Surface Preparation: Sizing & Gesso

[@opusartsupplies]

Hello, Unsized or unsealed material will degrade over time (100 or so years) from exposure to air. Colin applied sizing and gesso all the way around the stretcher bar and onto the back to protect the canvas fabric from rotting and weakening on the sides and back, helping to ensure the longevity of the support. Hope this helps!

[@kerysawyer8940]

You're really a good teacher, very concise, thorough and informative. it'd be nice to see more tutorials from you,

[@run4fun682]

Thank you. Great tutorial! I get most of my supplies at the Opus in downtown Vancouver. love you guys, always super helpful!

[@sharlaebayley9225]

This is excellent information! Thank you so much for sharing! I am just learning about painting and this is by far the most valuable information I have received thus far. I want to start off in the right direction, and this is just what I needed! :)

[@ronnelpanciles3805]

I have done plenty of canvas for paintings, specially in school, but I never knew about sizing the canvas with glue, and it was never thought to us. Now I know better, I'll use PVAs for future canvas. :)

[@opusartsupplies]

Hello Judith At least two coats of the GAC 100 or PVA Size is recommended before applying Gesso. If you are using acrylic sizing as a primer, 4 coats is recommended. When applying acrylic gesso on the sizing, a minimum of 2 coats is recommended, 3 coats are ideal. I would still recommend GAC 100 when prepping a surface for oils. This protects the surface from oil penetration and will reduce the possibility of support induced discoloration. Hope this helps!

[@opusartsupplies]

Hello Weixin, Oil is what will rot and degrade the canvas fibres over time. We suggest sealing your canvas with both Golden GAC 100 (2 or 3 coats) and Acrylic Gesso (3 coats). Cheers

[@judithloganart8794]

Very informative video! thanks! by the way, is it necessary to apply so many coats of gesso or primer to wooden panels for oil painting as well? so far, I´ve only applied 2. And is the Golden GAC 100 only necessary for acrylic painting?

[@MrBilgey]

Clear demonstration as to how it should be done. Thank you.

[@alexandraforrai7390]

Thanks, really helpful in understanding the applying technique :)

[@RoseGuyCrazy]

When you're applying the gesso, do you want put any on the very back on the canvas (the side of canvas that is usually comes un-primed)?

[@laurar430]

Thank you for your great, informative video!

[@janlappalainen]

Can you use acrylic binder for sizing? And thanks for the informative video!

[@sallyredmond4452]

Great tutorial thank you. Do you have a tutorial on oil priming, the advantage or disadvantage and which product is best to use. Best wishes from NZ🌹

[@hiroseayako]

Thank you so much! It's really helpful.

[@joanistotler8804]

Oh, and thanks for your video - very helpful!!

[@saint_gales]

special tip: all that is acrylic is heat activated, so if you use a hair drier over the wet gesso it'll start drying extremely quick (just make sure that the dryness is not only superficial)

[@BEV6413]

Hello! So, I just found this gem of an instructional video. I've stretched many a canvas, and I thought I was pretty damn good at it. I didn't, however, know about "sizzing". Previously, I'd only gesso my work canvases. Recently I decided I wanted to paint on the raw side of a canvas I custom stretched. Here's the catch: I bought the canvas roll itself from a secondhand store. It was already primed on one side, but because I knew I wanted to paint on the raw side, I stretched raw side in front, gesso primed side back. This is probably not the greatest idea, and maybe a nightmare of canvas prepping pros...but should I go ahead and size the raw side anyway? I hope this makes sense.

[@PRAKASH-cm1vo]

Nice tutorial Sir Thank you

[@karinmathews2444]

do you have to wait before painting with acrylics for a period of time like with varnishes?

[@opusartsupplies]

Hi Karin - The drying time for gesso can vary depending on the type of gesso you use. Some acrylic gesso can dry relatively fast, usually within an hour or so, while others recommend waiting 24hrs prior to painting. I'd suggest following the drying recommendations that are written on the gesso you have, or purchasing one that meets your needs. Hope this helps!

[@adennedam]

Thank you very much , it was very useful

[@weixinzeng879]

I'm a beginner of oil painting, just use some canvas panel for practicing at this moment. I use the water mixable oil, do I also need to apply gesso before painting? How many coasts do you recommend? Thank you

[@stefanocassa9080]

Thank you !!!

[@wilsonbethlehem3101]

Rolling the bottle to prevent bubbles. Thanks

[@macarenit]

great tutorial! Can Gesso be applied over wax-based pencils and/or oils to recover the canvas? Thanks!!!

[@justinwtolbert]

if i added some on the back would it tighten my painting up? I am trying to use this to get the wrinkle out of my painting

[@zryuification]

I tend to consume the entire (small) bottle of gac100 for every 30x24in canvas I make. Is it too much or do I have to dilute gac100 with water? And another thing, i read somewhere that gac 200 can also stiffen the canvas, is it a good alternative for gac 400? Gac 400 is pretty scarce in my area. :(

[@opusartsupplies]

zryuification Hi Zryuification, A small bottle of GAC100 for the size of canvas you are working on sounds fairly reasonable. You can dilute it with a bit of water, but you wouldn't want to add too much. Here is the technical sheet for GAC100: @technicalinfo_gac100s We would not recommend using GAC200 on canvas because it is meant for adding adhesion to non-porous surfaces like wooden cradled panels. GAC200 cracks if bent, which is why GAC400 is recommend because it is designed to stiffen fabrics and retain some of its flexibility. An alternative to GAC400 would be Rabbit Skin Glue or a PVA sizing. Below are links to each so you can read more about them. Rabbit Skin Glue: @sagro/storefront/store.php?mode=showproductdetail&product=8934 PVA Sizing: @sagro/storefront/store.php?mode=showproductdetail&product=8932 Hope this helps and all the best!

[@angelina-ed8od]

Hi I want to try the crayons melting art so do i need to paint the gesso or other things before i start to melt crayons on the canvas?

[@munnjean]

I have a container of Opus Gloss Medium also on the label it says Medium Polymere Brilliant. I have prepared a 18 x 24 canvas with gesso and sanded it down, I've sketched in the structures and now I will fill in the outlines with black gesso. Can I thin the black gesso with the Opus Gloss Medium or shall I use water ? Thank you.

[@opusartsupplies]

munnjean Thanks for your question Munnjean If you are going to thin the gesso, you can safely do so with either 10%-20% water or Matte Medium. Mixing the gesso with gloss medium can be done, but it will create a slicker surface to paint on. This can either be a benefit or detriment depending on the effect you are going for. Hope this helps!

[@sln101]

If my cancas is already gessod...shop bought..should i then size it?

[@pollyjones9253]

Hi, I bought raw canvas and applied gesso to seal it. I didn’t know about sizing it. I use oil paint. Can I go back over the gesso with a size and then add an oil ground? Would that be better?

[@cheriesmith5140]

Question - I drew with pencil directly on a wood panel, but realized after I needed to prep wood. Got the gac 100 to seal the birchwood panel. My question is... can I s ppl ray fixative then the gac 100 or if i use the gac 100 on top of will the affect the sealing properties if I've drawn... I'm also concerned with the drawing being messed up, but can work around by painting on top anyway. Or can I use a size and then gac100? Thoughts? Thank you!!

[@alansilveyra]

Hi Colin. What would the process for already primed canvases from factory? I refer to the ones that don't take gesso but instead are probably coated with poor quality acrylic house painting? They seem to repel the paint and are really bad. Could I just apply gesso on it since it's kind of sealed from factory? Thanks

[@joanistotler8804]

I'm wondering what size of sizing to buy in order to cover a piece of raw canvas 70 x 36 front and back - any idea? Thanks!

[@kathleencopps3971]

IF you are looking to make gesso, remember the rule of 3rds, 1 measure white flat latex paint. 1 measure of white carpenters glue, 1 measure of plaster of paris. mix it so it is thick & creamy. FYI 1 measure = amount required divided by 3. SO if you want 6 cups of gesso each measure will be 2 cups.

[@colinmitchellartwork3486]

Gesso made by a reputable, artist-grade paint company will be much more archival, ensuring that your painting will last a long, long time under proper environmental conditions. Hardware supplies are not intended for artwork, as they are not tested for extreme longevity. Most house paints are designed to last about 7 years, as people will likely re-paint their walls after that length of time. I always liken using house paint for a "primer" coat on your painting to building your dream house, but skimping on the concrete for the foundation - whatever is on top of it won't last. If you put all that time and effort into the painting, why would you want to skimp on the foundation layer?

[@richiejourney1840]

Colin Mitchell Absolutely correct. However, if you are also into making cheaper price point deco art, by all means go for it.

[@Trina9852]

What is sizing and does it need to be done to a canvas if you plan to gesso it?

[@alansilveyra]

What's the canvas you're using? Thanks

[@emersonsawyer8026]

I would like to create a drawing using either gra0phite or charcoal for the final image. What is the best way to prepare a canvas for that?

[@colinmitchellartwork3486]

Golden makes a nice Silverpoint/Drawing ground. I would do everything I did in the video, then a couple coats of the Silverpoint/Drawing ground over top of the gesso.

[@colinmitchellartwork3486]

Rowan, no Liquitex clear gesso is not the same as pva size, or Gac100/400. It's a ground, not a sizing agent.

[@paintingartclass1537]

hello! im mark from philippines I just confuse , I try to prime a water base latex paint first, then when it dry I apply the gesso (bcuz Im thinking how to save) ,but the result when I start to put a color purple oil paint it become green? why is it ?it bcus of the plywood at the back of my canvas, or the result of latex paint.. someone help me.. thank you...

[@alansilveyra]

Is it necessary to sand the gesso?!

[@aurelienani204]

+Alan Silva not at all, it just makes it smoother I never sand my gesso, I prefer the tooth gesso is self-leveling

[@alansilveyra]

+Aurelie Nani Hi, I wanted to make my own gesso, would you have suggestions?

[@aurelienani204]

***** no sorry gesso is so cheap oO

[@spyralspyder]

PVA is white glue

[@MichelleFJones-mf9sc]

You saved my life