Master the Art of Preparing Grounds: Expert Techniques and Best Practices

[@equinnknox]

For making traditional glue ground I found the best option was using a wax warmer--the kind used to heat up wax for hair removal--to keep the glue at the right temperature. It won't get to boiling because of the settings, but it also can keep it at a set temperature that is exactly that "uncomfortably hot, but not burning skin hot."

[@RublevColours]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Divertedflight]

Rubens painted that picture on a white ground, but it did have a streaky ochre imprimatura. So, if you want a non-white surface put white first anyway.

[@phillipmurphy842]

When preparing a linen canvas with hide glue sizing and letting it dry; is there any advantage to using a weak formaldehyde solution to the verso side of the canvas to improve a painting’s longevity.

[@RublevColours]

Applying formaldehyde to the reverse side of the canvas will do little to reduce the hygroscopicity of animal glue. Adding alum to the animal glue mixture will reduce it slightly but also make it more brittle. In the end, there is no evidence we can find to say if it will help or not.

[@phillipmurphy842]

How long should one wait for a lead ground to dry/cure before commencing painting?

[@RublevColours]

Tha really depends on the lead ground.

[@Divertedflight]

My sympathies for those who have purchased a whole roll of zinc white oil primed Belgian linen.

[@Divertedflight]

Not sure if there was some confusion over 'clear acrylic gesso' as both Liquitex and Winsor & Newton do make (I think with calcium carbonate) a toothy clear gesso primer.

[@RublevColours]

It cannot be clear if it contains calcium carbonate or any inert filler.

[@Divertedflight]

@@RublevColours I have a pot of W&N's 'Clear Gesso' whatever it contains, and it's not just acrylic medium, it's white in a wet state but dries to highly transparent slightly milky course film. "Completely clear when dry." Ink lines, even pencil lines on under layers of acrylic white gesso are clearly visible under this. I used it for a short while for depicting the structure of buildings with Indian ink but later thought what the hell; just paint it. I also wondered if oil from the paint could more visibly darken it with time. I've heard of some artists using it to thinly coat underpaintings of acrylic before finishing a work in oil. This with the intention to remove dangers of delamination from the acrylic paint. Of course, they also then have to deal with a fractional lightening effect this product brings. Yet others add a small amount of acrylic colour to it to make a transparent coloured acrylic gesso on top of a standard white acrylic gesso.

[@Divertedflight]

Question; Do the other zinc containing pigments also have those zinc oxide weaking effects? Or is it just Zinc white and zinc stearate? Sorry I missed the live stream.

[@RublevColours]

As far as we know today it is only ziinc oxide and zinc stearate.

[@phillipmurphy842]

@@RublevColours. So I imagine that the zinc sulfide in Lithopane will not cause problematic issues over time ?

[@Divertedflight]

@@RublevColours Thanks for your reply

[@RublevColours]

@@phillipmurphy842 That's correct!

[@RublevColours]

@@Divertedflight You're welcome.

[@Divertedflight]

The local ACM panels seem to be too thin in the aluminium. I've noticed those with damaged edges at my hardware and they're not much more than a painted foil on each side. I can't fully give my trust to them.

[@RublevColours]

Then you have the wrong ACM. Shop around, or go to artefex.biz

[@Divertedflight]

@@RublevColours Thank you for the link.

[@alessiomenicocci8538]

I understand a little spoken English and I have gathered a lot of information but I missed a lot of information. Why didn't you turn on the subtitles? Thanks anyway.

[@RublevColours]

Subtitles in English are available. You can turn them in KZbin.

[@sohelpervas4821]

Sir I use wood canvas for my oil painting. I use rabit skin glue to prime wood canvas . But my aitist friend said that rabit skin glue become melted in rany day after applying the glue in wood canvas. How to prevent it

[@RublevColours]

Animal collagen glue does not 'melt,' but it softens due to moisture absorption from high humidity. There is no way to prevent this from occurring.;

[@sohelpervas4821]

@@RublevColours By usuing one layer of burnt umber oil paint over the priming of rabit skin glue can I make my wood canvas permanently protected from weather?

[@RublevColours]

@@sohelpervas4821 No, this does not make canvas protected from the environment.

[@sohelpervas4821]

@@RublevColours what should I do to protect painting and wood canvas permenently form environment

[@RublevColours]

@@sohelpervas4821 Nothing permanently protects canvas and wood from the environment except maintaining these paintings in a controlled environment, use protective backings and apply varnish to the painting.

[@Algabatz]

Lots of great information, thank you! Leonardo daVinci should have had you as consultants :-)

[@tatianazaysteva]

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