Surface Preparation
Depending on the surface I choose to paint on and the type of painting that I aim to produce there are a number of surface preparation techniques that I employ.
When I am recreating an old master painting or creating one of my three dimensional painting , as described in my April 12, 2013 Blog entry, I want a absolutely smooth surface to paint on.
in the case of an old master work on a stretched canvas it is necessary to apply many coats of gesso and wet sand between each application. I use a mixture of half gesso and half distilled water to insure that I can apply the layers with minimal brush stokes visible. It usually takes about six coats to obtain a nics smooth surface.
Generally no preparation is needed when painting on a commercial panel. However, when there are no panels of the size I want or I want a less expensive solution, I will prepare a masonite panel that i cut to size. In the case of the masonite panel, as well as the case when I want to paint on the wooden edges of a deep commercial panel, I must first seal the masonite or wood surface. To seal the surface I use two coats of Golden GAC-100 Multi-Purpose Acrylic Polymer sealer, sanding after each coat.
After sealing the surface, I apply multiple coats of a mixture of half Golden Gesso and half distilled water, wet sanding between each coat. Again the use of the thinned Gesso mixture is to minimize brush strokes on the surface. On side panels I generally use two coats of gesso mixture. However, on masonite panels I generally use up to six coats of gesso mixture.
If I am doing a preliminary drawing on the Gesso surface, it must be given a spray coat of workable fixative. To further isolate the drawing and to give a nice smooth surface, recently I have been applying a coat of Golden Fluid Matts Medium over the whole surface. This gives a very nice surface to begin my painting.
When I am recreating an old master painting or creating one of my three dimensional painting , as described in my April 12, 2013 Blog entry, I want a absolutely smooth surface to paint on.
in the case of an old master work on a stretched canvas it is necessary to apply many coats of gesso and wet sand between each application. I use a mixture of half gesso and half distilled water to insure that I can apply the layers with minimal brush stokes visible. It usually takes about six coats to obtain a nics smooth surface.
Generally no preparation is needed when painting on a commercial panel. However, when there are no panels of the size I want or I want a less expensive solution, I will prepare a masonite panel that i cut to size. In the case of the masonite panel, as well as the case when I want to paint on the wooden edges of a deep commercial panel, I must first seal the masonite or wood surface. To seal the surface I use two coats of Golden GAC-100 Multi-Purpose Acrylic Polymer sealer, sanding after each coat.
After sealing the surface, I apply multiple coats of a mixture of half Golden Gesso and half distilled water, wet sanding between each coat. Again the use of the thinned Gesso mixture is to minimize brush strokes on the surface. On side panels I generally use two coats of gesso mixture. However, on masonite panels I generally use up to six coats of gesso mixture.
If I am doing a preliminary drawing on the Gesso surface, it must be given a spray coat of workable fixative. To further isolate the drawing and to give a nice smooth surface, recently I have been applying a coat of Golden Fluid Matts Medium over the whole surface. This gives a very nice surface to begin my painting.