Thank you for your report!
We have received your report and it is currently under investigation by a forum moderator.
Gesso and Rabbit Skin Glue
Welcome to the forum.
Here you can discuss all things art with like-minded artists, join regular painting challenges, ask questions, buy and sell art materials and much more.
Make sure you sign in or register to join the discussions.
Hang on Studio Wall
This is a Studio member-only feature!
Join our Studio membership and save your favourite Painters Online content, from gallery artwork to step-by-step guides, to your own online mood boards. Create your go-to place for inspiration and learning. Plus, members can also enjoy a range of exciting features including monthly art videos and a digital magazine library.
If you are already a Studio member, simply login to your account.
Not a Studio member? Why not try our free 30-day trial - no commitment, no credit card required
Message
Posted
Hello, I am just wondering if anybody knew what would happen if I used acrylic based Gesso over rabbit skin glue; would it work?
I am paintings with emulsion, and I know if i use emulsion over rabbit skin, the water from it reverses the effect of the rabbit skin. And using acrylic gesso alone doesn't tighten the canvas enough, so can I use rabbit skin glue first to tighten the canvas and then put an acrylic based gesso over it?
Thanks very much for any help! :)
Posted
No, don't do that - it would be very likely to just bubble up and peel off. You might be able to apply your acrylic priming and add the rabbit-skin preparation on top, but I don't see any advantage in doing that and you'd still have two quite different media at work, so bonding might still be problematic.
When you speak of tightening the canvas, you mean you're using a stretched canvas, presumably. You might find a look at the ACF canvases useful - they're very tightly stretched, and you might get on with the surface better. Otherwise, while the RSG does have an effect on the tightness of canvas, the real secret lies in the stretching rather than anything applied to the surface. I have no experience of painting in emulsion, I'm afraid, so my suggestions are partly speculative. A good quality, properly stretched canvas should sort you out, though; and failing that, one mounted on board.
Posted
I can confirm that the ACF canvases are indeed drum tight! You’re unlikely to find a better made stretched canvas, unless of course you’re paying for a bespoke service, which I’ve never done.
They’re not actually canvas of course, a synthetic material (Robert knows all the tech stuff), and being fairly smooth, there is a slight tooth mind you, more suited, in my opinion, to detailed work, something that I try hard to avoid, not always successfully it has to be said.
You don’t actually need to give the surface of these ACF canvases a coat of gesso, they’re already primed, but I prefer to - old habits die hard as they say!
Purely in the interests of this thread (I’m in no way trying to promote my work), I’ve added an oil which was painted on an ACF canvas.
They’re definitely worth a try, you might just be pleasantly surprised…
Windsor Castle from Eton Fields. 40x50cm
Posted
I've come back to this thread because I was hoping to find some more useful advice to give to a question asked today about spots on canvas - and I think there are some clues, principally Alan's remark about priming his own canvases: a practice with which I certainly agree, in general. And then of course I saw his painting of Windsor Castle again - I so wish I had the confidence to leave the foreground as he's left this one! No fiddly, distracting detail, not even very thick paint, just suggestive drawing and allusive colour: someone needs to show this to the King - if I were him (ahem.... not a lot of chance of that) I'd want it.
