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Ant Holder

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Wondering what others use when drawing onto a canvas before painting with Acrylic. I have used graphite pencils then used a gesso matte medium over the top to seal (before that used hair spray to fix), I have also used purple or blue pencil crayon, but I find this bleeds slightly into the acrylic. Which I find annoying. So what do you do and recommend.

Derek Snowdon

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Try drawing with the brush and one clour paint. I did use Raw Sienna quite a lot for that.

Ant Holder

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I have thought of this, but with my style I think it wouldn't work. I do use raw sienna during the start of my painting.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Never easy to draw on canvas, and I stopped even trying to many years ago - I just draw in paint, usually a dark mix of ultramarine and burnt sienna. However, your style is more precise - and would probably lend itself to Ampersand Panels rather than canvas, because they're smooth. Much of the trouble with drawing on canvas is that the weave disrupts the line with a pencil, charcoal, or even ink fineliner - and if you were using the last of these, you'd obviously ensure you were using pigment ink and not water soluble. If you could get a sepia one, rather than the harsher black, would that suit your purpose? If I were to draw on canvas again, I'd use an HB pencil - harder than that and you won't see it, darker and it'll give too thick a line and will probably sully the paint (although you could paint a wash of acrylic over the pencil lines). I know punters have a preference for canvas - although I've never really known why, it's far from an ideal surface in terms of longevity - but you could try telling them (which would be true) that Ampersand panels are archivally superior.

Ant Holder

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I use canvas boards, been looking at Ampersand but the size isn't there. Might get a good quality board and prime it with gesso.

Ant Holder

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So I am thinking illustration board with a coat of gesso primer.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Acrylic gesso is fairly flexible - but I have no idea how it will take to illustration board, because I've never used it. Is Bristol board the same thing? Would that be any use?

Ant Holder

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Good question, I think it is. I want to work on boards larger than 20 x 30 inch.

Derek Snowdon

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Sorry it is easy to draw on canvas using paint. If you want a detailed pencil outline to be precise and paint in the spaces that's up to the individual, but basically you need marks and shapes then work from those.

Ant Holder

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With my style being very precise from the go, painting the outline simply doesn't work for me. We you see more of my work you'll understand more.

Ant Holder

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Think I might go down the path of on hard pencil, fixed the gesso medium over the top on canvas boards, or primed hard boards.

Derek Snowdon

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Ok lets see when done thanks
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