Product Trial and Review

Trying Colored Gesso

What is gesso and why should you use it?

Gesso is basically a primer for your canvas.

When you paint on canvas, the paint can sink into your canvas, and sort of get lost, or it can skip over small parts of it and small little dots of white will show through.  When you're in the middle painting, you might not notice because you are absorbed in the work, and then, boom, you start to see them after the paint dries.

For years gesso was only white and then a few years back suppliers started making black gesso, and now it is available in colors.

Just like paint, you can buy a student grade or artist grade gesso.  Just like paint, the artists grade will have more pigment and will cost more. 

I have used white gesso for years, and I have toned canvas with a mixture of student grade burnt sienna and white paint, or burnt sienna, ultramarine blue and white if I wanted a gray canvas.

I recently was ordering some different paints to try from Jerry's Artarama and came across several colors of colored gesso.  I decided to give them a try so I ordered two colors, terracotta and gray.  I couldn't wait to try them out when they arrived.

This short video shows how I applied it to a 5" x 7" stretched canvas and to a  1/4" thick poplar board using a #12 bristle brush.

There are several theories about gessoing your canvas.  One is, it smooths out your canvas to accept the paint better.  I agree with that.  But it is interesting that on canvas it does give a smooth surface to paint on but on the very smooth board I used, it gave it a little tooth.  (It must be magic.)  It gives the paint on the board something to hang on to.  Just an interesting observation.

Most canvases today say they are primed with 3 coats of gesso, but since I seldom, if ever, buy really expensive canvas I still feel the need to gesso the surface.  If you stretch your own canvas, then you will definitely need several coats of gesso.

Which brings me to another point, how many coats do I need?

Good question.  Most artists believe you need 2 and you need to make sure the first coat is dry and then sand it, and make sure there is no dust and then do another coat and then sand again.  I do know of one artist who advocates 6 coats of gesso.  I tried that several years ago but for one thing it took forever to get a canvas ready to paint and for the other, it seemed to me like there was too much build up.  I didn't like the finished product as much.

I've also read where you can gesso an item that you wouldn't normally paint on and it will accept the paint.  I haven't tried that, but you know I'm gonna.  

One last thought about using colored gesso.  It does affect how the paint looks on the canvas.  It can either warm or cool your canvas and therefore your painting.  Since most paintings will have variations of warm and cool it probably wouldn't make a ton of difference which color you use.  But if you're going for a primarily cool look, you probably won't want to use a warm gesso, like terracotta and vice versa.  I know!  One more thing to consider when painting.  Well, what's one more thing? 

 Or you can stick with white.

So, as you see in the video, I have 4 supports ready to paint on so I guess I need to get to work.

I'll be reviewing the paints I purchased in the near future.

I hope this was helpful.  If so, share it with your buds.

 

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