Make Your Canvas SMOOTHER Than Paper
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- čas přidán 3. 03. 2022
- This video is a follow up to my previous video on how to prepare the smoothest canvas ever. Since I've been getting a bunch of questions, I've decided to make an updated version where I go into a lot more detail. I'd recommend this smooth canvas for airbrush painting, acrylics, oils, and all drawing mediums such as graphite, colored pencils, ink, pastels, etc.
I'll show you how I used MDF (medium density fiberboard) to stretch my canvas and then cover the original canvas texture with multiple coats of gesso applied and removed with a taping knife. This process is easy but takes time and can be quite messy. However it is worth it, and I found this to be the best canvas surface to paint or airbrush on. Try it out for yourself! Thanks for watching.
Supplies:
Gesso: amzn.to/3hyfr0J
Less Expensive Alternative: amzn.to/3HzGD9X
Taping Knife: amzn.to/3CdzMlx
Canvas Pliers: amzn.to/3MlCaLl
12v Stapler: amzn.to/3KfEwtv
Sanding blocks: amzn.to/3IIbEtC
Panels: amzn.to/3vCHUuw
Unprimed Canvas I Use: amzn.to/3vyTJld
These are amazon affiliate links for The Art Workshop. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Using these links helps support my channel. Thank you! - Jak na to + styl
Updated version for 2023! - czcams.com/video/4IzgZQutyFs/video.html
In the new video I'll show you another way to do this much faster using super heavy gesso.
I will tell you a secret canvas you would never consider: Block-out roller blind - the cotton type (don't use nylon or other plastics) - that any DIY shop sells. They come in pure white and have extremely fine texture, and in sizes small to huge. No Gesso or other prepping necessary - airbrush directly on it, or spay opaque airbrush white over it (as I do: over my drawn pencil lines to soften these) - great surface for airbrushing !
Thats one reason why paintings are costly. What an effort even before you start painting. 👌👌👌
That's why they have Tue expression starving artist. All the best art supplies available for sale to the public is peasant supplies. The elites have certain pigments worth millions. Almost every famous artist knew people in power that's how they became famous while the general public will never be successful with art. Most famous artist had their apprentices do their art they received credit for. And the same elites control the only 3 art galleries that will make you amount to anything. Sotheby's is one. They control most major art sales.
Good thing the bible says don't recreate anything above or below so I'm sure its wiser to work and spread our light and salt then to have a desire to buy endless amounts of art supplies spending time alone and not guiding our flock. Populations collectively spent Endless hours. Days weeks months years decades centuries wasting their life while when we could have spent that time spreading the truth and the word. Look how the world behaves with the tree. How would they act without the tree? Just the time and energy artists have used we could have pushed evil tyrants and globalists performing the corporate takeover away from our country. Artists are a small fraction of the population. With the whole population combined we are still failing at protecting our country. Oh well guess I'll go oil pastel some more. :) I'm a victim of the system also. Spending more mammon on supplies soon in a fruitless endeavor to earn money on art like they teach you in school.
Thank you!!
I had no idea super smooth surfaces were an option for oil until recently and super smooth surfaces are my favorite ones to work on for any medium.
I also love how detailed and specific this tutorial is. It isn't vague and answers questions right when they came to mind! It saves so much on guesswork and errors! I can't wait to give this a try, thank you!!
Wasn't aware of the difference using a taping knife and paint brushes when applying gesso. Makes perfect sense. Thank you.
This was so helpful I can’t even tell you how badly I’ve been looking for something like this. Thank you!
glad to hear it. Thanks!
I agree it’s been a big problem with my paintings since I started, this will give me a huge boost
Thankyou my paintings will finally have a chance to look how they always should of
Me too, today is mother's day, this video is like a present 🎁 Thank you so much
This is great! I saw your first video and did this to the next canvases I am working on for clients. I use store purchased canvas and I do some of my bigger works on linen on custom frames. Many thanks!
Thank you for sharing!!! Without formal education on art, this is quite helpful. Hope to watch more of your videos.
You are most welcome! It's not for everyone, but I'm glad that it's helpful for those who want this type of canvas. Thanks and best of luck to you!
For years,I 'd wanted this information,lack of it has created a barrier between me and painting,I ' m do grateful, Thank you so much I subscribed rang bell and gave this beautiful video a like👍🥰😘😘❤️
Fantastic, thank you for this level of detail.
Very well put together, I’d recommend to everyone trying to advance there skills. Perfectly done for taking notes as well
Can't say enough thank you! Great how to! Very helpful and very appreciated!
10 layers! That's a lot.
So helpful!!!
Thanks for sharing
I’ve been painting for a long time since Mom gave me my first oils 1975.
I’ve been doing this for decades, I like a soothing smooth surface so I use spatula to apply my gesso and sand between layers to get a polished marble finish but using a wet sanding technique? Awesome info. I’m going to use it.
Thanks for sharing
Thank you for showing the difference. I had been thinking about this for a while, and after you had revealed some clever options by using hard board. I'm going to give it a go. 💯🍀🤗
This was very informative and helpful, thank you for sharing!
Sweet video! Thank you. I loved the 8 to 10 coats! I am always adding more coats to the pre-made canvases, yes I am told time and time again that I am wasting my efforts, yet my surfaces are smoother than others by far! I will take a look at your new posting and I just wanted to say thank you. Well done!
This works perfectly. Great video!
Excellent video and very thorough. Thank you!
I was looking for this kind of information. Thanks! 👏
This video is so thorough! 🙌🏻
From an auto paint background...
I've taken a 1/4" piece of plexiglass cut it to the size of sandpaper. (Approximately 2 1/2" wide. I also buy rolls of paper so the length is dependent.)
Ease the corners slightly (please pay a little more attention to the corners.)
Fashioned a handle with two pieces of Gorilla tape.
These are spectacular due to the rigidity and the ability to customize the sizes. You'll end up with a much more flat surface and can be used wet or dry.
Thank you for the time spent making the videos, I understand the amount of work involved. I also appreciate your style and approach, it's done in a logical format for me to follow. Keep up the good work.
great tip! thank you for sharing
thank you so much fro taking the time to share this , at last i can have lump free canvas to paint on !! i can also use the same thing to cover any old used canvas that i want to return to a decent working surface , thanks for remaking the vid this is so easy to follow.:)
glad it's helpful!
Thanks. Great video. So informative.You gave me all I have been needing to know.
This video is so well explained. Thank you so much.
Thanks. Excellent demonstration!
Excellent lesson. Thank you.
Great video! Love a smooth canvas!
Awesome video man! I’m grateful 👍🏽
Thank you so much dear for your precious tutorial, It is very effective
Excellent presentation - thanks so much!
I am so grateful for this video. I'm doing a mixed media piece on canvas, I gessoed my surface, but the oil pastels were not adhering to the surface as I would like. I even considered using a wood panel or even paper after this failure. But the wood is too large & heavy (the painting is 45in by66in), and the paper is just not what I want (you now? what if i make it to a gallery/museum one day?!? i want my works to be on a strong, light surface). You saved me! My oil pastels look AMAZING on this surface, you're a life saver. Thank you so much, all the way from the Caribbean!
So glad it was helpful!! I love to hear it worked for you. It's basically all I paint on these days.
Well done and explained, thanks a bundle
Awesome love this very good to know
My wife and I are total newbies we're gonna be doing some large abstracts and pours and other of that type--GREAT JOB!
How great you’re arting together 👍🏻
Thank you SOOOO much for this! 😊
Great Demo!!
Fantastic tips. THANKS!!!
Such intricate explanation down to the tiniest detail, amazing.
Thanks!
Excellent presentation!
Been looking for a technique to smooth my canvases thanks heaps
Great, thorough video
So helpful. Thank you ever so much!
Spectacular! Where have you been? Excellent footage and explanation. Makes total sense. I've struggled previously.
Thank you for this video.
Thank You so much for the wonderful explanation ❤
Most welcome!
Thank you. my art needs fine lines and your solution is perfect.Thank you very much.
Amazing, thank you!
This was great, thanks!
Bless this video❤
This is great information, I've done quite a few of these now, and Sanded to 3000 grit, really great for the artwork I do. Thanks man, great video.
Glad it was helpful!
wow! thanks, this is so helpful 😍 never liked the feeling of painting on canvas because of its texture, i have to try that.
you are most welcome. Hope it helps and best of luck to you!
Thank you so much,this was so helpful
happy to hear it!
Thank you for going into more detail with this video. I have prepared several MDF boards and some hot-pressed paper according to your instructions. I am now at the sanding stage and was about to use 600 grit and higher. I'm glad you corrected me and now I know this isn't really necessary. I can't wait to airbrush on these. I've been spraying on hot-pressed paper and then lightly using erasing techniques, but the paper doesn't hold up long. This gesso is the answer. Many thanks for these videos! I've learned so much from this channel.
So glad to hear it! Gesso on paper is such a great surface. I agree, without the gesso the paper doesn't last long with erasing techniques.
This worked out very well using acrylic paint. It erases very easily and wipes off just the same if I need to totally start over. I know you probably wouldn't recommend this, but I tried spraying inks on the gesso and had mixed results. They are so thin compared to acrylics and getting good coverage takes many coats and lots of patience as it's very easy to spray too much. Using an eraser did not produce good results either. It smears the ink around and scuffs the surface more than removing the color. Any surface imperfections in the gesso are so much more noticeable using inks. I try very hard to get every detail correct in my paintings; looking at my reference photo frequently and using grids as you have suggested. I'm going to try using that higher grit sandpaper next time to minimize the surface flaws and imperfections in the gesso.
@@alexfaktor136 I've used white acrylic paint instead of gesso too. It works well! Gesso is usually more cost effective if you buy gallons at a time. I find the gesso easier to wet sand too.
Interesting points with the inks. Are these the liquitex inks? Great for thin glazes, but not so good for erasing or coverage, I agree. It's a high quality paint, just made for a different style than what I do.
@@theartworkshop I spray fountain pen inks and sometimes bleach for highlights. I used the Liquitex Basic Gesso.
great info bro thanks a lot
Very informative!
great work
This video is so helpful wow. I can't stand even pre-prepped canvas and prefer a flat as surface as I can
that white canva : so satisfying 🤤
Great video, subscribed!
Excellent!
Great explanation thank you !
Glad it was helpful!
Maestro,io preparavo il legno con colla di coniglio e gesso di Bologna.Questo metodo è sicuramente superiore.Grazie per i vostri meravigliosi video
Thank you!🤩
Thanks a ton !!
Great video.
You are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent video - Thank you for easy to follow instructions via great camera work, editing, and to-the-point voice-over. Superb video. I do high detail graphite drawings and this is exactly what I've been looking for to do it on canvas - thank you! My only question is whether I could do an orbital sander at the end to get it *even smoother* if that's possible. Have you tried that or is the hand sander a better option? Many thanks.
Thanks so much- I've used every type of sander over the years and found the best to be hand sanding. You can 100% get it even smoother by hand sanding up the grits to 1000 or higher, but I found that overkill for me. You might love it though- same with an orbital sander. Best to experiment and see what works best for you. Good luck to you!
Thank you!!
Thank you!
I recently started thinking maybe I shouldn’t do canvases anymore bc of the texture it’s so hard to get some details right when there’s so many little pores 😭… I knew there was a better way lol. Thank you
I actually stopped painting with acrylics because I got fed up of lumpy canvas. I always found it left small white dots all over the place because the paint wouldn't go into it, and pencil lines were always wobbly, and if you watered the acrylic down it would pool in the dips.
I have never liked painting on canvas either
I usually use thin cardboard on the rare occasion I find myself painting with acrylic. It's smooth, and the paint absorbs down into the cardboard, so you don't have to wait for your first layer to dry. It's also way cheaper.
thank u again ...
If you use KiLZ primer over MDF, for that matter, any moisture lock primer will work and prevent discoloration. Apply 2 coats of primer. Then apply the gesso.
Isnt the kilnz petroleum based? cant do acryic over oil. you could use it on the reverse.
Great video! Very informative and laid out well. Easy to follow. By the way, I'm finding it a challenge to paint oil on it. Almost like glass. It's slippery and some times runny. Are you waiting until the paint is dried a bit to do wet on wet?
I mainly use this surface for acrylic airbrush paintings these days, but with oils I've always used an alkyd medium on this type of canvas. Gives the paint a bit more tack and easier to blend working in small sections at a time. Plus is dries a million times faster than pure linseed oil.
Is this my favorite guy Watercolor-ish's voice?! 😊
have you tried mix gesso and modeling paste together(as suggested on liquids official site) for a smoother surface?
Where have you been for my painting journey??? Thank you so much for this video.
I am trying to paint abstract style of artwork using Golden fluid acrylics and acrylic inks but the surface looks terrible because you can see all of the areas that are diluted with water and I have been battling with this. You are an absolute legend putting out this video. I see that it is a year ago that you posted this. Do you still use the same gesso technique?
So much gratitude from Australia 🙏
thanks! still using the same technique. sometimes i use liquitex heavy gesso which requires less coats. same process though.
@@theartworkshop ok thank you 😊
Thank you, the gesso part was very helpful. I didn’t know about wet sanding! But why does it matter that the water is distilled? Also, ACM panel is a much better alternative to MDF. You can mount canvas to it or paint directly onto it after priming it. It’s lighter, durable, archival, and not susceptible to moisture.
thanks for the ACM panel recommendation. I'll have to try it out!
Great tutorial. Does this technique work for 400 gsm paper?
Thanks for the video.
To prevent discoloration on MDF, you must first treat it with an insulating primer.
I also do that when I make my own clayboard.
It's the same steps but instead with a mix of pva glue, water kaolin clay and titanium white pigment.
Yes, that should work well! 2 coats of gloss or matte medium should do the trick to seal it up as well. Then gesso.
@@theartworkshop or GAC100
@@Flux_One exactly! gac100 works very well.
Why seal it if you’re not painting on it…?
Excellent tutorial , as are all of your tutorials 👌 just one question if I may.
Would acrylic sealer primer undercoat work in place of Gesso ? Thanks in advance
Depends what type of primer it is. Tell me the brand and I'll let you know! Sometimes primers are the same as gesso and sometimes they work like sizing. Personally, I'd stick with good old gesso. It inexpensive and works on everything.
This is fantastic. Thank you!!!
Question: if I used an airbrush could I get the same effect?
thanks! For applying gesso an airbrush isn't a great choice because it won't spray well (if at all), and will not go on thick enough to smooth out. Spraying with Hvlp/Lvlp work fine, but I still prefer a roller. Hope this helps!
Great tutorial! Thankyou🎉 is it possible to use hairdryer instead of waiting for each layer to dry?
Yes, of course! A hairdryer will speed things up if you need it. A fan works well too. I prefer letting it dry by itself though.
Love your vids, been watching them for a few weeks now starting from the first one. I do have a question about the Gesso. Is it possible to roll your canvas up to store it in a tube when gesso has been applied? Or does it crack up?
Thanks so much. I've rolled up nearly every painting I've completed and never had one crack or start to deteriorate. Works incredibly well. Go with a good gesso like liquitex or golden though.
@@theartworkshop i probably will go with Liquitex, if I can get it in Belgium that is. Thank you for your reply! 🙏
Amazing video, thanks! Just one question, from a newbie: this coating with gesso is good also for acrylic painting?
Thanks and my apologies for the late reply. Yes, that's what I use on it! But I use an airbrush with acrylic paints. Best of luck to you.
Thank you..
Thankyou
I have trouble with the edge with removing from board and stretch on frames? The canvas seems to create those puffs around the edge.
Great vid👍💜..but guess I missed the "Rag Paper" part... anyone know what minute that was❓
Just a note: the MDF can be sized with glue before the gesso is applied, rather than the way more expensive mediums, and in that way is closer to the way panels were treated years ago: sized with glue then coated with a heated mixture of chalk and glue, in several layers. I must admit that I haven't done so for years as it's a time consuming practice and acrylic gesso is an easy one-step solution that seems to hold up well.
awesome! Thanks
I enjoy all of your videos. You're very skilled and knowledgeable Thank you for sharing. I had 3 questions regarding surface prep. Would this process work the same over pre-primed canvas board? Can you do less layers of gesso if you want a surface with a slight tooth? and lastly, if ultra smoothness is your goal, why not use a finer grit sandpaper than 120?
thanks! Yes, it works great over a pre primed surface. You can add as many or as few layers as you like to reach the the smoothness of your choice. Honestly, you can sand it all the way up to the 800+ and get it even smoother. I noticed 120 is smooth enough for me, so that's where I usually stop. Hope this helps.
May i suggest adding a last step to your process? Using a moist grout sponge and wiping it down after you wipe sanded it. Your routine is very nice i would say! The sanding left very minute “scratches” which isn’t noticeable at all when i tried your way. & as an artist i feel as if we are always trying to perfect everything , even something as small as a “scratch” 😅
But with the wet/moist grout sponge, I’ve found that it had smooth over all those spots once it had dried back up.
But nonetheless i want to thank you so much for this idea!
excellent! thanks
Thank you. Very informative. I will try this technique. I want a very smooth base. My gesso was very thick and was told not to use over 25% water. Even at that it was too thick. What else can I do to thin it.
Thick gesso works very well for this! I actually prefer it because you don't need as many coats. use a small roller to apply it rather than a brush.
Thank you for a great video! My questions are: after the canvas is prepped. Do you airbrush directly on to it or do you remove it from the substrate and staple it to stretcher bars then paint on it? Also, if the substrate is .25” thick, what size staples are you using? Thanks again.
happy to hear it- thanks! I like to paint on a hard surface, so I paint on the canvas stretched over the panel. Most times I'll exhibit or sell the work stretched over the panel. I'll only removed it and use stretcher bars if the canvas needs to be shipped. I like to use 1/4" (6mm) t50 staples. I'll make sure that the stapler isn't set too deep for .25" panels. Makes the staples easier to remove as well. Hope this helps.
If anyone is wondering why the canvas is called duck it’s from the old Dutch word duuk meaning sail cloth, related to the Norwegian word duk, Icelandic dúkur, danish dug
love this- thank you!
What about using something like light modeling paste, or something with more... thickness, to level out the texture so you could do less layers? Would that work?
Will the gesso crack when you roll the canvas (for postage)?
Great vid, thanks! ... Q - I'm a fine art painter with a massive 12'x6 wood panel. The first layer of background OIL paint I applied left prominent brush stroke marks that catch the light. I hate it and need to go over and smooth the surface. So can I use your method of getting a smooth surface with OIL based Gesso? I know that I can't apply acrylic gesso over the oil paint. ... Thanks again, John
Thank you! This is not a good idea with oil based gesso or paint. You can't wet sand it and it just isn't safe for a bunch of reasons. I don't recommend it.
@@theartworkshop , thanks. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for smoothing over an oil based surface. Gamblin Ground maybe?
@@jjpaintings Well you can never add an acrylic over it because that will eventually start cracking. Using a chemical to strip/remove the paint is a real pain too. That's an option but not worth it imo. You can apply an oil based ground like the gamblin one to cover up the original, but you should never ever sand an oil based product so it'll be the same texture. My only real suggestion would be to buy a roll of canvas and stretch it over the panel. Then start with an acrylic gesso on a new surface. It's a lot of extra work, but is probably what I would do. I wish you the best of luck!
@@theartworkshop , thank you.
Would you wipe the sides between each coat for a clean finish? Thank you so much for this tutorial.
if you want them clean, just wipe them off in between each coat! but no i dont do this on my paintings.
Thanks a lot!
How do you prepare the sides with gesso using your technique without messing the top surface of the canvas?
most welcome! I don't do anything to the canvas edges. Some of the gesso drips on the sides and I kind of like the way it looks. If I want a very clean edge for exhibiting, I'll have the painting mounted in a floating frame. hope this helps.