Canvas
Painting Tips: How To Prime A
Canvas
Beginner artists must learn how to prime a new canvas
before even a drop of paint is applied. This process
neutralizes the material’s natural tan hue so that it does
not undesirably alter the overall coloring of the final
painting. Priming also serves to create an even look to the
final painting by making the surface smooth and non-porous.
Here are simple instructions and tips for learning how to
prime a canvas.
The Materials and Tools Needed For Priming a
Canvas
1. Gesso - is a thick white liquid canvas primer
that can be found at art supply stores. While there are
other primers that are clear or color tinted, the white
variety of Gesso, as described in this article, is the most
common.
2. Paint Stirrer - used to thoroughly mix water
or some other thinning agent with Gesso.
3. Plastic Container - this needs to be large
enough to allow room to add a thinning agent if
desired.
4. Gesso Application Brush - this brush has nylon
bristles that can be easily washed with soap and water when
finished.
5. Thinning agent and water are used to make the
Gesso spread more easily and produce a smoother surface
than would be possible using it straight out of the
bottle.
6. Fine Sandpaper and a soft cloth - this is to
be used to sand a dry, hardened layer of primer on the
canvas before applying the next layer. The dampened soft
cloth is used to remove the sanding dust before applying
another layer of primer.
Instructions For Priming a Canvas
Tip: It is important to note that the Gesso
formula commonly used today behaves in a similar way to
fast drying water soluble acrylic paint. When Gesso dries
it is no longer water soluble. This means that you need to
keep your brush damp with water to prevent the primer from
sticking to the brush as it dries. Also do not dump excess
primer down the sink’s drain because when it dries in the
trap it can produce a serious clog. Paint fast and clean
your brush immediately after and you should not have much
trouble.
Dilute the Gesso - For a relatively rough texture
apply only one coat of undiluted Gesso right out of the
bottle. For a smoother finish apply two thin coats of
slightly diluted primer to the canvas.
Water is usually used to thin the primer. The ideal
ratio of Gesso to water mix should be indicated on the
bottle label. Too much water can cause the primer to crack
on the canvas when dry. It is possible to use a 3-way
mixture of water, Gesso and a special medium that prevents
cracking. Ask at a local art store for recommendations.
Tip: To prevent contamination, never dilute the
Gesso in its original bottle or pour unused primer back in
the bottle. For the same reason do not dip the paint brush
directly into the Gesso factory container. Instead pour
only what you will need for one canvas into a separate
plastic mixing container. Throw away what you do not use
instead of returning it to the bottle.
Brush Pattern: The first coat should be painted
with left to right parallel brush strokes. The second coat
should be brushed from top to bottom.
Sand after the first coat: sand the canvas with
very fine sandpaper after the first coat of Gesso has dried
for an hour or so. This is then followed by wiping off the
fine sanding dust with a slightly damp soft cloth before
applying the next coat.
Drying Time: Depending on the humidity levels in
the studio, let the first coat dry at least an hour or two.
The second or final coat should be allowed to dry for 24
hours before beginning the painting. Always let the canvas
dry while laying flat to prevent the wet Gesso from
running.
Preparing a canvas to last for many years requires
special priming techniques like adding a dilute
formaldehyde solution to the back of the canvas to prevent
bacterial decay. It is interesting to note that some of the
old Masters would actually let a primed canvas stabilize
for 6 months to a year before adding paint. However, these
advanced techniques for learning to prime a new canvas are
beyond the scope of this article.
First Place Rating
of 9.8 out of 10
According to the publisher
of the
Learn And Master Painting course, it is designed to be
the most thorough, logical and easy to understand way to
learn oil, acrylic and water mixable oil painting no matter
your present 
level of skills or talent. During this course, the
student will create several complete paintings from start
to finish.
Who Will Benefit Most From This Painting
Course?
This dvd lesson set is
geared for rank beginners with no experience or formal
training through accomplished painters that wish to round
out their knowledge base and benefit from the advanced
lessons.
Also, children starting at an age of 8 to 10 years old,
with a little set-up help from an adult, should be able to
learn from the dvd set on their own.
About The Instructor Gayle
Levee (Pronounced Le Vay)
Gayle was born into a family of artists and knew from
the young age of five years old that she wanted to draw.
This award winning artist was formally educated
at....more
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price please click here Learn &
Master Painting full review
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