© C. Ford.
Oh man, it’s amazing that you can manage to forget the godsawful stench of gesso in between uses. If anything can turn you off doing art work, it’s that fuckin’ goop. Ugheeesh. (Yes, I messed with the photo, it doesn’t actually look like that, just smells like that.) What does it smell like? Rotten horseradish soaked in formaldehyde and pissed on by cats for 6 months. Ugh.
I used to prepare my canvas with classical background using chalk dust and bone glue. One time I did not get around to use all of it on time and the glue spoiled in the glass.
Luckily I have a very weak sense of smell, so I did not pass out after opening it.
Oh, that’s one thing I’ve never done, make my own canvas prep. Right now, that would be preferable.
Is gesso used because it’s traditional, or because it’s good? I’m guessing a titanium dioxide acrylic paint would shift color or something?
Archival artwork is super hard! So I’m assuming something like that is going on here.
No, nothing so exciting. I came across an old cutting board from the early ’60s at a thrift store. (Like this) This one is of superb quality though, and I don’t cut patterns, but these make nifty room divider type thingies. I’m going to paint it though, so primer first is a must.
Gesso is just the standard modern canvas, wood, whatever primer used these days. As Charly mentioned, you can make your own home-made goop, a la the old dead guys, or there are modern recipes for it. I just can’t be bothered. I’ll take the time to grind my own pigments, but something like this? No. I have a very large area to cover.
I should have noted this is just acrylic gesso, which isn’t an actual gesso, but it’s a standard primer.
British fish & chips, in other words. However, your horseradish–formaldehyde–catpee stew is probably more tasty.
Sounds and looks like some bacteria have taken over the gesso. I can’t recall of the Redhead ever having a non-white gesso.
Nerd, the gesso is a pristine white. I manipulated the photo. It’s fresh, and the stink is a mark of that, unfortunately.