Author Topic: Gesso  (Read 3585 times)

Offline CarefreeSadie

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Gesso
« on: November 06, 2014, 10:15:24 AM »
I watched a youtube video where the person explained a couple differences in different company's gesso.  I had Golden gesso sitting in front of me when I watched and wouldn't you know it this is the gesso that the mixed media person explained was thick and solid and even thinned down covered too well to use as a softener.  They recommended Liquitex for mixing with water to tone down a color.  Well I decided to let myself be enabled yet once again and ordered some Liquitex gesso, I am talking white gesso here.  So then I tried the Liquitex to lighten a card front in an area, not the entire front, and low and behold it is easier to use just a tiny bit on my finger to lighten an area than the Golden.  So I thought I would share and ask if anyone else has any experience in using gesso as a lightener or softener?  Which gesso do you use?  And since I am being nosey what do you use gesso for?

I use gesso for a base coat if I am using acrylic paint and for lightening or softening things up.  I use it on embellishments if I want to change the color either alone to soften part of the color or as a base coat under another color.  It is what I have been using on the canvases that I am doing for Christmas.  I even have special gesso for under wax which works really well too.  LOL

Please share!  And thank you.
You know it's been a good day when I haven't released the flying monkeys.......

Offline Yankee

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Re: Gesso
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2014, 03:05:25 PM »
I have use gesso.  I used it as a base on paper so the next media didn't sink in.  I used it in an altered book, to cover up or soften the printing in the book, so I could paint or stencil over it.
But I have also used it to stamp with!  So much fun!  You brush or spong the gesso on stamp, then stamp.  Let dry. Then stamp over it.  The first item you stamped with the guesso now looks like it is farther back, from you.  Really cool look!
And I used both brands you wrote.  One was thinner, but both worked the same way for what I was doing.
But I am not an artist, just a craftperson.  Maybe that is the difference.  My oldest daughter is an artist an is much more picky about products she uses.
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Offline yellowcherrios

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Re: Gesso
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2014, 04:01:21 PM »
I just bought my first jar of gesso last week and used it a couple nights ago.  I just bought the Michael's Artist Loft brand….that was before I read that cheaper gessoes are fillers.  So far it looks like white acrylic paint to me, but I have no experience with gesso to know otherwise. I did brush it onto my art journal page and it looked thick to me…..after it dried, I could see faint brush lines, which I thought was neat for effect but might not be so much if you want it smooth.

I haven't tried diluting with water yet.  and that is a neat idea to use to soften pages.  I'll have to try that.   

LeighAnn mentioned using gesso to stamp with to use as a resist that you rub off after everything dries.  That's another thing I want to try. 

~~Melissa :)

Offline Far North

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Gesso
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2014, 10:53:08 PM »
My first launch into using gesso was long ago at 2 Peas when Stamping Mathilda hosted a challenge to make a tag with gesso as  texture and a resist.  It wasn't until 4-5 years ago that I began making mixed media canvas-Christie Tomlinson was about the only person providing some video tutorials for such a process.  I began the canvas with a gesso base and a newspaper background lightly covered with gesso to soften the intensity of the print.  After that I learned that the inexpensive stretched canvas that we buy are all now pre-primed and so I now skip the gesso step.  About that same time I worked with Claudine Hellmuth's sticky back canvas...also pre-primed. It is a fun way to add canvas in unexpected places. More recently I have learned how to use gesso in Julie Fei-Fen Blazer's online class - Getting started with gesso.  She presents the main types of gesso and how to use them.

Gesso does look a lot like white acrylic paint but Gesso is generally used as the sealing agent so acrylic paints or oils to not soak into the surface. Gesso is much cheaper than the cost of paints so it saves the painter money instead of sealing with paint.

I have mostly used Liquitex Gesso but personally I find the bottle heavy and awkward to squeeze out the small hole.   I prefer using Golden's gesso jar.

Offline CarefreeSadie

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Re: Gesso
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2014, 01:20:41 PM »
I just bought my first jar of gesso last week and used it a couple nights ago.  I just bought the Michael's Artist Loft brand….that was before I read that cheaper gessoes are fillers.  So far it looks like white acrylic paint to me, but I have no experience with gesso to know otherwise. I did brush it onto my art journal page and it looked thick to me…..after it dried, I could see faint brush lines, which I thought was neat for effect but might not be so much if you want it smooth.

I haven't tried diluting with water yet.  and that is a neat idea to use to soften pages.  I'll have to try that.   

LeighAnn mentioned using gesso to stamp with to use as a resist that you rub off after everything dries.  That's another thing I want to try.

BBM.....if you don't want the brush strokes put it on your journal in globs and spread it out with an old credit card type thing.  It spreads it out better and if you just keep going over it with the card until it is somewhat dry you will loose the cards marks too.  You also get a lighter coat using a card then a brush.  I also apply paint that way if I don't want brush strokes.
You know it's been a good day when I haven't released the flying monkeys.......