Linen canvas too tight

[mcarter]

Hi,
I've stretched linen loosely on a cedar frame and sized it with RSG. Then gessoed with RSG gesso. The effect is to tighten the canvas and with each coat of gesso, it tightens more. The air is quite dry in the studio as it is airconditioned. Does anyone have experience with 'true' gesso? I want the canvas to relax a bit and I certainly don't want it tightening any more as the cross members of the stretcher are starting to bow under the force. Next time I will attach the canvas even more loosely.
Any ideas?
Matt

[KennD]

Hello, MCarter. The problem you pose is a tough one. I think you'll have to restretch your canvas. Using a rabbitskin glue gesso as a ground is probably not a good idea. A better idea -- IMO -- is use an oil ground, either lead white or titanium. The lead white is extremely lean, but if your painting technique uses titanium white then the titanium ground will work. Titanium white as a pigment absorbs about 60% its weighty in oil. If time is a factor then an acrylic gesso -- which dries quickly and can be painted on in just a day or two -- is your best bet. The oil grounds take a long time -- months -- to dry. Anyway, good luck in your quest for answers. I hope my tips are okay for you to ponder. Make art!

[mcarter]

Thanks for your help Ken. I like the idea of an oil ground however, I don't have the time for it to dry. I've used acrylic in the past but now I am trying to avoid using an acrylic layer at all. I don't like its rubbery quality. Now I have read and heard (Einion mentioned it too) that a flexible gesso can be made, which is RSG gesso but modified in some way. I believe this can be done by adding linseed oil to it. Or a bigger ration of titanium to whiting.