Should I Gesso My Canvas or Surface Before Painting?

A guest article by Ellenie Nichols.

As a contemporary artist, you can do whatever you want. There are no rules, especially in acrylic pouring. Jackson Pollack included automotive paint in his arsenal!  However, I’ve collected some Q&A on types of materials and common questions on to gesso or not to gesso.

There is a REASON that canvas is gessoed. The first two reasons are it smooths out the peaks and valleys in the canvas and improves the bond between the paint and the canvas. Paint on raw canvas is more likely to crack and flake.

The beauty of gessois that you can apply it to nearly any surface, and then you can paint on that surface with acrylic paint. For example, you can apply a layer or two of gesso to vinyl records, rubber duckies, or cigar boxes, and voila – you can now paint on that object with acrylics! What fun. The possibilities are endless!

Acrylics on Wood:

Q: I want to paint acrylics on wood. Do I need to paint the wood first with some kind of primer or can I start painting on it right away?

A: You could paint unprimed but priming the wood means the wood doesn’t suck up all the paint. If you would like the wood to show behind the painting, give one coat of wood sealer. It will stop all of the paint from soaking into the wood. If you want to paint the entire wood area then as stated gesso is the answer.

Q:  Is there anything I need to know about what type of wood to use?

A: Birch wood panels which are well received as they are not as heavy as other hardwoods. You can also try plywood – which can warp – but will last quite a while if treated properly.

Acrylics on Canvas:

Q: Is it important to prime a canvas before painting acrylics?

A: You can buy a canvas that has been pre-gessoed. Actually, I think most of them are primed nowadays. In any case, I always buy a primed canvas (they’re white and sometimes black).   Some of the higher quality ones may even be described as ‘triple primed’.  Different artists like different “feels” when they paint. The less absorbent the surface you paint on is, the more the paint will glide, and the more you can blend the paint on the surface before it dries. If the surface is untreated, the paint absorbs quickly and is hard to blend.

You won’t create any problems by adding more gesso to your canvas if that’s your preference. And if your canvases already come primed and ready to use, you can simply go ahead and pour right on them if that is your preference too. You can also use gesso to cover an old painting ready to pour again if you didn’t like your first attempt.

Q: When I paint with acrylic, the texture of the canvas always shows through. Is this normal?

A: It is normal, the texture will show through when the paint layer isn’t too thick.

If you don’t like that texture then I’d suggest you might try portrait canvas or extra fine canvas which has a much finer subtler texture. Or you could add a texture medium to the gesso to make it extra thick and apply a thick coating to the canvas, smoothing out after it is applied.

{Note from Deby – I’ve also had less canvas texture show through on my pours when I use a gloss medium as my pouring medium instead of Floetrol. The paint dries thicker and glossier, and less canvas texture shows through. Experiment with different pouring mediums and see which result you like best. The Sargent Art gloss medium and varnish works well for me.}

Acrylics on Hardboard:

Hardboard panels, also commonly referred to as masonite, are made from a mixture of wood fibers that have been broken down and molded into a board using heat, pressure and the natural adhesion of lignin. They’re a good choice for beginners and make excellent painting surfaces for acrylics because they’re cheap but durable. Some professional artists even prefer masonite over canvas.

Q: Do I need to prepare the hardboard?

A: You don’t need primer, but most artists apply an acrylic gesso before painting. You can also purchase pre-primed masonite in a range of colors.

Acrylics on Metal, Tile and Plastic Surfaces

Q: Do I need to prime metal, tile and plastic surfaces?

A: Shiny surfaces aren’t always suitable for acrylics. All the acrylic paint needs is a surface to grip or else it can be easily peeled off. So if you want to paint on shiny metal, tile or plastic, you may just need to rough it up a bit with sandpaper to give it “tooth”.

{Deby’s tip – painting on tiles is popular and can be done to create beautiful mini art works, but remember to give your tile several coats of a good sealer to prevent peeling or the paint being easily scratched off the glossy surface.}

Source: https://www.art-is-fun.com/painting-surfaces-for-acrylics/

Source: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-important-to-prime-a-canvas-before-painting-acrylics