What is Gesso? How To Use Gesso + Why It's Important For Sketchbooks & Paintings!

[@fangirl1234fangirl]

TIP: Gesso is also great to mix with acrylic paints! It makes the paint look thicker and not as streaky! Great to make cheap paints look more expensive :)

[@soniccookie655]

You can add corn starch to cheap paints too and it gives a great result!

[@savagejordan781]

​@@soniccookie655nice

[@jasonanthonywilper]

Gesso costs way more that paint

[@naturezone6655]

Good tip!

[@debleb166]

@@jasonanthonywilper You can get cheaper gesso too, more expensive than the cheap paint, but there are budget options like Icon gesso.

[@williardbillmore5713]

When I was in art school in the 70s I discovered that flat white acrylic house paint has all the same properties of Liquitex gesso at a fraction of the cost. I could buy a gallon of house paint at the hardware store for less than what a quart of Gesso cost at the art supply store The oil paintings I did back then, 50 years ago, using flat white acrylic house paint as gesso, still hold up today.

[@arlenekerr1198]

I thought of that,now I'll have to try it, thanks for the tip!

[@williardbillmore5713]

@@arlenekerr1198 Just be sure to get the flat white exterior paint and stir it well satin or gloss finishes may result in bonding issues, especially if your finished paint layer is oil paints.

[@robertawestbrooks9531]

All righty, will go buy flat white paint instead 😮

[@shirleyandrews1152]

I was wondering about that. Thank you for affirming my suspicions❤️

[@karincocker3394]

Wiw great, ok i always add good white wood glue, A slosh of water, to thin this, criss cross big brush, over canvas

[@ericswain4177]

While this may be a good practice generally I would think that 4-8 coats under the finished painting may be prone to craquelure and flaking over time as paintings that endure for many many years may be exposed to many more ambient conditions such as Heat, Cold, Humidity, Etc... I am an Art collector and a few of my paintings have suffered such a fate which I believe from too many base layers though thin. Yes some of them are quite old and may have inferior paint and Gesso materials. The more coats the more prone to mechanical movement especially canvas and paper or any flexible substrate. Another thing to consider is the surface itself such as masonite, solid wood panels, and laminated woods, and their thicknesses that expand and contract sometimes quite a bit so there may be additional coating steps and preps if one wants their artwork to stand the long test of time. Yes, materials are much better today but I fear with the advent of so many paints and techniques and heavy impastos etc.. that there will be many works lost to inadequate forethought of materials and substrates in combination leading up to disaster. Side note Jess Karp nice artwrk.

[@Christodophilus]

I was taught to always gesso a canvas or board before painting, but never knew exactly why. Now I do! Oh, and never would have thought to gesso a sketch book, to prevent materials seeping through to the other side. Great advice, and thanks for sharing.

[@artofjesskarp]

Amazing! I am so glad you found it helpful! Thanks for waching!

[@ritakoentopp5364]

lol

[@justinmorgan2126]

mix fine talc (baby powder) with white glue and you've got all the gesso you'll ever need for a tenth of the price of shop bought stuff.

[@karincocker3394]

Yes!! That john....&john.... Talc powder is amazing and dries ROCK HARD, ALSO FOR TEXTURE!! (what did i do to my poor babies bottoms!)

[@phillippia]

@@karincocker3394There has been class action lawsuits for the cancer causing effects of some body powders in recent years….

[@neonGawdzilla]

Talc isn't sold everywhere anymore. Turns out that it usually contains asbestos

[@hiddentidesgaming]

It's also good to gesso the back of your wrap canvases, as this will seal the raw wood and raw canvas backs, making them last longer and less chance of getting ruined.

[@hannahnfvideos1043]

Can you post a video of an “old” sketchbook tour? Like when you first started drawing? Or even your oldest artwork?

[@artofjesskarp]

I want to yes!

[@maryamkhan1070]

Yes please

[@toobad41]

nice tip jess, FYI -I use a small hardware or paint store roller. much smooooother😊. less sanding, no streaks, drips or errors.

[@AlssadaryaM]

This is such an amazing video! As a self taught artist of many mediums I often learn by trying things blind or from wonderful videos like this. I wouldn't have thought about using Gesso before because I honestly had no idea what it is but now I want to try it out immediately in my sketchbooks. Thank you so much for sharing :)

[@artofjesskarp]

Thank you! I am so glad you find informative!! enjoy!

[@MaryParr-iy3pu]

Thanks for the info. You are a beautiful artist. What a beautiful gift you have

[@thelilyfactor]

The timing of this video couldn’t be better. I just started using varnish from that brand for acrylic painting, and I couldn’t find very many videos showcasing all of its uses as well as how to use it. This is so helpful! Thank you!

[@artofjesskarp]

Awesome!! I am so glad! I agree I wasnt able to find videos on this topic - SO I decided to make one :)

[@PixiePrincess501]

Ooh, I didn't know Gesso helps with gouache on sketchbooks! I usually treat gouache as I do watercolor when it's in a sketchbook, so I'm gonna give this a try! ;3 I had a question regarding using oils in sketchbooks: Do you have any issues with the lighter colors yellowing over time? No one seems to want explain this one to me, and I really want to give it a try...

[@lalithanagarajan1055]

I haven't tried oils before. So this is really an important question for me.. Thank you for asking. Can you use oil paint in a sketch book? Would it dry quickly to close the sketch book after you finish the sketch?

[@sammohanamshivam]

She has mentioned at around 2:00 - 2:04 if you replay the video to use gesso before oil painting in a sketch book to protect the oil being seeped through pages on otherside. Might this info help you. Enjoy 😊

[@NebraskaWriter]

You should NEVER place oil paint on acrylic gesso. It will eventually delaminate. Smithsonian forbids oil on acrylic for all their restorations.

[@williardbillmore5713]

The white pigment in gesso, titanium oxide, allows you to draw with a pure silver point instead of a graphite pencil. Unlike graphite silver point drawings will not smear and the fine crisp lines will oxidize to a beautiful sepia tone over time giving your drawings the look of Leonardo's sketchbooks. A small piece of silver wire held in a mechanical pencil does the job and will not wear down for years. It is a very different discipline from drawing with graphite because no matter how hard you press down the line will not become darker. Variation in density and tone is achieved by the spacing of crosshatching and fineness of line.

[@leif1075]

Thabks for sharing. But why can't youbdraw withba graphite pen cil without gesso? Or you mean you can jjst if your cambas or other durface might not be as pure unjformly white without gesso or a similar base or is it something else? I'm a novice at this forgive me.

[@williardbillmore5713]

@@leif1075 Hundreds of years before there were graphite pencils there was silver point on a titanium ground such as gesso. Most drawing paper especially newsprint or bond paper will yellow over time. If you are not interested in learning and emulating the technics of the classical renaissance old masters , by all means draw on bond paper with a graphite pencil.

[@samsitonik4670]

2 questions 😅 1) What grit of sandpaper? 2)How many coats did you use to cover the old painting? Thank you so much for making this video!

[@michaeljohnangel6359]

"Gesso" means "plaster" in Italian. Up until the middle of the 20th century, painters would use a type of gesso made in the studio, using powdered plaster (chalk, calcium carbonate) and an organic glue (usually rabbitskin glue). Acrylic gesso is not a gesso, but it does work well as a primer for one's canvas. The best commecially available gesso is Golden Gesso; it is, in fact, a gesso made with calcium carbonate and a synthetic glue (which is better than the traditional rabbitskin glue, since it doesn't yellow with time and remains flexible).

[@leif1075]

Whybis acrylic gesso not a gesso? Necause it's not a type of plaster?

[@michaeljohnangel6359]

@@leif1075 Most "acrylic gessos" are just acrylic paint. Gesso is a combination of powdered chalk (calcium carbonate) and some kind of glue. The traditional glue was rabbitskin glue, but synthetic gessos, such as that made by Golden Gesso, replaces rabbitskin glue with a synthetic glue. This is better, since rabbitskin glue becomes brittle with time, and cracks; it also darkens and yellows with time.

[@davidnicolas8019]

I’m not an artist but I was looking to prepare my 7 year olds daughters canvases properly. I must say I think your “sketch” book is beautiful.

[@VisualMind]

I've seen a lot of people use Gesso but never really knew that much about it. Thank you so much for this informative video! Also your artwork is absolutely breathtaking!

[@Mijuki]

Thank you very much for the video! Especially the tip at the end, to either sandpaper or add some water to it, to get an even surface. I thought i did something wrong, because my whole surface turned into brush strokes

[@rtsartmania9529]

Your channel has been a major source of inspiration for me to be more creative on my Channel! Thank you jess❤️

[@artofjesskarp]

Aw thanks!

[@ptaylor4923]

I use sponge brushes. Comes out nice and smooth. I also go for the large size so I don't have as many "stroke lanes" (which is a term I made up out of the blue because brush strokes made me think of bowling alley lanes. 🙄 Yes, I can be a weird person. 😏)

[@artofjesskarp]

Yeah! its all personal preference

[@BLTV_Photoshop]

You're such a wonderful artist, Jess!

[@artofjesskarp]

Thank you

[@jasonblevins5319]

Nice work. Liquitex makes the best pre made gesso period. I mix it with paint ,plaster ,paper ,cloth it’s also my white for acrylics. 40 yrs.

[@Lavrnjaa]

I just use white acrylic paint/craft paint because it is SO cheap and works just as well bc it's still an acrylic base!! My oils have looked so vibrant on it since I started in November :)

[@MercyCuenca]

EXCELLENT HACK!?!

[@MercyCuenca]

"!!!" NOT "!?!"

[@Blick_Art]

Great explanation of the function of acrylic gesso, and excellent visual demonstration of application technique. The Utrecht Art Supplies team cheered when they saw their logo on your brush!

[@BetaGolchin]

I gessoed my Sketchpad paper as an experiment many months ago and immediately saw the difference. I use it within the tape edge markings and not outside it. Once the painting is finished and I peel the tape, the painting looks almost 3D. It’s remarkable how awesome Gesso is for the finished result

[@briantaulbee6452]

I've been using gesso as a white paint. And also to lighten other acrylic colors

[@starmazaheri7448]

Thank you very much for this informative video. What about if you are using coloured pencils please?

[@TyTLZacharie]

Thanks so much doing this video because I honestly needed to see it. Idk if you done it before but maybe you can do a video on different brushes for different mediums & artist levels?. Also your work is so beautiful!! I’m never not amazed when you share your work. Especially work we haven’t seen before or much of.

[@krismack4222]

your artistic gift is ridiculously unbelievably and stunningly next level. just wow. and thank you for explaining gesso.

[@charlesvitanza8867]

Gesso is even nice for me doing work with alcohol markers in my sketchbooks as the pigment bleeds through if I don't use it. When I work with pastels I even use it to give a nice base layer.

[@karincocker3394]

I always use. Acrylic white house paint. PVA. Add 2 tabs? 3 tabs? Good white wood glue . SLOSH of water, get it easy to criss cross paint on your canvas.

[@louquevedo9312]

Thank you!❤ Do you wash the brushes just with water after applying gesso?

[@JoAnneSmith-di8ok]

Thank you for answering questions and showing me what I can do with with Gesso.

[@theartistjodievans]

Liquitex professional is my favorite as well. It feels like silk! And I find it has better coverage as well.

[@shanelledavis8158]

What a coincidence!! I was just thinking about buying my first bottle of gesso!!

[@nick9254]

I like the blue drawing, and the way the light goes across the hair. 😊

[@dianecharest8365]

Jess, you are an amazing artist. And im just talking about your sketchbook art. If your that good in your sketchbook, then your paintings must be phenomenal.

[@Priyanka-ol7wj]

Hii ma'am I have also Started 100 Eyes Challenge...Challenging myself I made 20/100 eyes and they are extremely Beneficial for practice 😊 Inspired by Jess ma'am videos❤❤

[@linca5084]

Hey Jess, may I ask one more Question? When the pages of my sketchbook are not made for watercolors, can I prime them with Gesso too? Great video by the way, lots of love, Lin

[@artofjesskarp]

Absolutely!!

[@samsitonik4670]

Look for the shiney areas between coats. Good tip!

[@madArt1981]

Typical supports are made from organic materials and if you use oil paints, eventually it will rot the support whether it’s wood, Linen or cotton/linen. You need to isolate the support from the surface where you’ll be painting with this a mixture of Latex (acrylic paint) Gesso (gypsum, plaster) powder. Or Polyvinyl acetate (PVA glue) and Sodium Carbonate powder mixed thickly to create Gesso

[@artofjesskarp]

Thank you so much for watching and sharing!

[@rubenscasco801]

Thanks for sharing Jess, but you didn't mention how long is the drying time per coat..1 hr. or until The surface is hardened..

[@titilayoqueen9181]

Can I apply gesso on canva when I will be using an acrylic paint that has been watered down… will that work as fine? Love your videos ❤️👏🏽 from Nigeria

[@gajendrasingh4544]

Thank you maam, pl. give some knowledge about varnish and why it is required for various medium. Thanks and regards.

[@ahala7650]

U helped me thanks....and congratulations ❤️🎉

[@artofjesskarp]

Thanks!!

[@aanvibansal7866]

Your drawings are amazing!!!

[@artofjesskarp]

Thanks

[@lynx_the_artist5351]

Can we just take a moment to appricate her beautiful nails

[@sussu3213]

Always 👌💅

[@kingbrother761]

No we cannot

[@michelleromero2204]

I learn so much from from u

[@voradorhylden3410]

Theyre pink. Whats so beautiful?

[@Jeremyrayworld]

You can

[@greekveteran2715]

Wow!! That blue eyes drawing on the wooden panels, looks awesome!

[@tlojewelrylove]

Wow, you've done some really beautiful paintings! ❤️❤️❤️ I'm just hoping I survive my paint by numbers kit. LOL! 😄 I've never painted before so I'm trying to educate myself on some of the techniques. Thanks for a wonderful demo! 🙂

[@anuska8098]

all of your drawings, including the bird , Chita and the cat , are awesome.

[@sanjahotko8585]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Have a fabulous day from Slovenia. BTW, thank you for sharing.

[@ralphanderson2604]

Can I use my Liqutex 4 acylic 4 watercolor art? colored pencils?

[@RN25899]

Can I use it on top of latex paint??

[@vibesmom]

Thank you so much for being so detailed. It’s so helpful and takes away the fear factor of trying something new. ❤️

[@wyrdo1501]

You are probably the best person to ask this. Wanting to figure out a way to improve sketchbooks for watercolor, curious if using gesso on the back side of a page would help make thinner paper hold up to watercolors on the non gesso front side?

[@terrythomas790]

Why not just use any acrylic paint for the backside if all you want is a little more durable front surface?

[@Waltkat]

While the information about gesso is very interesting and useful, I was most impressed with how beautiful your art work is. I would love to see your work at a gallery.

[@shirlthetwirl]

Wow nevermind the gesso - what about your Art . Absolutely stunning . Mesmerised. Thanks so much for sharing. 😍💖

[@terrythomas790]

Its all in the gesso. Just scribble over gesso, and you will get beautiful artwork! lol Her Sketches are good enough for the final product! Just frame the sketchbook!

[@rupapandit8188]

Thanks a lot, cleared all my doubts about applying gesso.

[@artofjesskarp]

I am so glad! thanks for watching!

[@fogsmart]

I make panels (cradled and flat) for artists out of my workshop. I seal first with GAC100 2 coats then 3 to 4 coats of quality Gesso. My clients wouldn’t accept anything less for archival work and SID mitigation. For framed canvas I use GAC400 to start. House paint gets mention in the comments. OMG.

[@denise801]

thank you for your tips. I am a beginner and excited to start. Now, excuse me while I gush: wow, what a talent you have! your art is beautiful!

[@willchadwick2414]

cool info. Especially about using gesso in sketch pads for painting - if I were ever able to figure out painting on the go that is....

[@korukiwiarts]

Thank you for explaining this product

[@artofjesskarp]

Thank you for watching

[@blueblousedesigns]

Gesso is good for priming ceramics for staining with acrylic paints (Bisq-stains)

[@rosemarymohan6484]

Hi. Beautiful and clear explanation... Thanks

[@withstarsvini]

So, I really need this gesso thing, thank you Jess for giving this important information P.S : Your hair are beautiful ❤️

[@artofjesskarp]

Thanks

[@TriniRoyQuiReyes]

Dear Jess did I just heard that you apply gesso on your 'finished painting on panel ' please beautiful could you make a video on that? Thank you so much, this video is helpful . I love your sketchpad.

[@yipiyak]

You are a very talented artist. Beautiful 🎉

[@lilydaughterofabba]

can we talk about how good her manicure looks?! love that color a lot!

[@catherineraper]

Thanks for this video, I’ve wanted to start working with oil paints, but I didn’t know I should do it before acrylic and gouche.

[@rkug777]

I have an old silhouette portrait. I want a cricut but confused about all the cricut machines and possibilities! My silhouette could cut printed images with a diff mat which I bought but no clue how to use it unfortunately. Silhouette is not as good at teaching their customers how to use their products. I’ll check out your other videos. Txs so much!

[@dheeraj5722]

This video was super informative ......I got to know alot about gesso......keep informing us about variety of supplies.....thanks alot for this one........❤️❤️

[@artofjesskarp]

I am so glad! thanks for watching!

[@kencleveland803]

Do you ever sand the gesso coatings to get super smooth surface?

[@missquark_]

Liquitex Gesso is a good product, I have used it for more than 25 years... actually i didn't even think it was made by other brands!

[@WhoU8]

What is the grit of the sanding block?

[@timeenuf4200]

Great video! Have you used clear and black gesso also?

[@SteviePaints]

I have used black gesso a lot over the years. I’ve prepped both wood and canvas surfaces with black gesso. I have taught many oil painting classes on black gesso canvas. For beginning painters, it’s really nice because the dark value is already on the canvas.

[@Ailuro49]

You are such a talented artist, love your art book.

[@manarsalem9432]

Your sketches and paintings are absolutely beautiful, you’re so talented ❤

[@mirascraftycorner]

Would you also use gesso for alcohol markers, if the sketchbook wasn’t made of marker paper, or is it enough for the paper to be thick so that the color is not bleeding through the paper?

[@josephlai9759]

Wow! Your standard is truly top notch!

[@aubrielledewitt2369]

Could you do a guash landscape tutorial?

[@artofjesskarp]

Yes I have a video on my channel - check it out :)

[@mohanpoondii1988]

gentle and neat work always are jess speciality

[@artofjesskarp]

Thank you

[@KGCA2]

Try lascaux gesso. Best gesso on market. Its expensive, but worth it. It cost about 40$ per 1L. But it use marble dust

[@CJShopland_Art]

I will sometimes use acrylic paint layer than gesso, sometimes my base layer is enough but depends on personal preference 🥰

[@artofjesskarp]

Whatever works for you! :) THanks for watching

[@CJShopland_Art]

@@artofjesskarp it’s fun discovering what works for us but also how others approach their work. Really insightful video 🥰

[@atulpatel2850]

Thank you. You answered all my questions.

[@anitadavidson1266]

Thank you so much for this crucial information. As for your artwork? Oh my goodness, it’s all stunning. Best wishes from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Stay healthy! 🌈❤️

[@artofjesskarp]

Thank you so much!! Heard great things about Scotland! Hope to visit one day :) thanks for watching!

[@HartDraws]

Art is the journey of a free soul :)

[@artofjesskarp]

Yes!!

[@C0llinsW0rth.]

awesome, i was wondering what it was for and if I needed to use it for my paintings. Thank you! Subscribed!

[@dakotawright8284]

I have gesso that is non-toxic. I just started using it. Even though it says it's non-toxic I don't trust it at all so I use the gesso spray

[@AA-rn9nw]

While painting with acrylic, the gesso layer underneath, peeled out a little bit, from my canvas. May be I didn't wait enough to apply a second coat after the first one. But I did wait 12-16 hours after second coat before i began painting. Should I toss the canvas and start fresh? Is it safe if I manage to seal the peeled portion and continue painting? Will it chip again ? Please help! This is a commissioned painting . Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge! 😍😍😍

[@Priyanka-ol7wj]

Amazing information, Love from India 🇮🇳

[@daniellasalamao3108]

Question: do I need to have a separate brush only to do this? the gesso demages the brush? Or can I use one of the brushes I use to paint?

[@artofjesskarp]

No! Gesso does not damage it if you wash it immediately after. If you let it dry on the brush, it may be damaged so just make sure to wash it after :)

[@arlenekerr1198]

You're an amazing artist, thank you for sharing!

[@nowistime8070]

I really am fond of your style! I just checked your website out and I definitely want to order something for myself!

[@EmilyHxllett]

Question : if painting on MDF and I use a wood acrylic primer would you recommend using Gesso also ? And as for finishing a painting on that material , should you think it needs to be sealed with anything ?

[@artofjesskarp]

I used to paint on MDF and I primed it with 8 coats of gesso interchanging the direction of the brush strokes with each coat. Depending on how thick the MDF is I would recommend a few coats of gesso

[@artofjesskarp]

As for finishing. It all depends what paint you’re using, varnishing is personal preference so it all depends.

[@EmilyHxllett]

@@artofjesskarp amazing thank you so much !!

[@learnartwithme3766]

I didn't know you could use oil paint inside a sktchbook, how long does it take to dry?

[@TimothyDempsey]

So useful, and your talent is remarkable ❤

[@doors2videos]

Thanks for this, can this be applied on 3D printed plastics too?

[@cmac9248]

You are incredibly talented ✨

[@cjl.6394]

I came on here to learn about Gesso, but I lost my hearing when my eyes popped out! I'm just totally mesmerized by your talent! WOW & WOWZA! Is it too late to say I'm speechless?!

[@chloealvares1224]

Very informative! Love your art style and drawings 💕

[@artofjesskarp]

Thank you I am so happy you found it informative!

[@susanelopez8455]

Great video! How long do you wait between coats and to fully dry?

[@artofjesskarp]

Depending on where you are and how much ventilation anywhere from 20min-1hr. But you can speed this up with a blow dryer As you build up the coats they take longer to dry. Hope this helps! And thanks for the kind words