i have a pre-primed, stretched canvas and i’d like to apply a couple of coats to gesso to it to make it a little smoother. can i use an acrylic gesso then paint in oils? or is there an oil-specific gesso?

Thank you for your question! As long as the canvas you have is acrylic-primed to begin with, you can certainly apply more acrylic gesso to smooth the surface and then paint in oils. You also have the option of applying an oil ground (available from Fredrix, Gamblin, Utrecht, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton, and we’ve just added one from Michael Harding). An oil ground will give you a less absorbent, sometimes slicker-feeling surface, and you can expect to wait considerably longer to begin your painting because these grounds take longer to dry. If your canvas happens to be oil-primed already, an oil ground is the only suitable ground to use for subsequent layers (acrylic gesso cannot be used over an oil primer).

For more information on the options available, we hope you’ll feel welcome to reach out to our Product Information Team. Product Specialists are available weekdays from 8am to 5:30pm CST at 1-800-933-2542 or [email][email protected][/email], and they’re happy to guide you!