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How to prepare for oil raw canvas, etc.?

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gromeo

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May 13, 2002, 11:34:28 AM5/13/02
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Prepared canvas available commercially usually has an acrylic foundation
that is not completely compatible with oil painting. The old masters used
compatible surface preparations. Can somebody suggest how to prepare raw
canvas for oil painting? Also, I would like to paint with oil on smooth wood
surfaces. How should I prepare them?
Thank you for the help
Maria


Mayo Florece

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May 13, 2002, 8:24:22 PM5/13/02
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In article <udvn8hi...@corp.supernews.com>, gro...@aurim.com says...

>
>
>Can somebody suggest how to prepare raw
>canvas for oil painting? Also, I would like to paint with oil on smooth wood
>surfaces. How should I prepare them?

If you're unwilling to use acrylic gesso,
then find a copy of the painter's bible:

ARTIST's HANDBOOK, by Ralph Mayer

and follow the intstructions you'll find there for
rabbit-skin glue and white lead priming.
And good luck finding either real rabbit-skin
glue OR white lead priming! Ralph Mayer covers
priming wood panels as well.

Ridama

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May 14, 2002, 12:25:18 AM5/14/02
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acrylic gesso is a suitable primer on canvas.There are two main schools of
thought.One being that you should use rabbit skin glue first on raw canvas then
follow it with a white oil primer or white lead.If you use this method,and I
have,you have a lot of room for error.I ,after a few mistakes, became quite
successful priming in this manner.The second school of thought,which I practice
now,is using at least two or more coats of acrylic primer on either canvas or
untempered masonite.The reason to prime canvas or panel is to keep your oil
layers from migrating to the canvas or support.In short,an aqueous ground such
as acrylic is the best barier coat because its water based instead of oil
based.This takes the place of the first glue coating before an oil primer to
follow.I've painted pro for over 30 years and I've found most advice books are
written by less than great painters,they often disagree,and todays
manufacturers have expert chemist who have ran
tons of tests for permanence and strength.These companies make their money by
producing the best products they can(if they're a well known outfit) if they
don't deliver they don't last long.On the other hand most of the material books
are rehashed theories from older studies compiled by a sometimes mediocre
artist.Although containing a lot of good info. they tend to make a lot of young
artist focus on everything but producing good art.

My own opinion,based on study research and choosing to produce a body of work
instead of a few pictures a year. Hope this makes some sense to you.Good luck.

Nerd Gerl

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May 14, 2002, 12:37:06 AM5/14/02
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I don't get it. Why not just use a pre-gesso(ed) canvas?? [I think that's what
they're called.]

You should be able to just skip all this confusion, no?

(I'm not a painter).


=====================
Naked Angel Art
http://www.rcip.com/nerdgerl
"Welcome To Heaven"

Mayo Florece

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May 14, 2002, 10:27:02 AM5/14/02
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In article <20020514002518...@mb-fn.aol.com>, rid...@aol.com
says...

>I've painted pro for over 30 years and I've found most advice books are
>written by less than great painters

Are you saying that you've never consulted the
"painter's bible" - Ralph Mayer's ARTISTS HANDBOOK?
Surely you wouldn't include it in the "how to"
category of books published by individual artists?

Peter H.M. Brooks

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May 15, 2002, 1:19:39 AM5/15/02
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"Mayo Florece" <ma...@noemailever.com> wrote in message painter's bible:

>
> ARTIST's HANDBOOK, by Ralph Mayer
>
> and follow the intstructions you'll find there for
> rabbit-skin glue and white lead priming.
> And good luck finding either real rabbit-skin
> glue OR white lead priming! Ralph Mayer covers
> priming wood panels as well.
>
I have had no problem finding rabbit-skin glue.


--
Spes Bona, obsecro, subventa mihi, exime ex hoc miseram metu - Plautus


Mayo Florece

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May 15, 2002, 10:14:12 AM5/15/02
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In article <absr5n$34u$1...@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net>, pe...@new.co.za says...

>I have had no problem finding rabbit-skin glue.

REAL rabbit skin, or hide glue "hiding"
behind the rabbit label? I do notice
that the vendor I buy from carries it
as "rabbit skin" so I have to demur, and
accept that maybe it really is. I don't
use it, and never have, so I was going
by what other artists have told me about
the hide glue being passed off as rabbit.


jolly

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May 15, 2002, 4:00:27 PM5/15/02
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"Mayo Florece" <ma...@noemailever.com> wrote in message
news:3ce11...@oracle.zianet.com...

> In article <20020514002518...@mb-fn.aol.com>, rid...@aol.com
> says...
>
> >I've painted pro for over 30 years and I've found most advice books are
> >written by less than great painters

I have painted for 15 years now and have used used acrylic primer for the
past 10 without problem nor worry. It is true that 'old masters' used rabbit
skin glue, danced naked round a black candle whilst thrashing themselves
with an olive branch -AND!!, can you believe it - ground and mixed their own
pigment (or at least their assistant did) but that was 500 years ago, before
artists discovered acrylic!! Acrylic Primer and tubes of oil paint, this
leave just enuogh energy left to try and do a good painting (alas it is this
last part that most people neglect!)

Jolly


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