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  • #484839
    Su B
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        Does anyone have a perferred brand of gesso?
        Thanks,
        Susan

        [FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]slaplante

        #956091
        contumacious
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            I have tried the expensive and the inexpensive offerings and have not been able to tell the difference between them. The price range is quite large. Since they all worked the same for me I have settled on whatever is the least expensive. Lately it has been Certified Artist brand at $14 per gallon on sale to $19 every day pricing. Another inexpensive one that I have not tried is from Sargent at $20 / gallon. When the sale pricing is there I get several gallons. Unopened they seem to store well but the solids will settle out. Be sure to mix well before using. As a price comparison, Golden brand acrylic gesso is $72 / gallon on sale at dickblick.com

            You can take whatever you end up using and make it more or less absorbent by adding calcium carbonate for more and matte acrylic medium for less. Too much calcium carbonate can make the ground brittle so test first.

            #956090
            Gigalot
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                I found ready made acrylic primer is not useful because most of them are made from brittle materials that also have nasty high absorbency. I just use separate ingredients to make my own acrylic gesso.

                #956088
                WFMartin
                Default

                    Grumbacher Acrylic Gesso 525. It has enough Calcium Carbonate in it to create an appropriate “tooth”. It is easily sandable.

                    I thin it with water to the consistency of cream. Then, I apply it with a sash brush, usually applying 3 coats, and then sanding after the last coat. lf thinned appropriately with water, it will be self-leveling a few seconds after having been brushed on.

                    Been using it, and recommending it for years.

                    I see you’re in Phoenix. Arizona Art Supply offers Grumbacher 525.

                    The second best acrylic primer would be Liquitex. It is a bit more liquid than Grumbacher, but still requires a bit more water in order to be self-leveling after being brushed on.

                    Both exhibit a nice, appropriate “tooth” to hold the application of oil paint.

                    wfmartin. My Blog "Creative Realism"...
                    https://williamfmartin.blogspot.com

                    #956092
                    contumacious
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                        I am so accustomed to assuming that when someone uses the word “Gesso” they are referring to what is technically an acrylic ground. I should have asked if you meant traditional gesso or acrylic “gesso”, so here is my answer had you meant the other kind.

                        I don’t use it for various reasons – I don’t like using RSG in any form, it is pretty much impossible to spray apply, cracks too easily and is hygroscopic which can mess with the long term stability of your painting.

                        I found ready made acrylic primer is not useful because most of them are made from brittle materials that also have nasty high absorbency. I just use separate ingredients to make my own acrylic gesso.

                        I modify the commercial stuff, essentially ending up like what you want to achieve, just the right amount of absorbency for the task, but it costs less that way for me. Plain acrylic medium usually costs twice as much as acrylic gesso. It doesn’t take much pure acrylic medium added to commercial gesso to make it less absorbent, or just add some on top. Too much acrylic medium makes sanding more difficult if you want flat layers.

                        A sort of on topic question for your chemist side, Gigalot. Would adding some flow control material such as Floetrol to thin acrylic gesso for brushing or spraying and to increase self leveling, cause any potential problems other than making it harder to sand? I remember being told by one maker to not thin their product too much with water as it could make the dried surface more prone to flaking and cracking. They recommended thinning with acrylic mediums.

                        #956093
                        Acrylic Annie
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                            I use Liquitex gesso but recently heard of an acrylic artist that uses white house paint in place of gesso. Anyone out there tried this? If it works, it would certainly be cheaper than Liquitex gesso.

                            #956094
                            Phantasm
                            Default

                                I tried Speedball Gesso, which is water soluble. Quite easy to use and fast drying.

                                #956089

                                I use Liquitex gesso but recently heard of an acrylic artist that uses white house paint in place of gesso. Anyone out there tried this? If it works, it would certainly be cheaper than Liquitex gesso.

                                Many have tried this, and I can’t speak for all results, but one artist I know tried a matte acrylic house paint (I’m unaware of the brand)

                                After initial success, the paintings on canvas proved to be quite brittle, and even resulted in delaminations when a painting was dropped on a gallery hardwood floor. The cracks seemed to source at the priming layer, telegraphing through to the paint on top.

                                insert pithy comment here.

                                #1278911
                                Macarona
                                Default

                                    Hm, if normal acrylic gesso is too absorbent and acrylic paint too little then I could mix the acrylic gesso with acrylic paint to get an in-between of the absorbency.

                                    If I make gesso I use chalk with acrylic binder, at the hardware stores there is unfortunately only plaster and no chalk. Plaster can crack, so I don’t use it, and I bought a kilo of chalk in the art shop to try it out and not a big sack.

                                    Impractical that there are no canvases without Gesso to buy, then everyone can use their favourite gesso without that there is already one that is paid for. What is the difference between gesso and primer? :scratch:

                                    kind regards Macarona
                                    Stay calm, you can not protect all people from mistakes they make. They should also be allowed to learn from mistakes and gain experience.
                                    Especially financial mistakes.:angel: Keep calm, you can not prevent that there are not only reasonable suggestions from people. Specifically on the subject: only try and how long. Important topic: Please Save the Internet, that we can still share a lot of knowledge. # No articles 11 and 13!!!

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