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Painting on MDF board
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Message
Posted
Hi everyone
I am thinking about painting on MDF board so which is the best way to prep the board prior to painting with acrylics the background colour to the painting will be black with the main subject being white, for those of you familiar with Buddhist figurines I am painting "White Tara".
Also what is the thinnest thickness of MDF can I use?
Any help with preparing the board and painting white onto black much appreciated.
Phil
Posted
I use 3mm MDF and cut it to the size I want.
Cover the painting side with two layers of white acrylic gesso.
I sometimes add texture to the gesso by mixing it with either polyfilla, or acrylic texture gel.. It's a matter of judgement how much to add. Too much polyfilla and the texture is like painting on fine sandpaper. With texture gel, the brush marks are visible after the gesso.dries.
If you don't add texture to the gesso, the paint you apply later seems to slip around on the surface as it's not rough enough to drag the paint from the brush. But you learn to compensate for it.
After applying the two coats of gesso, I cover the surface with a thin wash of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue (acrylic if I'm to use acrylic, oil if it will be for oil painting). It's a medium tone, sort of biscuit coloured. The reason is that It's harder to paint on a bright white surface than on a neutral background tone.
