Surfaces

This painting was done on a linen covered board, a commercially prepared piece I bought. I really like painting on the color of raw linen. Some of that can still be seen through the loose background I've scrubbed in here.

The color is nice, I like linen, the most difficult part of this is buying it. Just had to remember to stock up when I saw it. Which was often easier than doing it yourself. Sorta.

Because much as I like the color of the linen, the clear acrylic "gesso" used to seal these boards renders the surface so rough it it like, well, painting on #60 coarse sandpaper. Truly, with this "gesso" finish it does not matter what it covers, that material, even the finest cloth, will be rough. Until you have some base down, brushes wear out before your eyes on this stuff.

"Gesso" is in parenthesis because the word is becoming as universal as "kleenex", although I think any nose tissue on the market is closer to a "real kleenex" than these acrylic-based grounds (white, clear, whatever) are to true gesso.

Several board makers (New Traditions makes my fav, a bit $$$) make beautiful portrait grade linen on boards finished with oil grounds that are lovely to work on. I just feel these give the end painting a better finish. Right now the look and feel of portrait linen works well for me.

For many years I have painted on true gesso panels, have even made them, rabbitskin glue, whitening, chalks. Well, actually I used an easy mix that Natural Pigments offers. Real gesso is a smooth surface that can be thirsty but is wonderful for detailed work.

So I will use up what boards I have. And truthfully, much as I thought how neat that raw linen would look behind the painting, I haven't really used it that way.

thanks,

LindaE