Preparing Hardboard & MDF Panels for Painting

This is how I prepare my panels to be ready for oil paint.
The same process can be used, with slight modifications, on canvas or linen.
Liquitex Professional Gesso: www.cheapjoes.com/liquitex-ac...
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[@LaskeyHart]

Really too bad this account hasn't continued making content. Really well put together video.

[@jirehbriandimalanta4927]

I agree,I'd love to see more of His content

[@thebusinessof_art]

​@@jirehbriandimalanta4927 we are working on adding a lot more content in the coming months... thanks for the feedback

[@MatthewSmithers-br3ep]

Never cut your panels on a table saw without a guard on the blade. Never raise the blade height more than a 1/4" above the material you are cutting. 90% of lost fingers occur from reaching behind the blade: the off-fall can catch the blade and it will pull your hand in. By not using a guard, and using a push stick, I had a board thrown at me. If you live, you will never forget it. I had a perfectly square black "tattoo" of the board imprinted on my chest. Just keep the guard on, use a push stick (if material is thick enough), and NEVER reach behind the blade. It only takes one time. I was a full time woodworker for 10 years before I had this one accident. Be careful.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

To add, he should have been using a miter gauge. The way he did this was D A N G E R O U S.

[@fredrickmendelsohn606]

Just a suggestion-if you gesso both sides of the panels they won’t warp.

[@MrAddison79]

also paint the edges _full coverage to keep contaminates out of the panel

[@nightwasabi]

Amazing content shown in trully professional way! Wow, thank you 🙏🏻

[@simoneceia]

Thank you for explainning the hole process.

[@capmericle1931]

This was super educational thank you so much. You randomly popped up in my feed and I’m thankful and now subscribing 👏👏

[@jeanne-mareslabbert8380]

Great video. Thank you

[@thebusinessof_art]

Glad you liked it!

[@ECoriolan]

Thank you for sharing this video 👌👌👌 I like the result ; it shows altogether how finding personal grounding is important for a painter

[@DCweldingAndArt]

This is what I did, until I discovers alkyd oil primer, and def Rublev Lead Alkyd Ground. It dries in same amount of time as acrylic gesso and it is sooo smooth, the way I like it. Well, I should say, the paint glides and sits up on it, rather than sink slightly with acrylic. But hey, art is definitely subjective, and whatever works for the individual...is really all that matters! Whatever gets people creative! Just thought I would share my alternate...Great vid! excellent editing 👌

[@kimberlyworthington2404]

Do you ever apply a sealer before gessoing?

[@linussouthwick7987]

@@kimberlyworthington2404 no need !

[@rduff1999]

​@@kimberlyworthington2404 They say you don't need to, however the panels are wood and subject to absorbing moisture from the air humidity. I use Golden's GAC100 to seal front, back and all edges. Hope this helps

[@rduff1999]

​@@linussouthwick7987 I know they say you don't need to but, if you are painting on wood panels, you really should seal the front,back and all edges as wood will absorb moisture from the air and that can cause future problems.

[@abigailhumes4608]

Thank you, Sir. You have been very helpful.

[@fla01003]

That was extremely helpful and thorough. Thank you so much! I immediately subscribed.

[@thebusinessof_art]

Awesome, thank you!

[@GregoryPastoll]

Well made and clear instructional vidoe. One of the best I have seen.

[@thebusinessof_art]

Happy to hear that! Thanks!

[@jess65963]

Very good video. Thank you.

[@drdeepalimk6928]

Very helpful. I accidentally bought some hardboard instead of wood boards/ delivered and was very disappointed. I used them when I was young and didn’t know about preservation etc. Mostly we used some primer. This is some 50 yrs back. Thank you very much. I am sure it will work for me too.

[@mattking5688]

Great explanation. Thx

[@aldrinstephanie]

Thank You I will try this in my painting. My heart races now

[@vinitasinghgautam5380]

VERY HELPFUL VIDEO

[@meerkatblack]

very helpful- thanks!

[@fluidalchemist68]

Awesome!

[@barbarademers4509]

Thank you, so helpful!

[@sierragold]

Great video. Thanks!

[@thebusinessof_art]

Glad you liked it!

[@jawadkazmi8856]

Alhumdulila, brother, dude 😂 I've been waiting for this info for a long time ❤✌️ cool, much abliged & appreciated. Keep up the good work.

[@thebusinessof_art]

My pleasure

[@chelonyscreativechannel]

thank you for the infos

[@viviandibrell849]

I have seen other people say that you need to seal this Masonite board on both sides before doing anything. Obviously that isn't necessary according to your experience. But I wonder if it wouldn't hurt.

[@rduff1999]

My understanding is that sealing both front and back of the panel is to prevent warping, especially if you are using the 1/8 thick panels. Personally, I use 1/4 thick panels but still seal both sides and all edges whether I'm using oils or acrylics.

[@markbarry6228]

Yes these thin boards will 100% warp over time.

[@hovawart16]

Thank you!

[@linussouthwick7987]

Great stuff. FYI ....looked for one with "s" label ....company has relabled these and took of the 'S' !!! There are still a bunch out there but they were really all the same !!

[@nawaraldhalemi333]

Thank you so much

[@nev707]

Stefan Baumann uses automotive primer spray can (believe it or not). Stefan paints in oil. What do you think?.

[@thebusinessof_art]

There are a lot of right ways to do this. As long as the surface is getting sealed and you’re creating a barrier from the wood product that protects it from the oils, that’s the goal.

[@1977ajax]

All good, though I would recommend first giving two coats of a very good quality acrylic medium at full strength to seal the surfaces before applying the gesso. IMO, the chalk in gesso tends to make it too absorbent to provide complete protection to the panel surface.

[@thebusinessof_art]

Thanks for the tips!

[@baggytanes6117]

Thank you

[@gaeadie]

Great vid. Is it possible to sand, gesso and fully prep the entire sheet before cutting it to final sizes?

[@thebusinessof_art]

Absolutely. That would probably save you a lot of time.

[@tomdenlinger280]

Thank you for your video. Artists use Gesso for priming the board. But why can't you use waterbased Kilz instead?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I’m not familiar with Kilz, but as long as it’s creating a protective barrier, and a safe ground for the oil paint to sit on and adhere to, then it is doing what it needs to. There are a lot of right ways to go about this.

[@pgm5693]

Great info..cheeper than buying canvases

[@thebusinessof_art]

Yes they are!

[@bettyrodriguez3244]

Thank you. Great video. Do you recommend priming the back of the board with GAC 100?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I am not familiar with GAC 100, I know a lot of artists like to prime the backside of the panels, I have never really done that, and I have never had any issues. Probably can’t hurt.

[@rduff1999]

​@@thebusinessof_art Golden's GAC100 is a primer/sealer. All edges and back of wood panels should be sealed against moisture absorption. If you are using oils, the front should also be sealed first, even if you are using acrylic gesso.

[@felipediazvlog]

How do you prevent the MDF panels from bending, after painting on them? Thanks.

[@thebusinessof_art]

I will typically mount them into a frame, which helps immensely. If they’re going to sit out of a frame for a long period of time, you may need to cover them with a protective layer (once it’s totally dry) and lay something heavy on it to keep it flat.

[@sokkoart]

awesome tutorial, how do you hang them on the wall afterwards?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I would mount them into a frame of some kind… if it’s a cradled panel you can paint the sides however you like and hang it by itself, I personally put them into a floater frame.

[@rduff1999]

Sokko, if you are hanging the thin panels only you can put them in a normal frame but need to hold them in place with brads. Or you can turn them into cradled panels by adding 1/2 inch thick wood strips to the back. They can then be mounted into floating frames from behind with screws. The wood strips you add have to be sealed against moisture absorption. Hope you find this helpful.

[@MadelieneArt]

Hi! Thanks for sharing! I also use hardboard for my paintings 🙂 how do you finish the backs of the boards and add hanging hardware?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I personally don’t finish the back of the boards except by writing the name of the painting and signing it. I usually mount the panel into a frame.

[@angeliqueroux3017]

How do you decide between an Masonite board (not boxed) and a boxed birch wood panel? At what size do you recommend painting on a boxed panel rather than a flat board?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I’m glad you found your answer in my other video about the 5 most common painting surfaces

[@kellykim4794]

Hi. Thank you for your channel. I wonder if I can make my panel for watercolor also?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I’m not sure how it would work for watercolor, but I think it should work.

[@nemo9540]

Would it be a good idea to use mdf sealant on the mdf board on both sides before applying the gesso? I imagine this would stop the wood from absorbing moisture over time.

[@thebusinessof_art]

Not sure what that is… do you know of a product?

[@markbarry6228]

You really should seal the wood to create a waterproof barrier that the gesso does not provide. It may seem fine now (and many years) but over time the wood has a much larger chance of warping or even rotting. The painting itself can be effected by Support Induced Discoloration (SID). They have products specifically for this such as GAC 100 but you can use various wood sealers from hardware stores like polyurethane. Your ignorance is misleading people.

[@yibuseato]

Is there a difference between Tempered and non-tempered hardboard? My hardware store only has tempered (oil-tempered). Thanks so much for your videos, they have been SO helpful.

[@thebusinessof_art]

I found some information about the difference between regular and tempered hardboard: "Tempered hardboard adds an additional step of coating the hardboard with a thin film of linseed oil and baking the board to give more water and impact resistance, hardness, rigidity and tensile strength."

[@yibuseato]

@@thebusinessof_art thank you! I wonder if it’s oil content means that it needs to be prepared in an alternate way to prevent delamination. I used GAC 100 & 2 coats gesso, before oil painting. We’ll see 🤞🤞 Thanks again!

[@philiptownsend4026]

​@@yibuseato Linseed oil in the board doesn't seem so bad when the oil paints are made with linseed oil too. But using an acrylic gesso on linseed oiled board seems like a bad idea (I read that acrylic over oil is a no-no?)

[@reneekroyer5104]

Would this work using soft pastels? I love using clear gesso to get some tooth to a surface and I was wondering if I could use this technique to do pastel work?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I don’t work in pastels, so I really don’t know

[@shikhaosan5206]

Should we follow the same process if we want to paint with acrylics? Over MDF.

[@thebusinessof_art]

I think that you can paint any kind of acrylic paint directly to these panels because they're water-based, and there are no oils that will cause the board to deteriorate, but if you want to create an interesting surface, it wouldn't hurt. It also might help to have a layer or two just to keep the board from absorbing the moisture of the paints too quickly.

[@xjoy1163]

I started getting boards cuz sometimes i can get them for free and they are much chaeper than canvases. Lol i sis not sand my board cuz there was already paint on it😂😂 But ill do it properly next time

[@jilliancrawford7577]

Stupid question, but are some of these types of wood more prone to warping and if so, do you have any advice on how to prevent or fix this? Some of them looked a little warped in this video--I am used to seeing paper warp for watercolors, but I know very little for oul medium and figured I'd ask.

[@thebusinessof_art]

I don’t typically paint both sides of the panel, but I’ve heard from several artists that it helps.

[@kanchanamala9761]

Is the panel meant for oil paint or acrylic painting

[@thebusinessof_art]

I prepare it this way for oils, but it can be used for acrylic as well.

[@elisafinch1325]

Thank you!...how paint oil paint same Leonardo Davinci, oil paint durance for century....thank you...

[@patrickmcphee770]

Careful toning with the watered down acrylics. Washes of acrylics without a little medium added in general should be avoided, especially on the 1st layer. Your also thinning the binder. You can physically paint over acyrlics, but it is not archival. I would personally rather stain my gesso with a drop or 2 of acrylic color if your in a hurry for a toned surface. From what I learned, it is much better to give the acrylic primers a couple weeks or even months to dry properly and then wipe off the surface with a damp cloth. Supposedly the oils will adhere better to the surface. Food for thought anyway

[@thebusinessof_art]

I am not aware of this idea, until hearing it from you... so I don't have a thought either way

[@karens7620]

Hi thanku for a very detailed explanation. I don't use oil paints. I'm new to acrylics , about 2 or so years .. can you use that same gesso for the acrylics? Do you know how long gesso is good for? I haven't painted in over year so I wasn't sure if it is ok to use. Thanku for sharing

[@thebusinessof_art]

Gessoing is only necessary for oil painting, because of the oils. You can definitely use the same process for acrylics, but you can also just paint acrylics directly to the panel if you want as well. Because acrylics are water-based, they won’t damage the panel over time. Gesso creates a barrier between the oil and the wood, and it should last indefinitely if the proper care is taken.

[@karens7620]

@@thebusinessof_art thanku very much. That was very helpful.. one day I'll try oils. They are so vibrant and beautiful. I got a long way to go before thst part lol your obviously very knowledgeable and talented.. enjoy your day

[@rduff1999]

Karen, I believe that if your gesso container has been properly closed, your gesso should still be fine. I'm fairly sure that some of mine had not been used for a year and it was ok when I prepared some panels a week or so ago. Something that might help is, if you know you're not going to be using it for a long time, is storing it upside down. I work mainly in oil and have noticed that Gamblin stores their oil ground like that.Hope this helped

[@karens7620]

@R Duff hi how r u? Thanku so very much. I will try that storing technique. I'm happy to hear your gesso was still good. Mine should be ok. Have a great day/night

[@rduff1999]

@@karens7620 Hi! I am having a great day and I hope you are also.

[@timov13]

May I ask why you don't seal the surface before priming?

[@thebusinessof_art]

this is a method of sealing the surface. it would be redundant.

[@eissegn]

When you put the brown paint after you sanded it, is it the same as doing an underpainting?

[@thebusinessof_art]

No, it’s just an acrylic ground or tone. An underpainting would be in addition to it, like a sketch or thin painting that would establish the subject more concretely.

[@eissegn]

@@thebusinessof_art Oh... So acrylic ground is just to mute the white of the canvas, and underpainting is? I've never really understood underpainting. I heard that it's just to "set the mood" and for painters to easily which part of the canvas is mot yet painted.

[@thebusinessof_art]

@@eissegn Here's a link to a video that describes very well what an underpainting is... an underpainting can be done on a toned ground like the one I create, or on a white gessoed panel... here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKm2pICfjtx5nck

[@reneekroyer5104]

I have found that if you use a foam roller brush instead of a paint brush, you do not get those textured lines.

[@thebusinessof_art]

I really like the texture lines, but if you don’t, that’s a great solution

[@mahreenelahi1187]

I am planning to use graphite on these sheets, directly over the surface. will it be durable ?

[@thebusinessof_art]

Yes, I use graphite on these all the time.

[@hariss9158]

What is graphite?

[@Iffat_khattak]

Can i use acrylic primer for acrylic paints?

[@thebusinessof_art]

Absolutely. Acrylic can always bond with acrylic. You cannot paint acrylic paint over an oil-based primer.

[@pbjt2396]

@@thebusinessof_art thank you for replying here! I am painting my first piece and couldn’t find gesso anywhere, so I went with some acrylic primer but wasn’t too sure since every video on KZbin only directs you to use gesso. Thank you 🙏🏼😊 I am excited to try my hand at this.

[@Eliahist]

What if Masonite MDF expanding after applying gesso

[@thebusinessof_art]

You might paint a coat or two on the backside, hopefully it will even out

[@TJ-jq9bz]

Do you ever paint large paintings on MDF?

[@thebusinessof_art]

Yes, actually, definitely on the 1/4” panels, which can get really heavy. Lately though I have been painting a lot more of my larger pieces on cradled birch panels.

[@MsVerao]

Can anyone tell me if I should also gesso the back of the masonite? Thank you!!

[@thebusinessof_art]

I don’t, but many people do. It can’t hurt as an extra step of precaution

[@MsVerao]

@@thebusinessof_art thank you!!🙏🏻

[@khadijatahir129]

What sized panel is this?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I think it is 11” x 14”

[@LottieSue]

Great video: Newbie painter here, I've heard several times now that it's advised to make 100 practice paintings on MDF to really get into the flow of painting, so to speak. I would like to do this but could you advise me the best size for practice paintings from a large sheet of MDF board?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I personally recommend painting pretty small like 8x8, 8x10, 10x10. Smaller paintings can be completed quickly and help you lear to solve problems on a small scale

[@wendy792-]

Please be careful if you are cutting up your own MDF board. Always wear a mask to protect yourself from the dust. The gentleman who made the vid. uses Masonite or birchwood panels.

[@rhyannonp8231]

why dont you seal the sides?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I don’t prime the sides because I don’t put oil paint on the sides. Wherever you plan to have oil paint is where you should be priming.

[@rduff1999]

You should seal the front, back and all edges of any wood panel as wood absorbs moisture from the air which could cause future problems.

[@ElianaLemosArt]

I had an MDF panel stored in my studio (garage) that in just a few weeks, got covered in a green and black mold coat.. it was truly scary to see it happen as I've just moved to a very humid region. I wonder how I should prime the back of my MDF panel, in order to prevent all my future work from deteriorating? 😪

[@bootykingnadal]

Same thing happened to me, I had to clean the mold with a bit of vinegar and soda.

[@rduff1999]

Eliana, what type of paint are you using?

[@ElianaLemosArt]

​@@rduff1999 I paint with oils but the back of the MDF was not primed

[@ElianaLemosArt]

​@@bootykingnadal scary stuff! 😅

[@rduff1999]

@@ElianaLemosArt k you have some choices. Wood panels need a protective coating on the front, back and edges to protect it from humidity as you have discovered. For oil painting I use either Gamblin PVA size or Golden GAC 100 (2 coats each). They both dry clear so that the wood grain pattern of the birch panels can be seen on the back. I use the GAC 100 when I am impatient. Hope that this has been helpful. Happy painting.

[@barrybark3995]

i read somewhere you need to paint the back too or it can warp in winter

[@rduff1999]

If you want avoid any problems with wood panels the front, back and all edges should be sealed against moisture absorption. I use two coats of GAC 100.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

Anytime you paint a board, put at least one coat on the back side. Otherwise you are inviting warpage.

[@rduff1999]

You should also seal the edges.

[@David-fv7zg]

Would you go through the same process when using acrylic paints?

[@thebusinessof_art]

I probably would, but for an entirely different reason. You don't need to protect wood or other wood product substrates from acrylic paint, to my knowledge. But, for me I like to work on the surface that this process creates, so I might still do something similar to give me a surface I like to work with.

[@seanwelty81]

Please don’t cut these panels on tue table saw as shown. This is an unsafe practice and cutting like this will increase the likelihood of kick back. Please use the riving knife that comes with your saw and never cut a piece that is wider than its length. Use a sled instead or your miter gauge.

[@thebusinessof_art]

Safety is always the priority. If you don’t feel comfortable operating a table saw, you probably shouldn’t. I have been cutting my panels like this for years... never had a problem.

[@rduff1999]

​​@@thebusinessof_art many people have lost fingers, or worse, from over confidence. Some with decades of experience. I make a lot of dado cuts for cabinetry projects and have removed the over blade guard but I always use a riving knife when cutting panels as you did. It keeps the cut from closing up which causes the blade to bind resulting in the throwback. Safety First.

[@jawadkazmi8856]

Alhumdulila, brother, dude 😂 I've been waiting for this info for a long time ❤✌️ cool, much abliged & appreciated. Keep up the good work.

[@thebusinessof_art]

Thank you! I’m glad it was helpful!