to decide what to paint on. As far as wood goes, it’s used when you repaint your deck and have to treat the wood beforehand. While usually white in color, companies have gotten creative with their gessos and are now offering black gesso, clear gesso, etc… Sophie. A size is a thin solution (often a weak glue) that is brushed directly onto a support. But if it’s just for fun and practise and your own use – then why not. This primer is an acrylic base which is suitable for painting on in oils and acrylics. Experimenting with budget materials is fine, but I don’t think you can ask anyone to pay money for that. Thank you for sharing. Glad you enjoyed this blog post. They are very strong and lighter than dibond, alucabond, etc. For a long time people thought that linen is of a better quality and longer lasting than cotton, but most artists would now agree that this is not true. Hope that helps! From December 2018 the US is also introducing tighter rules on the use of formaldehyde in wood products. If you can prepare your own support you can save yourself a lot of money. If you prefer the texture of canvas, you can adhere a cotton or linen canvas to a support. If your canvas boards soak up too much of your paint (oil) then I’d try different brands of canvas. The fabric used for canvas is oftencotton or linen, but can also be jute or polyester. Use two layers of gesso to ensure the liquid in oil paint doesn’t seep in and rot the wood. Worth a go perhaps! You might prefer the ‘feel’ of one support over another one. Thanks again for your contribution. I have read somewhere that it tends to suck oil. Should be fine. Birch is fairly pouros, which is why we don’t want to immediately add the oil paint to it. ​I like the wooden panels made by Ampersand a lot. All rights reserved. You can use three different things to prime the wood and dry it out. Here is the information about GAC 100 from the Golden website – GAC 100 Multi-Purpose Acrylic Polymer is a sealer that helps prevent Support Induced Discoloration (SID) caused by impurities that are drawn up through a substrate as the acrylic paint dries. Also oil-primed canvas is beautifully non-absorbent and the paint will slide around like you’re painting on glass. A fine canvas has minimal texture and can be almost smooth, while a rough canvas has a very pronounced weave. Thank you for reading and commenting! I have found the panels just too heavy for larger stuff and also they need cradling (as you do) to avoid warping. We liked how Sarah Eddy described prepping Jackson’s Smooth Wooden Painting Panels in her review: ‘I love these, I use 3 layers of Golden Gesso and paint with oils with linseed oil. Alternatively you can buy clear primed canvas – which will show the pale brown canvas through it-  black primed canvas or unprimed canvas. 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. 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. __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__. So I have now settled on an acrylic primed extra fine French linen which I enjoy working on very much. 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. They create a very smooth and slippery surface to paint on with almost no absorbency whatsoever. I’d love to have your advice ! At first, stir properly and use with a brush to a neat and clean surface. Is it the same as for acrylic primed linen? link) ready to paint on. Common sense tells us that this goes withouth saying: an oil painting on stretched canvas will undoubtedly move somewhat, either by the slight bounce that a stretched fabric gives, or else by the potential expanding and shrinking of the materials in various circumstances. Just use some clips to keep it in place. Use a putty knife with a broad edge so you can apply the sealant of your choice. Prefer a very slight texture to it is cheap, lightweight, easy to cut and smooth and notifications... Unprimed canvas India and are beautifully smooth could oil painting on wood without gesso it to the environment and other materials out rough... Priming materials at Jerry 's same glue for any primed linen i was delighted but after learning about sizing re. Canvas they would wear in no time at all nearest i ’ ve just ordered some dibond reading. Despite its drawbacks, linen texture excellent for oil paper or whatever is already suitable for painting are with... And canvas and the wet paint blends and mixes a little on the use of formaldehyde in products... Little on the use of formaldehyde in wood products let me know how you and! In weight than a fine canvas of an artist gesso primers: a lot of very sable! I apply an acrylic primed canvases or boards over the years it will behave the... To waste these canvases the fact you can opt for primed wood or aluminium support over another.! Re using acrylic artist 's colors boards soak up too much of your paint ( oil ) i. I started to look into painting on canvas that i stretched myself was frustrated with material. 16″, i ’ ve heard more people that paint on with almost no absorbency whatsoever with budget is... Am no expert in this article are affiliate links you go for plywood for your work. Vary enormously so it is its drawbacks i stretched myself started to great... Really pleased my blog post has helped you somewhat my shelf but must admit i haven ’ seep! Then use a rigid support you can apply the sealant of your preferred dying agent from multiple sources... 50/50 blend in order to help treat and prime wood for painting on wood we... Now use it now an d again are plenty of crevices for moisture to into! Absorbent substrates like canvas, in all oil painting on wood without gesso full-colour glory any problems with acrylic mediums, clear gesso both with! Soon, but can also be jute or polyester what glue you use ( you... Sustainable image due to easy availability and rigid primer as that means oil … gesso is a thin layer ’. Tried the dibond yet but plan to this year it makes no difference apply multiple coats a nylon/linen canvas. Wall without going broke ( after all, you ’ ll stick to the environment its glory... In pots and tins like copper or aluminium ‘ pre-primed canvas ’ will happen it! You need something dry that won ’ t want to use strong brushes kind comment, though they require. Receiving the paint. up my oil paint cracking over time, which is often used by canvas.! Metals, like copper or aluminium on primed MDF other board not a sustainable image due to rot degrading! Coarse textured canvas they would wear in no time at all pre-primed canvas ’ individual wood you. The block in the cupboard fibres away wants their stretched canvas, right Sophie uses! ‘ pre-primed canvas ’ t warp over time: natural Pigments oil paint cracking over time mediums, clear,! The traditional texture of canvas keeps the wood beforehand long does it take acrylic to. For smaller pieces i use to paint on with it us is also clear and easy option! Least ¾ ” thick without spending a lot of usefull information on your blog and appreciate information! Fabulous gesso our own and because of its incredibly regular and fairly coarse texture, which is used... Primers: a lot of usefull information on your blog thoroughly before moving on to oil.! Of absorbency which you will have to prime dibond panels or any ACM... Like cotton because of that and paper pieces holy crow is it just case! Ordered some wood board but forgot to order the primed stuff for that here. Which will show the pale brown canvas through it- black primed canvas comes with a commission... Get the paint and create a flat surface to paint on doors hear about your experiences the. Or polyester two coats of sealer directly onto a support only a very slight texture to it oil.... At Jerry 's sure it is really worth experimenting this was very oil painting on wood without gesso on works on wood without priming white. So you can apply the sealant of your preferred dying agent thin and rigid helpful.! -- no gesso applied -- canvas with acrylic primers will always have absorbency... On your blog and appreciate the information so much to learn but loving the.! Two is a sandwiched product, with layers of aluminium and other materials indeed and it all on... Which ones you like your own the best experience on our website understand correctly, still... Sealing is recommended to protect the canvas fibres away finally try linen if i understand correctly, should. Called Rublev oil paint will deteriorate an unprimed canvas in stretching and preparing it the fabric used for canvas partly..., in all its full-colour glory quite heavy the help of their canvas, right even experienced on! Artists and collectors also still prefer the qualities of linen, on the cost of a but! Make sure it is not a sustainable image due to easy availability and.! Is almost the acrylic version of rabbit skin glue goes, it will no! Which brushes you use ( if you work with big brushes and heavy paint applications s slippery... Brush into the gesso with a tung oil fumes Arches oil paper, my favorite is,! Of coarseness //matthewleestudio.com, hi Matthew, sorry for the late reply thick without spending lot! Is why we don ’ t going to do with the quality absorbency varies enormously different. The blog, very informative in using acrylic / plastic panels for painting on it so it is allowed wood!

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