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advice needed
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Message
Posted
I have broke my own rules in that I forgot for whatever reason to add my usual 2 coats of primer to a commercial canvas, even though it was supposed to have had 2 coats of gesso applied at production, it took me a while to understand what was going on as my oils sank in and dryed almost immediatly like acylics.
They have of course settled in and dulled but I do not want to start again so is there a way to rescue this. I was hoping I could oil out before applying glazes but will this work. Advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Posted
Awkward - and I know what you mean about double-priming.
I think the only thing you can do is oil out - you know of course what that means, but in case anyone doesn't, apply a thin coat of Linseed oil, or W & N oil painting medium for preference, then overpaint. You could try Retouch varnish, but .... well, I wouldn't.
I don't really think there's anything else you can do, beyond adding more oil to subsequent layers, which has its own problems, other than scraping the paint back to the bare canvas, easier said than done, and starting again with oil-enriched paint: but if the substrate is sucking your paint in then that's the fundamental problem; it's not realistic to re-apply the priming (presumably acrylic gesso) so I don't really see any other way of proceeding. If you were able to remove all of your work, or felt this was something you wanted to do in the circumstances, you could apply an oil-based priming (if you can find it) over the acrylic gesso, and then start again, but that means destroying all the work you've done, which presumably you don't want to do or would have started on a fresh canvas.
Posted
Thanks for the reply Robert, you have confirmed my own concerns with this.
Only half the canvas has been painted apart from a thin flemish ground (oil and spirits) I do have some Robertsons oil primer and I am temped to try and re-prime the unpainted half then oil out the other but not sure if this will work. What do you think? in your experience can I add oil primer over a thin oil based flemish ground.
Edited
by Fraz
Posted
Might be worth a try - I think, on balance, that I wouldn't because of the contrast that's likely to give in the coats you apply over both primings. But - depends really on how far you think the problem can be rectified within the constraints obtaining, which I hope isn't too obscure: I mean really that two areas with different priming, while not necessarily deleterious to the paint film over the long term, are likely to produce different finishes where you'd really want a uniform appearance - (just not the one you're probably going to get).
On balance - I'd go with oiling out. It should even things out so far as they can be. I don't really think that two primings on the same canvas (unless that's the way you intended from the outset, to exploit the difference - which you didn't) are likely to be too successful. But good luck - you might be able to work the painting up to a satisfactory conclusion by just, basically, ploughing on; though I realize you don't want to keep adding layers in the hope of counteracting the thirstiness of the original ground.
Posted
FYI Robert, in the end I figured continuing was an expensive experiment (oil paint wise) that may not work, so I did start another canvas ( double primed it first 🙂 all the underpainting is now in so have not lost much time. I will re-prime the originial canvas in a few months with oil primer and I am sure it will good as new.
Thanks for the advice