How to Apply Gesso Smoothly

Learn how I apply gesso to a factory pre-primed canvas to achieve a smooth surface for a detailed painting.
Supplies Needed:
-Canvas
-Paper Towels
-Large Putty Knife
-Fine Mist Spray Bottle
-Long Metal Ruler (Long enough for the length of canvas you are using)
-320 Grit Sand Paper
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[@starfire139]

Using a putty knife instead of a brush is so smart!

[@TheBblanchard]

Thanks so much! I just assumed my canvases were primed already. I now use this method with my Liquidtex Gesso! It made a huge difference!

[@rebus403]

The ruler is a stroke of genius! I used to use the joint knife, but had to sand the ridges that it left. The ruler solves all that. Thanks, thanks, thanks.

[@pamelamason500]

Great tips in this tutorial, especially using the ruler. Thanks for sharing you knowledge.

[@crisalidathomassie1811]

Great video, thanks for the demo. I usually put three coats of gesso. I like a very smooth surface. The use of the ruler is awesome! Great help! Blessings and take care.

[@indiecognition]

This video was very helpful, and made it easy for me to get much smoother canvases. I didn't have a good ruler for this, and ended up getting a 24-inch "paint shield" from the hardware store, which seems perfect for the job and was only a few dollars. (I don't know if they make longer paint shields though.) Thank you for the tutorial!

[@judithfarb4199]

Thank you very much for the gesso tutorial… I looked at your art work on your website and it is beautiful and stunning!! 🙏❤️🙏

[@patriciaward8189]

Great tip. Thanks for sharing!

[@MatthewGarrison-cq4ip]

This was super helpful as a first timer. Thank you!

[@trudyedwards5311]

Oh wow love this...

[@annetampepe2424]

Great Tips..👍👍

[@Powerman-cz1rs]

Thank you for the tip im new at using gesso an getting smooth has been a issue i will be using these tips from now on

[@BozArtTutorials]

Great! I'm hope it helps!

[@Banniesartistry]

Great video! Thank you!

[@augustasilvis297]

Thank u so much very helpful

[@tamaratamblyn4146]

Thank you so much, I'm a beginner and have had such a hard time getting my gesso smooth this is perfect this is exactly what I needed thank you!

[@MrLuisagarcia]

just found your channel great content and instruction.

[@BozArtTutorials]

Thank you!

[@puchkko_vlogs]

293 big like amazing video thanks for sharing stay connected with lots of love from India 🇮🇳

[@amerbashoeb2106]

Thank you

[@pagalmasala]

"Gesso" ya know! This is VERY informative my dear!! I never thought of using the ruler...very good! Would it take a shorter time with a smaller canvas? ...because half my day is spent doing other stuff! Much love from good ol' Arkansas! Fun fact....sanding is good exercise too! Quite the workout!

[@gary313]

I see in your tutorials that you dab and tap the paint on where other artists keep the brush on the canvas longer "dragging" the paint on. Can you please explain the difference in the two different techniques? Thanks

[@stinar37]

Fantastic video. Tysm. Question: how do you clean the ruler after use?

[@timeenuf4200]

Would be nice to split a smaller canvas, go through the prep on one side and do a small abstract across the whole board to show the difference it makes. Just a thought. Nicely done video though. Very informative. Thank you.

[@MindGymMeditations]

What kind of sand paper do you use?

[@tonyaneeley7895]

Can you use the same technique with joint compound after applying the gesso for textured art?

[@BozArtTutorials]

I'm not sure about joint compound, but there are some art mediums out there that allow for an impasto-like texture. Liquitex brands and Golden brands have some, I believe. I haven't used them, however, so I can't really recommend one to you.

[@joannerodis6126]

Are different Geo fof a black canvas?

[@jessemolina4233]

Do you have to use the fine mist sprayer or you can just use water? Also do you only use that to spray in the beginning?

[@BozArtTutorials]

You can use a regular spray bottle on the spray setting but then you will want to spread the water out with a brush. You don't need much water. I only use it in the beginning.

[@abcd-wg2iq]

Why is it important to let gesso layers completely dry? Is it not enough to be dry to touch? What if we use hair dryer to accelerate?

[@auroraborealis8063]

How would you suggest smoothing the gesso out on a 48x60 in canvas after spreading it with the pallet knife? I’ve never really used gesso before but I’ve had this giant canvas around for a while and I’ve finally decided what to do with it and I want the surface to be smoother, but a general yard stick won’t exactly fit for that size of canvas

[@BozArtTutorials]

For that size, I would either buy a long piece of thin metal or aluminum (48" long) or just use a large putty knife from Home Depot and apply it as smoothly as possible. And then sand each layer down smooth.

[@BozArtTutorials]

You can also use a foam roller to apply it to get it smoother.

[@eleanorrose6492]

Hi there after each time you hand sand the canvas ...I noticed you start with more gesso...before you apply the gesso did you brush of the dust from sanding before you put a layer of gesso on plz

[@BozArtTutorials]

Hi! Yes, I take a paper towel and dust it off first before I apply the next layer of Gesso or after the final sanding.

[@eleanorrose6492]

@@BozArtTutorials thank you

[@melissasibbald4617]

I've used a ruler to smooth gesso but it needed to bend to accommodate the dip in the canvas. I think that's what I get for buying budget canvases that aren't stretched tightly enough.😂

[@newworldmystic]

Can you apply gesso on a gesso board in this same way?

[@soarpurpose]

I want more detail with my paintings so will try some gesso

[@Theerevert]

lol. I should have researched this more before I bought the gesso. I’m over here like Soulja boy 🗣️SAND?? I don’t have any sand paper nor a ruler 🥲

[@aarthiambalavanan]

What brush do u use to spread gesso

[@BozArtTutorials]

I just use the putty knife to spread the Gesso around.

[@tonyaneeley7895]

Where do you get the metal ruler?

[@BozArtTutorials]

Michaels has them, or even hardware stores generally have a yard stick ruler.

[@ninabaebae6334]

Do you do this on pre gessoed canvas also ?

[@BozArtTutorials]

I have only done it on pre-gessoed canvas. I like an even smoother texture, so I choose to gesso it again until I get the texture I want.

[@areebamueen5078]

Is sanding done after gesso has completely dried or during drying process of gesso??

[@BozArtTutorials]

After it has completely dried

[@rezahosseinzadehnasser993]

The ruler. Thanks.

[@handznet]

All these tips for smooth canvas - they always use some kind of spatula, and it just NEVER works in reality. 1) you get insane mess everywhere after each stroke with spatula, it wastes ton of gesso. 2) the stretched canvas is not perfectly even, so the spatula never touches the surface evenly, causing imperfections 3) every stroke of spatula makes a line mark on the sides, which is practically impossible to prevent 4) you need to use sandable gesso some gessos are more like acrylic paint, impossible to sand. It is way better to use foam paint roller and work in many layers, sanding in between, wet sanding of a sandable gesso makes it almost super smooth. If you use 1000 grit or more, it will be almost polished surface.

[@abcd-wg2iq]

Roller can be problematic to wash. It sucks in lot of paint. Wet sanding? You mean spraying dry gesso with water and sanding?