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Suitable for gesso on board ?

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stephen weight

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Posted
I actually got around to cutting some   3.6 mm plywood yesterday having been put off doing anything by the weather . It was not so hot as the preceding few days . I took a Georgian 2.5 inch softish brush and got cracking . It was drying quickly as I worked and also leaving brush marks .  I have two questions 1) can I dilute the Gesso slightly ?  2) can anyone recommend  a 2.5 inch or 3 inch brush with really soft bristles ? . Thanks Stephen

Alan Bickley

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Yes, you can dilute acrylic gesso with water, no issues there. If you’ve got streaks or ridges you could sand it down with a fine glass paper. I actually like painting on a slightly rough surface. Have a look at Jackson’s Art, they’ve got a good range of soft wide flats, all suitable for this purpose. I’ve got a 2’’  really soft flat brush from them, it has a black handle but the code number has rubbed off. Not sure if they go any bigger, I find mine fine for 50x50 mm MDF. Actually, I think it’s a Black Hog.

Edited
by Alan Bickley

stephen weight

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Alan   thanks I've seen of possibles in Jacksons Art - by the way my title should have been " suitable brushes for gesso on board " .  The other irritation I didn't mention was that the brush was shedding bristles but that was probably down to the gesso drying too quickly and " tugging " them out . Hey ho Stephen

Alan Bickley

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Just had a quick browse on their site and they have a large selection of wide flats, hope you find something suitable that doesn’t shed hairs. Mine is actually a Jackson’s Akoya synthetic, not a Black Hog. They’re a bit expensive just to apply gesso! Top Tip: I used a brick wall to help get any loose hairs out of my new 2’’ bristle varnishing brush, a few brushes up and down pulls all the loose stuff out!

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by Alan Bickley

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Given you're using plywood - as Alan says, you can certainly dilute your acrylic priming in order to aid its spread, but the more water you add, the more the wood will gratefully suck it up.  So add a few coats - maybe another 3, after each layer has dried, applying it in the opposite direction to the one beneath (a bit like turning pastry: well - not MUCH like turning pastry, but a similar principle).   You can also tint your white priming if you want to - I usually forget to, and add a thin coat of colour when the priming has dried out thoroughly.  And I also prefer a fairly rough, textured surface - but that's a choice; snag with it is that detail can be awkward; on the other hand, I tend to overdo detail..... so horses for courses.  

stephen weight

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Robert - I had made my drawing onto the white Gesso and had forgotten to tint the background , like we do ,  so I shall be putting a watery yellow ochre over the top and hope the drawing is still visible .  Thanks for the comments . Stephen

Alan Bickley

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I would suggest a thin wash of Burnt Sienna as a better colour ground, or a neutral grey. Yellow Ochre can tend to look a bit insipid.

Edited
by Alan Bickley