Quick Tip 443 - New Canvas Problems

[@lorrainequackenbush2744]

Soooo happy to have found you on KZbin and have learned so much from you thank you. You are an awesome instructor.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks. Enjoy the journey.

[@karenlloyd2194]

Thank you for sharing all your wisdom. I have learned so much from you.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure. Keep enjoying the journey.

[@tammyhong159]

I love you and your channel. I wish you would do some acrylic paintings because I'm so allergic to oil and the solvents. ✌️❤️🇨🇦

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Sorry, Tammy. I haven't painted with acrylics since my art school days.

[@tammyhong159]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Thank you for replying. I'm just wondering if you have used water mixable oil paints and if I could apply your techniques using them? I recently purchased a set of Cobra, along with WMO linseed oil, stand oil and thinner.

[@HS-qf5of]

You are very satisfying to watch. Your art content is what brought me to your channel but the secondary gain is your voice and personality. Thank you for making such great content.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Wow, thank you!

[@annamariavonschalien9346]

Thank you for sharing ❤ love your channel ❤

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@mendyviola]

I’m completely new with oils and acrylics. From all that I’ve read is to gesso all your surfaces, no matter if they are pre-primed or not. Acrylic gesso is inexpensive for the most part and worth the time and cost, even when you are new and learning.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Be sure it's a good quality acrylic gesso or it might fail to properly seal the canvas.

[@bb2704]

I AM GLAD YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IT. I WAS TOLD IN MY ART CLASS TO PRIME EVEN THE PRIMED CANVAS X3 AND SEND IT EACH TIME, NOT EVERY TEACHER TEACHES THAT. I BOUGHT A PAINTING FROM A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST AND THE OIL DOES THROUGH THE BACK OF THE CANVAS..

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@learnbyheart7]

Yes. I have been dealing with that they are making the canvases cheaper like everything today. It's really sad because painting is all I have in my life and if they take my joy away, well it will be sad. Even the paints I noticed the same. I use acrylics. I have used several coats of gesso and then lightly sand. That seems to help but it makes me mad that they don't even care when you complain. So glad you did this video and that others have noticed this too.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

It pays to be aware, doesn't it.

[@learnbyheart7]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Yes, and after watching and learning from your instruction for many years, I know that if you complain about something, my radar goes up and I am all ears!!! Haha.

[@sybillemuschik]

Have noticed this problem for some time. Thank you for your in depth way of solving the problem. I always gesso my canvas and add mat medium to it as well as I do mostly acrylic but am itching to get back to oil painting. I only use Graham oil paint and the mediums Graham makes. Their base is walnut oil and so doesn't have any toxic solvents and are odour free. Care of course, must still be used with certain pigments like Cadmiums and cobalts. I really enjoy all your videos. Take care.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks for that info.

[@mikedameron602]

EYE OPENING! I work mainly with oils and watercolor. Regarding oils, I like to work in the 11X14 to 16X20 range and usually glue Canvas to plywood for canvas panels. I like the firm feel. I use fine grained hardwood ply, I use acid free PVA adhesive (Lineco Neutral pH Adhesive), and gesso the finished panel, both sides, with at least two coats of gesso, usually Liquitex. The canvas I use, lately, has been Daler Rowney stretched canvases and I remove the staples and use the canvas. I'm not a professional, I have sold watercolors, but lately just an enthusiastic retiree. The panels I make seem solid and take paint well. My question is, could I be doing things better by buying rolled canvas, using different products, etc.? Also, I had never heard about the "Oiling" process before painting. My panels don't sit around for more than a day or two before I start painting. I do let initial blocking in stages set for a few days or a week between sessions to "dry". Should I spread oil before resuming more layers of paint? Thanks for your videos. I watch and try to apply your tips to my efforts. p.s. The brushes are usually called "Chip" Brushes.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks for that info, Mike.

[@luzaguzman6306]

Love all your tips. You are so knowledgeable! Thanks for sharing with us.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome!

[@paulamitchem1476]

Thank you for this video lesson. This is valuable information I needed. I was just asked to write about paint substrates for a group I am in so this couldn't have been more timely.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fayee8986]

Thank you, I agree with you 100%! Recently I purchased some canvases, that was absolutely impossible to oil paint on. It felt like sandpaper!! Very frustrating and impossible to work on,( not worth the money) however I did take the time to gesso the surface so it would be pliable to work on with oil paints. For a beginner are those of us that's not yet experienced a bad canvas, Very good unnecessary advice that you have given thank you.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@reneeandrews7406]

Very helpful thank you so much! ❤

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You're so welcome!

[@ginger9898]

Thank you Dianne. This was a great tip on canvas's. I also have Fredrix canvas's and will gesso all of them now.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome!

[@macrsd1]

I watched a video which started brushing the gesso from the center and work out from that, the idea being the canvas will tighten from the center as it dries for maximum even tightness. This procedure is really good for un-primed canvas, so I'm not sure that would make a difference with a primed canvas. Then there was the video where in order to smooth out the surface of a store bought primed canvas, the gesso was applied with a roller first then using a squeegee raking across the canvas to get a smooth surface

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Many approaches work equally well if the canvas is properly stretched.

[@davidbeck6495]

Question First THANK YOU Second - I am tired of substandard junk. Do you ever start with linen or canvas and use rabbit skin glue to prepare the canvas. If so a demonstration would be greatly appreciated.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

David, that's a chore I'd rather leave to the professionals. In my early years, I did my on rabbit skin glue/gesso priming, but it's tedious and can so south if not done properly. No I'm no help there. If your art supply store owner/manager has integrity about her/his products, they should know whether their canvases are junk or of professional quality.

[@atroutflycrazy8057]

Thankyou dianne this is so timely , i have issues esp with canvas board cotton canvas with paint drying flat and matt ,its a nuisance and i end up having to go over with extra layers, i am becoming more tempted to buy a roll of linen and make my own. No one really knows the durability and lastability of composite boards or wood.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ANAHATAJADE]

Thank you!!! Very very informative and helpful!!!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Bansemer]

Years ago I started using large 72" wide fine linen canvas made by the Jack Richeson company which is excellent. I sometimes purchase oil primed linen canvas as well which is doubly nice. PS... That's a lot of Gesso!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks for that, Roger!

[@Deutschebahn]

Thanks for this - I bought some cheap canvas recently because I was short on cash. Obviously it'll won't be perfect still but good to know it can be improved

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Maybe a good idea is to use that cheap canvas for practicing techniques.

[@Deutschebahn]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction actually that's a great idea!

[@bonnywagner4069]

I usually apply 3 layers of gesso to get a nice smooth surface. What is the correct amount of time to wait before oil painting on an acrylic primed canvas?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

The primed surface just needs to be dry. The time might vary depending upon the thickness of the gesso.

[@susannerauch8237]

Thank you for being so frank about the poor quality of some canvases, including Fredrix. This video sent me on a mission to investigate the "hard" panels. I watched Quick Tip 194 because I thought you might have addressed those panels, but your focus was canvas, understandably. I was wondering if you would recommend any particular type of hard panel. There are some prepped types of masonite (I think it's masonite) and some other types of prepped panels which I've been thinking of trying. I'm leery of these, however, because I have no idea how archival they might be. Any tips on the panel issue would be appreciated. In any case, thank you for the canvas information you provided here, practical and very important information. (And sad because it's hard to know what you're going to get when you buy things these days.)

[@learnbyheart7]

So very true. I am so glad I over purchased art supplies over the years, but eventually I will run out of the good stuff .

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Susanne, as long as the panel is acid free and of archival quality, it's safe to use.

[@richrobertson9457]

I've been using the Ampersand "Gessobord" panels recently and I like them because I can cut them to any size with a table saw, but being only 1/8 inch thick, do you think there is a danger of warping over time?@@IntheStudioArtInstruction

[@korukiwiarts]

That was very interesting. Thanks for the tip 👍🤗💯

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome

[@gregreed7532]

Great information!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks, Greg!

[@ruthkozsey4122]

Thank you. Excellent to know.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Glad it was helpful!

[@asdasx392]

I have been curious how important it is, and by extension, how common it is for artists to apply gesso to their "pre-primed" canvases. I have been buying prestretched, primed canvas for oil painting in the $10 to $15 dollar price range for a 18x24. I have settled on two coats of gesso before painting. I have heard that three coats is common but to me that seems excessive. Am I wasting gesso or is it a standard/common/recommended practice to do what I am doing?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

The problem here is that there are too many half-cocked opinions floating around about this. The purpose of gesso is to seal the fibers of the canvas to prevent oil from seeping through, endangering the integrity of the canvas fibers. If it's a good thick quality of gesso and the canvas is already primed, one or two coats adequately applied should do the job.

[@paulaverger4129]

I have seen artists use pumice mixed in gesso to prime a cavas. What is the purpose and what do you think about it?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Mostly that practice is just to texture the surface, but it helps to be cautious about the integrity of the materials.

[@malgozata1875]

Dianne, this is another great tip. Question, if i will be painting with acrylics, then should i still use poppy seed mixture at the end, or should i just lightly wet the canvas with water at the beginning of my painting session? Thank you.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

That's probably not a good idea. It would be better to use an acrylic varnish. Generally oil and acrylic are not compatible

[@malgozata1875]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Thank you so very much for your expert answer. I really appreciate it.

[@junestein937]

Hi, Dianne. I have returned to trying to pain after many years out of it. Could you offer any advice on signing a painting? I can’t seem to come up with a nice looking signature and would appreciate any tips. Thanks!

[@junestein937]

Paint, not pain.

[@roald1911]

Sometimes there is pain @@junestein937

[@lauraahargreaves7783]

What I did is choose an artist’s signature that I admired, and designed my own version of that.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

June, see Quick Tip 147.

[@ElizabethTucker]

Thanks so much for this. My question is this: Is the gesso already 'primed' with acrylic or oil? If I gesso a canvas I use either the Utrecht gesso or the Gamblin Oil Ground. When I use the Gamblin Oil Ground I feel comfortable painting directly on this once it has dried. Are you saying I don't need to put a layer of either acrylic or oil over the gesso but can paint directly using the oil/gamsol mixture as you described? I ask because I thought gesso was a marble dust or the like material and needs another coat of paint (oil or acrylic) over it.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Elizabeth, the purpose for gesso, regardless of which kind, is to seal the fibers of the canvas to prevent the oil in the paint from being leached out. Fabric fibers will rot if the oil soaks into them. A well-primed canvas, whether the gesso is oil based or acrylic based will do that. BUT if oil-based gesso is used, rabbit skin glue needs to be applied first to block the oil from the fabric fibers. It is not necessary to use both.

[@ElizabethTucker]

Thanks for that. I understand what gesso does and its purpose. My question is this: I thought that gesso was a sealer for the fibers but it needed a surface applied to it before painting. You are saying that the gesso is BOTH a fiber sealer, a ground , AND A PRIMER that can be painted on without any more prep (other than, perhaps, sanding)? When I use Gamblin Oil Ground I apply it over an already primed and prepped canvas that I might want an oil prime on instead of acrylic. Probably redundant, though it means I can get less costly acrylic primed canvas and then oil prime it. In that case I didn't think I needed rabbit glue as the under layers are already prepped. Is this correct thinking? Thanks so much for your time in answering this! I really appreciate it.

[@dfw6773]

On the canvas pads - which is the primed side- Is it the white or beige-ish colored side?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

It's the white side.

[@royaebrahim2449]

Thank you for your Channel ❤

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome

[@dfw6773]

Thank you that was so helpful.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

So glad!

[@christophermahon1851]

A few years ago, an artist I met said the same thing about re-priming. The tip about the poppy oil is something I've never heard. Sort of like dampening the paper before painting with watercolor, isn't it?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Not really. Dampening the paper before painting with watercolor also softens the edges of the paint. With oils, the slight oiling I'm talking about here simply reduces the tension between the dry surface and wet paint, but does not affect the edges of the strokes.

[@christophermahon1851]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Ahh. Makes sense

[@IBnGD]

THANK YOU!!!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You're welcome!

[@charlainventado]

Question, I'm a beginner, should I prime my canvas with gesso when painting with oil in canvas? I heard I can skip it, I'm confuse. Hope for your response. Thank you! :D

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Sorry about the late response. Canvas comes in many qualities. The best ones probably do not need another coat of gesso, but the more inferior brands probably do.

[@noelhefele]

Dianne is naming names! :)

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Yep.

[@learnbyheart7]

I love it!!!! They should be called out like so many products today, but sadly I have found they really don't care anymore.

[@VictorRigoleFineArt]

Great Tip Dianne!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks.

[@123youknowme]

I've seen some artist use thick gesso texture on their canvas to give an impasto impression to the surface. Is that just a gimmick or is this something that the masters also used? I like the look somewhat but not for all paintings. I just wonder if it was a gimmick or an easy way to replicate the "impasto look".

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

For the most part, a thick impasto texture is superficial. Where the masters used texture, it was to enhance the images they were creating, and was usually done with thick paint.

[@123youknowme]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction I agree. Thanks for the reply.

[@rachmcd160]

Q./ What about if I want to oil paint on masonite?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

As far as we know, masonite is fine as long as it is acid free.

[@rachmcd160]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Thank you very much for answering my question and making awesome videos. 💞

[@TOPTENTRAVEL01]

Hopefully, someone will see a business opportunity, and start a company providing high-quality canvas for artists.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My opinion is that companies that provide materials for artist should be more concerned about the quality and their bottom line.

[@maximl.8916]

Claessens primed linen should be fine 😊

[@europeanroyalty4778]

I'm so anti canvas,for so many reasons.Panels all the way for me.Contrary to what many people may think,panels, not canvas was the old masters preference.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

What's important is the quality of the surface you choose, no matter which kind it is. There are so many variables among the old master's works, and their materials were so primitive that what's available to us today really has no valid comparison.

[@space.tel-e-grams]

I don't trust any of the canvases that I buy, mainly because I buy cheapo ones, so I always put on a coat of GAC--100 first and then gesso over top of that. Same when I paint on paper. Works great!

[@mountainside26]

What is GAC?

[@space.tel-e-grams]

@@mountainside26 it's basically a very thin acrylic medium made by Golden.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

One bit of caution--cheap canvas might be made of non-durable fabric, so strong primer might not hold up in the long run.

[@karenbrodsky6671]

I have used Gesso 3 times and then apply GAC on top of that.