First, and FOREMOST: You MUST use gesso, gesso, and MORE gesso! By that, I mean you coat your canvas AT LEAST three times with gesso, letting it dry between coats. This is true even if you have purchased a "precoated" canvas, one that has already been coated with gesso. This is easiest if you use a Hake brush. (usually a 2" flat goat hair brush) I have an older one I use. You can use any brand of gesso for this.* The triple coating of gesso makes your canvas smoother and allows the paint to sit on top smoothly instead of sinking into the "teeth" of the canvas. You've seen this and maybe haven't noticed it before, but it looks like the artist skimped on paint, trying to use as little as possible, and the painting suffers as a result.
Triple coating the canvas with gesso allows the brush strokes to be seen and also allows the colors to shine! Which means of course that we as the artist will SHINE!!!
I will take a day and coat as many canvases as I have room to lay out so that when I am ready to paint, I always have a properly "prepared" canvas.
Also, you may use gesso instead of Titanium White for painting. It MUST, however, be GRUMBACHER'S brand, which is much thicker than other brands or it won't work. Of course, that's assuming you are using ACRYLICS. It can be used with oils, but best to do that only if you are a more experienced artist.
*Be sure to remove any lumps or hairs that may get onto your canvas. Enough of those will get into your art as you paint. Don't need any extras right? BTW, if you do get hair in your work as you paint, remove it if you can do so easily with the brush: if it will mess up your work, let the paint dry, and then "roll" off the hair with your finger by rubbing the canvas. Don't worry if it won't come off. Many masterpieces have hair in them!!!
Tha's all for now, this gives you a good starting point to becoming an artist! So get busy with the gesso and I'll be back tomorrow (or soon) with more tips for you! Thanks for visiting! I will post some of my work for you to see as well. The painting at the top is the latest of my "SCENES OF ST. AUGUSTINE" to be sold.
Triple coating the canvas with gesso allows the brush strokes to be seen and also allows the colors to shine! Which means of course that we as the artist will SHINE!!!
I will take a day and coat as many canvases as I have room to lay out so that when I am ready to paint, I always have a properly "prepared" canvas.
Also, you may use gesso instead of Titanium White for painting. It MUST, however, be GRUMBACHER'S brand, which is much thicker than other brands or it won't work. Of course, that's assuming you are using ACRYLICS. It can be used with oils, but best to do that only if you are a more experienced artist.
*Be sure to remove any lumps or hairs that may get onto your canvas. Enough of those will get into your art as you paint. Don't need any extras right? BTW, if you do get hair in your work as you paint, remove it if you can do so easily with the brush: if it will mess up your work, let the paint dry, and then "roll" off the hair with your finger by rubbing the canvas. Don't worry if it won't come off. Many masterpieces have hair in them!!!
Tha's all for now, this gives you a good starting point to becoming an artist! So get busy with the gesso and I'll be back tomorrow (or soon) with more tips for you! Thanks for visiting! I will post some of my work for you to see as well. The painting at the top is the latest of my "SCENES OF ST. AUGUSTINE" to be sold.
