Finding and Testing the Perfect Gesso Recipe for Priming and Stretching Raw Canvas -
When it comes to preparing raw canvas for painting, the quality of the surface is crucial. The process of priming and stretching canvas might seem straightforward, but the choice of gesso—the primer that seals and prepares the canvas—is key to ensuring your artwork lasts and looks its best.
In this post, we'll explore my journey of finding and testing the perfect gesso recipe, I'll share my tried & true process, and we'll dive into the intricacies of what makes a good primed canvas - of any size worth painting on. And I mean - WORTH IT.
Why Gesso Matters
Gesso is a fundamental component in the preparation of a canvas. It serves several important purposes:
- Seals the Canvas: Raw canvas is porous and absorbent. Without a proper seal, the paint can sink in, leading to dull colors and uneven textures.
- Provides Tooth: Gesso gives the canvas a slightly rough texture, known as "tooth," that allows the paint to adhere better.
- Protects the Canvas: It acts as a barrier between the canvas and the paint, protecting the fibers from deterioration over time.
The market offers a wide range of pre-made gesso products, but many artists prefer to create their own, (which I attempted) allowing for customization in texture, absorbency, and color. Crafting your own gesso can also be a cost-effective solution, especially for those who work on larger canvases like myself.
Key Ingredients in Gesso
Before jumping into the recipe, it’s essential to understand the basic components of gesso:
- Binder: Traditionally, gesso was made with a rabbit skin glue binder. However, modern acrylic-based gessoes use an acrylic polymer, which is more flexible and less prone to cracking.
- Chalk: This is the substance that gives gesso its texture and absorbency. Calcium carbonate is the most common type used.
- Pigment: White pigment is typically added to create the opaque surface that gesso is known for, with titanium dioxide being the most common.
Preparing your canvas for Gesso
While it is an option to go in with any gesso and apply it to store-bought canvas - those canvases usually come pre-primed with whatever white pigment that company chooses to apply to their canvas. In my experience these canvas always feel mass-produced and the slippery quality of their primer feels impermeable and plastic-y.
The best canvas to apply gesso to is raw, unprimed, canvas or linen -whatever material you prefer to paint on. They can come in all different textures, thread counts, weight etc. - I get my canvas from where-ever has the best deal in bulk. This last batch I got from Blick.
(More about prepping your canvas to stretch coming soon!)
Experimenting with Gesso Recipes
Once your canvas is stretched it’s time for gesso. Creating your own gesso recipe involves some trial and error, as the balance of ingredients will vary depending on your preferences and the type of canvas you’re using.
So I stretched 3 canvases with the same the type canvas so I could make and test 3 different gesso mixtures to analyze which ingredients and measurements make the best gesso.
Acrylic Gesso Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 part acrylic polymer (such as an acrylic medium or binder)
- With some research I went with Elmer’s glue OR Neutral PH Adhesive - which are “cheaper” binders that will protect the painting long term.
- 1 part water
- 1-2 parts calcium carbonate (chalk)
- I also added some marble dust to try out for a bit of gritty texture
- A small amount of titanium dioxide pigment (optional for extra whiteness)
- This can be any kind of white paint or white pigment - I used a bunch of leftover white paint I had including -golden acrylic white paint (expensive) & Blick transparent mixing white (cheaper) along with some leftover “house paint”(affordable).
Instructions:
- Mix the Binder and Water: Start by combining the acrylic polymer and water. This mixture serves as the base of your gesso. If you prefer a thicker gesso, reduce the amount of water.
- Add Chalk: Slowly add the calcium carbonate to the mixture, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. The amount of chalk will determine the texture and absorbency of the gesso, so adjust according to your needs.
- Add Pigment: If you want a brighter, whiter surface, add titanium dioxide pigment. Start with a small amount and increase if necessary.
- Blend Thoroughly: Ensure all components are well mixed to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Strain (Optional): If you want to avoid any lumps or impurities, strain the mixture through a fine mesh.
Testing the Recipe:
I tested 3 different recipes
Recipe 1
- liquitex basic acrylics - gesso
Recipe 2
- I followed a recipe online
- 1 tablespoons hot water
- 1 tablespoon calcium carbonate
- 1 tablespoon Elmer’s glue
- 1-3 ratio white acrylic or white house paint
Recipe 3 -I made up a recipe from all I had
- Half tablespoon hot water
- Half tablespoon of calcium carbonate
- Half tablespoon marble powder
- Half tablespoon pva adhesive
- the rest of my golden acrylic white titanium paint
- liquitex transparent mixing white
Application
I applied it in thin, even layers, allowing each layer to dry completely before applying the next. Typically, two to three layers are sufficient, but this can vary depending on the desired texture.
I painted 1 coat and waited for the canvases to dry to see the results right away since gesso dries pretty quickly. It’s important to pay attention to how the paint adheres, how the colors appear, and whether the canvas texture shows through as you desire. This step will help you decide if adjustments are needed in your recipe.
I also like to access how easily the gesso can be dipped and applied. Is it messy and runny? Thick are hard to work with? Does it glide across the canvas smoothly - while applying a layer you approve?
Results:
From left to right: Recipe 3, 2, 1 results
Recipe 1:
- Too thin: I needed all the mixture I allotted for meaning my canvas was eating up the paint quick. The thinness was made clear when you could see through the canvas when it was backlit.
Recipe 2:
- Too much glue: Maybe because the house paint I used was old or I added too much glue this mixture was hard to spread. It was the most nontransparent but left small gaps or speckles of unprimed area.
Recipe 3:
- My fav: Very smooth application but had a bit gritter texture due to the marble.
- Medium transparency: most consistent coverage with few to no gaps
Fine-Tuning Your Gesso:
If your initial batch doesn’t meet your expectations, tweak the ingredients:
- Too Absorbent: Reduce the amount of chalk or add more binder.
- Too Smooth: Increase the amount of chalk or reduce the water.
- Too Thin: Reduce water or increase the binder and chalk proportions.
- Not White Enough: Add more pigment.
Assessment of the recipes:
Overall I believe that testing and tweaking your preferred priming method or canvas preparation is key to figuring out how you begin your art making process. For me it’s part of the entire painting experience to start off with a carefully constructed and hand-stretched built-thing that literally puts my best hand forward when starting a piece. My favorite recipe was recipe 3 because of how easily it went on and it’s coverage. I might add a bit more ph adhesive to make it slighty thicker like the 2nd recipe. So my recommendation is - try whatever you feel is best suited for you and your desired canvas will emerge. But also - if recipe 3 & recipe 2 had a baby - that would be the recipe I recommend. Now I just need to get my hands on some more ingredients…
Conclusion
Finding and testing the perfect gesso recipe is a process that requires patience and experimentation, but the results are worth it. By customizing your gesso, you can create a primed canvas that perfectly suits your painting style, ensuring your artwork has the best possible foundation. It’s one of my favorite things about painting is painting on a freshly stretched canvas.
I love it when the fabric folds over the wood and then immediately tightens the material up when it’s touched with gesso - the magic making ingredient. I love it when I’m applying gesso and it goes on thick and smooth and just COVERS - a good gesso does it’s job like that. I love when it’s wet and spreadable at first but when dries in whatever hand gesture you work into it. I love plucking out the bits of pieces thicker, specs of dust, hair, or marble that get in the way.
To create and construct out of what feels like thin air is a powerful feeling known to few. Every time I stretch a canvas I feel a bit closer to God. Ok spiritual rant over. I love gesso and you should too! Use it.
Happy priming!
XO
Love Kelly