Gesso (Patreon)

Something has changed and I couldn't start new painting with gold. But I have started bigger painting. It`s new huge still life. Usually when I make such big still life I drawing all details of composition on paper in real size and then just transfer to the canvas. But in this case had to prepare canvas because I run out all my stock of canvas. So I decided to prepare new one and meanwhile make a video about it. I know that it`s isn`t necessary to prepare canvas by my self, because I could bought it everywhere. Thanks for you XXI century for that, by the way. But I`ve been preparing my canvas for 15 years and it`s difficult to change this habit. Besides I like canvas what I making and quality higher, it`s connection with painting tradition and of course it`s cheaper. But what more make me laugh it`s independence from companies who make canvases during corona Apocalypse. Also I got this habit from restoration and it`s make me feel that my education not useless. Anyway this knowledge won`t be excess for artist, besides I share with you my own recipe of Gesso. Base for this gesso consists of glue and chalk almost like Leonardo did, but with little additions from XXI century namely Polyvinyl Alcohol and Titanium White. This gesso has the best adhesion conditions then acrylic gesso. Gesso which consist of animal glue and chalk is the most ancient stuff for painting. During medieval time painter used wood panels and their gesso shouldn`t be plastic, but when painters became used fabric for painting  gesso had to be more plastic. And artists became used some plastic agents, which was honey, oil. Then apeared new recipes emulsioned or oil gesso. But problem is that when gesso is plastic it worse keeps paint. When it`s better keeps paint it`s worse in plastic and craked.

So, entire preparing I can devote into two part.

- covering with glue

- covering with gesso

For the first part I make solute of animal glue (gelatin). This solute has to contain 5% of glue and 95% of water. And I make two layers. The goal is to create protected layer against gesso. Because gesso can come through from fabric nets. This glue has to be cold like fruit jele.

For the second part I make emulsion from 3 parts of glue, but in this time 7% and 2 parts of polyvinyl alcohol. Solute of Polyvinyl alcohol has to contains 3% of P.A and a few drops of glycerol. After mixing these two liquids I add pigments namely chalk and titanium white. One spoon of pigment on each 100 ml of emulsion. Then mix it and to apply this gesso to canvas. Gesso has to be warm, otherwise it will looks like milk jelly.