A stupid question...
quantum
refer to when an artist says a particularly painting is e.g. 'watercolor
and gouache on board' or 'acrylic on board'??? Is the 'board' the styrofoam
core board I see in artstores? Is it the masonite board I see in artstores
with a white surface? Confused artist wants to know! :)
P.M.
I'm English, and I've been painting for years. In England I go into an art
supply shop and ask to see their illustration boards. It's a very thick card
made up of layers ( about 2 to 3mm. thick), but the top layer is smooth and
white and will take water-based paints without cockling. There's no need to
stretch it like paper see? You can paint straight onto it as wet as you
like. Alot of illustrators use it. It takes ink well, and airbrush, because
it is very smooth.
Now I've often read about masonite in American 'How to draw and paint'
books, but I don't know what that is. And I've got blank looks from the
people serving in British shops, when I've asked for it. So what exactly is
masonite?
( Is it what we British call hardboard? ).
Some people who paint in acrylic buy 'hardboard.' This is a really
heavy-duty sheeting, for D.I.Y. and carpentry purposes, is about 3 to 4mm.
thick and has a 'rough' side and a smooth side. It's dark brown in colour.
It's often found as the backing of a wardrobe etc. Anyway, it's very cheap,
you can buy it in big sheets and if you give it a coat of white primer it
makes a great paint support for acrylics or oils.
As for what Styrofoam Core might be. Well, I haven't got a clue about that
at all! You may as well be talking Martian, but I would like to know what it
is.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Phil.
"quantum" <no...@nowhere.net> wrote in message
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RB
What you describe as hardboard does indeed sound like what we call
masonite here in the United States. As for Styrofoam board, I've
usually seen it used to mount things like photographs and prints.
I think the material it's made of is also known as polystyrene.
RB
quantum
> This is a bit of a transatlantic language problem I think.
> I'm English, and I've been painting for years. In England I go into an art
> supply shop and ask to see their illustration boards. It's a very thick
> card made up of layers ( about 2 to 3mm. thick), but the top layer is
> smooth and white and will take water-based paints without cockling.
because I can not stand the paper cockling-- really pisses me off because
it is just another aspect of watercolor that seems to go out of control!
> There's no need to stretch it like paper see? You can paint straight onto
> it as wet as you like. Alot of illustrators use it. It takes ink well, and
> airbrush, because it is very smooth.
I will have to find some of what you describe in an artstore here in
the USA and try watercolor on it!
> Now I've often read about masonite in American 'How to draw and paint'
> books, but I don't know what that is. And I've got blank looks from the
> people serving in British shops, when I've asked for it. So what exactly
> is masonite?
I believe Masonite (a brand name, Masonite corportation) is simply a
hardboard. Art stores here in the USA carry it, 1/8 inch thick, for various
purposes; they also sell Gessoed Masonite, also 1/8 inch thick, which is
what I have and have used sometimes for oil painting. IN fact the gessoed
masonite says on it "Artist Quality Gessoed Masonite-- for painting with
oils, acrylics, and watercolors, drawing with pencils, pastel, chalk, pen
and ink, and crayons. So THIS is what I thought maybe Julie Bell was
referring to when she quotes some of her watercolors as being done "on
board". But gessoed masonite seems like an odd surface for watercolor-- but
what do I know. I just want to know more specifically what "on board"
means. I suspect it is the illustration board you refer to.
> ( Is it what we British call hardboard? ).
> Some people who paint in acrylic buy 'hardboard.' This is a really
> heavy-duty sheeting, for D.I.Y. and carpentry purposes, is about 3 to 4mm.
> thick and has a 'rough' side and a smooth side. It's dark brown in colour.
Yes this is what the gessoed masonite is... 3-4mm thick, dark brown (the
hardboard = Masonite (brand name)), white gessoed surface on one side.
> It's often found as the backing of a wardrobe etc. Anyway, it's very
> cheap, you can buy it in big sheets and if you give it a coat of white
> primer it makes a great paint support for acrylics or oils.
> As for what Styrofoam Core might be. Well, I haven't got a clue about that
> at all! You may as well be talking Martian, but I would like to know
The Styrofoam Core board is basically 1/4 inch foam board (I think
Styrofoam is a brand name for foam-- the stuff that is used to pack
materials for shipping in boxes, what we in the USA sometimes call 'packing
peanuts' since they look like white peanuts!) with a smooth white surface
on either site-- not very strong for a painting, etc. But it is useful for
presenting at conferences, for pinning or glueing materials to it.
RC
or textured surface(cold press). Also comes in 2 different thicknesses. You
can choose the one you like best. I apply a light coat of gesso to it so I
can paint in oils. Good luck.
Roger
"quantum" <no...@nowhere.net> wrote in message
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Artboy from Oz
such, otherwise it would be called illustration board.
I use Masonite with a few coats of gesso when I need a smooth yet durable surface.
Acrylic gesso can support quite a wide range of media. I've even used this surface for silverpoint,
which can be quite a hoot as well.
Cheers,
Greg
quantum
> I use illustration board which comes in white in smooth surface(hot press)
> or textured surface(cold press). Also comes in 2 different thicknesses.
> You can choose the one you like best. I apply a light coat of gesso to it
> so I can paint in oils. Good luck.
> Roger
Doesn't the gesso warp the board? When I have gessoed masonite the
acrylic gesso tightens up so much it actually warps the masonite quite a
bit-- I would think it would do as much to the illustration board?