How to prep your paper before painting with Acrylics - Gesso

Hello everyone, in today's video I go over how to prep your paper, wooden boards or canvases prior to painting with acrylic paints. I am using Golden Gesso in Bright White
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[@esling77]

Great Video Ty! Gesso for the Win ! Cheep paper and Gesso let me paint and not worry about cost as I learned . I went to Canvas And I still really like the paper. Cost is a big deal to me and having gesso around let's me redo a Canvas over and over if I wish and to practice it's a gift !

[@leahevergreenart]

Thank you. I really do enjoy painting like this. there is something about using a canvas that can add stress about making mistakes that painting on gessoed paper does not have.

[@talitakeller889]

Jesus is our strength and our fortress who shall I want. Thank you for your tutorial, very helpful. You answered my question just as I was wondering about it. We are well away from the quarantine period, but yes, it was a tuff one. May you have a great day.

[@leahevergreenart]

So glad you found this video helpful.

[@MRK1099]

This was very usefull, thanks

[@leahevergreenart]

You're welcome, glad you found the video helpful

[@gothicgorey]

How do you ship a3 sized paintings on paper ? Does the paint not crack being rolled up? Sending them the flat international is too expensive. Mmm

[@leahevergreenart]

Hello, I wish I could help with shipping suggestions. I don’t ship out original paintings at this moment. I hope a fellow artists in this wonderful KZbin Art Community sees your comment and is able to help.

[@rikki622]

For those who like to sketch their paintings when should you apply your gesso?

[@leahevergreenart]

Hello Kyndall, if you are using clear gesso you could always sketch first. I like to gesso first, sketch second, as I tend to make several sheets at a time. I recommend testing it out prior to painting to see which process you prefer :) I hope this helped, if you have any other questions just let me know

[@valle..]

Can I gesso a page in a sketchbook? The sheets are kinda ok but they are WAY thinner than watercolor paper and I'm worried about accidentally gluing/sticking pages together but I really wanted to try it

[@leahevergreenart]

Yes, you can put gesso in a sketchbook. I would recommend testing on a page with different consistencies/ layers you need, as a precaution.

[@valle..]

@@leahevergreenart Ok, thanks for the tip :)

[@iaragomes5870]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@rutasudmantaite9751]

Great video for a total noob like me! How do you get those super crisp margins? Love your techniques.

[@palacsintapocok]

you can use masking tape or washi tape for the margins

[@leahevergreenart]

Thank you. I used to use Washi Tape but currently I am loving this brand called Pro Artist Tape. When used on Gessoed paper it is amazing.

[@majoruiz1943]

Great video ♥️

[@leahevergreenart]

thank you, glad you enjoy it

[@miguelsegunda9630]

why did you not show how to apply this product on paper?

[@Rex-xs1ll]

Lets say someone was going to paint in a book (like an actual book) should they use gesso to get rid of all the words.

[@leahevergreenart]

that i think would be personal preference. there are a lot of different brands and types of gesso. so if you wanted to keep the words you could try a transparent gesso

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

Hello Leah Evergreen Art. How are you doing? Witch size is you watercolour paper? I love you,re painting and you,re video😊👋🏾👍🏾

[@leahevergreenart]

Hello, thank you I am so glad you enjoyed this video ☺️ The size of paper i use varies and sometimes I cut them smaller but for the Canson XL watercolour paper i normally have the 9x12 or the 12x18. I hope this helps

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

@@leahevergreenart hello were do you buy the canson watercolour paper xl? Online or in a art store?

[@leahevergreenart]

@@lifeismusicparnadonkers both, from my experience most art supply stores carry the Canson paper instore and online.

[@lifeismusicparnadonkers]

@@leahevergreenart ok thank you i will check them out✌🏾👋🏾👍🏾😁🎨

[@shana3968]

I can apply gesso on this 300gsm canson watercolor paper. Will these papers deform? I'm worried, if you have tried.

[@leahevergreenart]

I haven't tried on that paper just the Canson XL but.. if it is thick there shouldn't be buckling. I always recommend trying with a test sheet before starting on a final piece

[@owl6218]

does gesso on paper allow us to apply lighter highlights on darker backgrounds?

[@paulfoote7869]

If you are painting with acrylics there is no need to gesso your surface. If you want to seal the surface it is cheaper to use house primer, shellac or acrylic spray paint, but it isn't necessary if you are going to paint it with acrylic paint. The only reason to do it is because you want to. Also, ready-made canvasses are all gessoed at the factory. But acrylic will stick to raw canvas with no problems.

[@leahevergreenart]

House primer for varnishing a finished painting… I haven’t heard of that option. Is that something you have done? Yes, pre made canvases are pre-gessoed though I do prefer to gesso my paper to help the paint move better due to the paper being absorbent.

[@paulfoote7869]

@@leahevergreenart No, not for varnishing a finished painting, but for sealing a surface such as wood before you begin painting. Primer is typically white. You'd ruin your painting. I've gessoed paper as well. It ends up feeling like old stiff leather and it is difficult to flatten unless you also put acrylic on the backside to counter the front-side curl. Again, there is no need to use gesso. Try tinting your paper with regular acrylic paint before you begin painting. It won't be as thick as the gesso, but it seals the surface just the same. A lot of realism painters do this. You don't have to tint the entire sheet one color. And yes, I know you can tint gesso too. Have fun playing.

[@leahevergreenart]

@@paulfoote7869 Thank you for the suggestion about tinting. Currently the paper I am using does not buckle or warp in a way that makes it hard/impossible to paint but I will try tinting if i come across that.

[@journalshopcanada]

Thank you SO much for sharing this video.🥰 I loved it! Should I seal my paintings on my mixed media paper even if I gesso it before? I use both watercolour and acrylic? Sending you smiles and love from Woodstock, Ont🥰

[@leahevergreenart]

Hello Aganetha :) thank you so much, so glad the video has been helpful. When it comes to sealing your paintings I find that is a personal choice. I think it will all depend on what you do with your paintings when you are done with them. Do they go into a drawer, or framed behind glass or is it an open frame? You could always try with a test painting to see if your watercolours respond okay to having a sealant applied.

[@sayyedap5575]

Hi, I'm new to acrylic painting and just a beginner. Can I use watercolor paper for acrylic painting (and get 2-3 coats of gesso) or do I just need to use acrylic sheets?

[@leahevergreenart]

Hello, yes you can use watercolour paper, I do. Technically you don't have to gesso but I find for best results its best. I've only ever painted one coat but it will also depend on your brand of gesso.

[@sayyedap5575]

@@leahevergreenart Thank you for your reply :)

[@owl6218]

am in need of this information badly. just started painting a bit. paper is convenient. i will not be able to use canvas for various reasons. i have tried tutorials on paper so far. the biggest problem is, lighter colors do not show on top of darker colors. they say acrylic is opaque, it does not seem to work...i have seen tutorials where lighter highlights are applied on darker backgrounds, but on paper they dont..So, if i use gesso, can i will i be able to do lighter colors on darker backgrounds? i am going to try it....but would be good to hear from others..thnx

[@leahevergreenart]

Hello, When you gesso your paper, it makes the surface more acceptable for acrylic paint. Allowing it to flow and brush on smoother. Paper is absorbent and when you don’t use gesso it makes the acrylic paint not spread as smoothly because its absorbing as you go. As for having issues applying light colours on top of dark ones, gesso won’t necessarily help in that department. Not all colours are 100% opaque. If I were to try to place Hansa yellow on top of black for example, I would need to ensure that I am applying a thick layer of yellow or have added some white (not a lot) to make it more opaque. Sometimes it just comes down to the brand and colours for how opaque they are. I hope this helps.

[@user-cy5dg9jq1s]

I can't find the paper/gesso, although I know it was some time ago, do you still have it on there

[@leahevergreenart]

A link to the Gesso is in the description section. At that time I was using a lot of Canson XL and now I use a wide range of paper. If you have a watercolour paper you don’t enjoy using try that first and see if you can turn it into a perfect canvas alternative. ☺️

[@stevenolmstead]

Very helpful - thank you! What do you use/and where to get to mount your paper on?

[@leahevergreenart]

So glad you found it useful. I use the brand Pro Artist Tape to mount my paper to my desk or my wood board

[@stevenolmstead]

@@leahevergreenart Thanks - does the wood need to be treated in any way as to not absorb any paint?

[@johnmarkey5828]

I'm painting with acrylics. I'm doing the piece on hot press. Should l gesso prior to?

[@leahevergreenart]

I recommend gessoing prior to using any paper with acrylics unless they are acrylic gouache. Your paints will move on the paper more smoothly

[@artbymaryam79]

😊❤👏👏

[@leahevergreenart]

Thank you Maryam :)

[@artbymaryam79]

🥰🙏🌹

[@shawnasomers9127]

Thankyou Leah! This was helpful! I bought an existing painting at a home store that was on sale and i plan to paint over it. It is a framed piece and the glass is gone, (hence the reason it was on sale! )The picture underneath is that thin, probably mass produced cheap stuff. Do you think painting gesso on that thin paper will be ok? I plan to then use acrylic paint.

[@leahevergreenart]

Hello Shawna, so glad the video was helpful. Does the painting have a backing that provides some sort of support? If the fabric of the painting is wrapped around a frame like a typical canvas it should be okay. Though I would suggest perhaps testing out a small corner spot with a thin about of gesso to see how it reacts.

[@shawnasomers9127]

@@leahevergreenart There is something that feels somewhat solid behind it. Great suggestion on testing a small area. Thanks again for your reply!

[@leahevergreenart]

Let me know how it turns out :)

[@marystroeing1559]

do You need to paint both sides of the paper?

[@leahevergreenart]

No, I haven’t painted both sides, just the one that I plan on painting on

[@cohencohen54]

How many coats of gesso do you recommend on paper?

[@leahevergreenart]

It all depends on the paper, I normally just do the one. If you are using thin paper (I haven't tried this yet) but a thin layer may be all it needs