Surfaces on a Budget: Oil Painting Pro Tips (Part 2 of 3)

Oil Painting Surfaces Pro Tips, Part 2: Surfaces on a budget! In this video I show you five different ways to doctor a cheap panel and make it an amazing surface for oil painting!
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0:00 Introduction
0:44 Make Your Own Wood Panels
3:16 Coat Your Panels with Gesso
4:21 Coat Your Panels with Oil Ground
4:56 Coat Your Panels with Lead Oil Ground
5:50 Doctor Your Panels with a Toned Primer
Here are the materials mentioned in this video:
Sizing:
Golden GAC100 (Acrylic Polymer): bit.ly/3gFLlc1
Shellac: amzn.to/3C5j734
Priming:
Michael Harding Nonabsorbent Acrylic Gesso bit.ly/3q93AcH
Lead Primer: bit.ly/3gJ6h0p
Oil Primer: bit.ly/3cT7Esm
Holbein Foundation Grey: bit.ly/3y8Y8Ka
Holbein Foundation Umber: bit.ly/3zORR6N
Panels and Canvases:
Cheap canvas panels: amzn.to/3l8nHrd
If you don’t want to go to Home Depot for MDF panels, check out these from Artlicious:
amzn.to/2TMdllA
Art Before Dishes T-shirt: etsy.me/3fcoovL
Please note, some of these links are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This allows me to continue creating helpful and entertaining free content! I only recommend products that I use and love.

[@TomboTronic]

Anna Rose, what a nice series on painting surfaces for all levels of artists. I will say that my favorite way of upscaling a cheap panel is with Gamblin's Alkyd based oil ground. It works great and dries in about a week. It is easy to pretone and just like your method it is a fantastic way to cover up and reuse some of those 'not so masterpieces' one may have laying about. I just discovered your channel and it is kind of a crime that you don't have more views. You should be packing them in for lots of reasons.

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Thanks so much for the kind words, TJ! I've used Gamblin's alkyd ground before too - in fact, I used it for several years and enjoyed that it dried so quickly. However, it was almost too fast-drying for me, as it got tacky while brushing it on, even when thinned with solvent. Hey, each to his own, right? Glad it works for you! As far as my channel -- it's a work in progress. I have lots of things going all at once and KZbin has taken the back burner. But I'm always glad I can help in some way. :-)

[@andrealeobons]

I had to come here and congratulate you on this very informative series. Best video I found!!! It is hard to find a video that has an overall view specially concerning conservation. I really appreciate your effort. Thank you, have a blessed day, Anna.

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Thank you so much for your kind words! Glad you found it helpful!

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

Thank you so much for these tips. I don’t like painting on stretched canvas anyways, so to be able to make my own panels is great. 👍🏽

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Glad you found this helpful! :-)

[@artonthecreek]

Anna-These great suggestions! It never occurred to me to use mdf board from the hardware store. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@samuelmomoh3905]

Great video, thanks so much Anna. Love that easel behind you ☺

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Thanks, Samuel! It's a Santa Fe easel and my go-to for in the studio. :-)

[@jamiegossett]

don't mix the oil at top of the can. that is to stop air from getting to the paint. pour it into a bowl, scoop out the primer, pour the oil back into the can to keep flakes from forming,.

[@youareamazingyesyou5880]

Brilliant video! Im just starting in oils and so want to prepare a good surface for practice peices. (I would still like them to stand the test of time too if poss, incase i happen to do a really good painting 🙂). I have some mdf and gac100. Just to be clear... may i ask.. for my oil painting, if i coat mdf in 2 coats with gac100. Is it best then to use the oil based primer... or the michael harding non absorb product you use? thankyou

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Hi there! If you plan on using GAC100 you can use EITHER Michael Harding non absorbent gesso, or oil based primer. It just depends on your budget and how much time you have available for it to dry. If I’m not in a hurry I’ll always choose an oil primer over gesso, just because I prefer how it feels as a working surface. But if I’m in a pinch, the gesso is so nice to have around. Happy painting!

[@MorriganEshara-vb8tz]

Hi Anna, Golden now recommends against using either GAC 100 or glossy mediums because of delamination issues with Oils. They put out "New Rocommendations for Painting Oils Over Acrylics" on their channel, GoldenPaints. They say to stick with matte mediums and avoid anything glossy because it isn't 'porous' enough or something.

[@kimcarter8657]

This video is so helpful. Thank you so much for the information and the way you present it! If I use MDF and plan to size it with GAC 100, how long should I wait between each coat and how long should I let it sit before priming with gesso? I’m definitely going for the budget friendly option

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Glad you enjoyed! The GAC100 dries fairly quickly but I would give it at least an hour between coats and/or before adding gesso.

[@kimcarter8657]

Thank you!!

[@DannySabraArt]

Wow. Thank you for this excellent Information! I have been just recently sipping my toes into oil primed linen and it is so expensive! I have heard of painters using a mixture of linseed oil and OMS to prime their canvas or also liquin and oil paint. Do you recommend that as a suitable method? Thanks!

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Hi Danny, thanks for the comment! I've never tried priming my canvas in those ways but if you're curious as to the longevity and quality of those methods, maybe ask that question on the Painting Best Practices Facebook group. It's run by George O'Hanlon, the founder of Natural Pigments, and he really knows his stuff!

[@DannySabraArt]

@@AnnaRoseBain Thanks for the tip! I'll check that out! Thank you!

[@sumit_mestry]

Hii, where I live its very difficult to get access of oil based grounds or lead based ground, so as an alternative option, I bought gesso primed linen canvas and on that I'm applying two coats of titanium white oil paint with linseed oil... do you think this application will help to reduce soaking of paints that i'll apply while painting?

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Hello, yes that should work! Make sure the white is applied thinly and that it dries fully between layers. Happy painting!

[@DannySabraArt]

Question about sealing wood. Can you use acrylic matte medium to seal a wood board before adding gesso or oil primer or does it specifically need to be GAC100? Also when sealing do you coat every surface including the sides or only the side you will paint on? Thanks!

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Any acrylic polymer should do the job, so it doesn’t have to be GAC100. Gambling’s makes a PVA size that would work well too. It is advised to seal the sides in addition to the front to protect from primer and oil paint that might spill over the edge.

[@AnnaRoseBain]

*Gamblin

[@DannySabraArt]

@@AnnaRoseBain thank you so much! I painted on wood for the first time yesterday and did coat it with acrylic medium before adding gesso. Glad to know it will work. I will check out those other products as well. Thanks!

[@sandrapowers6099]

Question? When you want a toned primer…. Can you paint your panel with any of the many oil paint colors? I looked for the Holbein Foundation paints you described you like to use. They are a lovely color , but are about $27.00 a tube. I have seen artists prepare an under painting using for example, umber or burnt sienna thinned some with mineral spirits. Would this method also be a good underpainting or a way to tone a panel or stretched canvas? Would you let it dry completely before painting on it ? I guess you could also blend it into your oil paints as you paint. This might be a good idea to try. Another question please…..? I bought several of the panels you recommended, very nice. I want to prepare them for oil painting. I have applied 2 coats, front and back, with GAC 100. And sanded. ? Next do I apply Michael Harding’s acrylic non-absorbing ground , and let dry. Then I want to glue oil-primed linen canvas to the panel. Mine is Centurion oil primed linen. Can I use PVC glue? Or rabbit skin glue? Or what do you recommend? And after the linen canvas is glued to panel and is dry, do I need to apply anything on top of this canvas, or is it “finally”. Ha! Ready to paint on? Thank you so much. Your videos are so helpful. I love to watch you paint. Your self portrait is amazing! And the video where your little boy is walking around on your canvas, is so precious 😍😍😍 It’s nice that he is allowed to play near your work area. Even though, I know it takes patience and May slow you down, one day, he will hold his memories of playing in his Mama’s studio, dear to his heart❤️❤️❤️ I did not mean to make this so long 😱. Have a beautiful day…💐

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Hi Sandra, to answer your questions... 1) Yes, you could just tone your panel with oil paint (artists do this all the time, myself included), but you'd still want to make sure that it's over the top of a fully primed and cured surface. Using a primer that's already toned just saves you the extra step. If you want an acrylic based primer, Michael Harding now makes toned primers in several great colors and you get more for your money. However, that's still not the same as working on a lead or oil based primer, which I still consider superior. 2) For the wood panels that you've sized with GAC100... yes, sand between coats. Then you can apply two coasts of MH acrylic ground or an oil ground, whatever you prefer. Then it's ready to paint on. If you're planning to mount pre-primed linen to these panels, then there's no need to apply a ground after the size. Size your panel as normal, then use a conservation friendly glue to apply your linen. This is something I have NOT made a video about yet, so this is a slightly different process than what I covered here. The glue I recommend is called "Miracle Muck," which you can find online, OR Rublev makes a great mounting adhesive as well (www.artistsupplysource.com/product/4191847/mounting-adhesive-32-oz/?origin=google_product_ads&gclid=CjwKCAjwt7SWBhAnEiwAx8ZLakFLVUDlX2dKvTB1zm7e6NNH8kAN3evz2df75CIZSjZ15-oocjJmOhoC704QAvD_BwE). Pre-primed linen comes ready to paint on, so definitely no need to add anything on top! Thanks for the kind words. Hope this helps!

[@sandrapowers6099]

@@AnnaRoseBain Thank you so much for your answers to my questions. Very helpful. Always best to ask a professional artist with lots of experience. …. You definitely are! I forgot to ask one more question…. When you wear gloves for painting? What type and brand do you think is the best? My hands are already pretty dry from years of washing them as a nurse. So I want to prevent any added irritant from the chemicals and oils. Thanks again💕💕💕. Have a beautiful day 💐

[@sandrapowers6099]

Forgot something else….if you have some old tubes of oil paints, that have some dried oil residue on the tubes… what is the best way to clean them? Or do you? They are just so sticky to handle! 😊

[@AnnaRoseBain]

@@sandrapowers6099 the brand of gloves usually don't matter unless you're allergic to latex. I use nitrile gloves.

[@sisaygetachew2069]

Thank you for sharing . But what do you recommend in areas where these priming substances are not found?

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Hi Sissy, I'm not sure where you are located but most of these products have ingredients listed on the website where they are sold, so you should be able to look for something comparable.

[@sisaygetachew2069]

@@AnnaRoseBain I am from Ethiopia in Africa.

[@sisaygetachew2069]

Sorry. First of all thank you for the answer.

[@sisaygetachew2069]

@@AnnaRoseBain Thank you verymuch.

[@rhyannonp8231]

I have some canvases I got in an auction , they labed said they were primed, I think oil primed (its just regular duck cloth canvas) but I am not sure if that means I need to gesso them or if they should be gesso'd because they have been oil primed. Can you help?

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Hi Rhyannon, if they are oil primed already then they're ready to paint on, unless you want a more custom surface, in which case you could brush on an extra coat of oil primer. But if they are acrylic primed, you can add an extra coat of gesso, or oil primer. Totally up to you! If you're really not sure how they're primed, then use oil primer, because it would be bad news if you put an acrylic primer over the top of an oil primed canvas. :-)

[@rhyannonp8231]

@@AnnaRoseBain thank you, that is what I worried about

[@romulusbuta9318]

About Michael Harding's N.A.A.P. GESSO......... After applying and drying, can it be sanded down with sandpaper for a very smooth surface.....or the product even dryed it's too rubbery for this ??? I know I can use whater to diluate the product for a smoother aplication....but this also mean loosing strenght and highter absorbency....☝️

[@AnnaRoseBain]

Yes, the Michael Harding gesso can and should be sanded in between coats. :) If you dilute it make sure you apply at least three coats before painting on it.