Portrait Artist Forum - View Single Post - Staining your canvas . . . what do you use

Richard Budig · 06-15-2006, 07:22 AM

Paul:

Interesting about how you texture your mdf.

For the last couple of years, I've been doing a seires of little oil sketches of local kids that I sketch at the local library. I go there twice a week and do free pencil sketches. It costs less than hiring a model, and is more taxing but more "learning-ful" because you have to get on with it and do it in about five minutes or the kids will fall asleep or get restless and lose pose. When I find an interesting face, I grab a shot with my digital camera, and from that, I'll do a 12X16 oil sketch on mdf which the library puts up in my "library kids" section.

But, my point is, I've been experimenting with texturing the surfaces of these little boards. I use an old wall paper paste brush, an old and well worn hand held whisk broom, wadded up newspaper for pressing down into the thick gesso, or the same thing with a balled up wad of plastic Saran wrap.

The point is, I keep fiddling, looking for odd ways to texture the gesso, which, as you know by now, sometimes makes for a very interesting painting surface.

I don't do this for more serious portrait work. I don't now why. Not sure "they" would understand.

But, it's fun to texture the stuff and see what happens in/on the painting surface.

06-15-2006, 07:22 AM	#4
Richard Budig Juried Member Joined: Oct 2002 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 260	Paul: Interesting about how you texture your mdf. For the last couple of years, I've been doing a seires of little oil sketches of local kids that I sketch at the local library. I go there twice a week and do free pencil sketches. It costs less than hiring a model, and is more taxing but more "learning-ful" because you have to get on with it and do it in about five minutes or the kids will fall asleep or get restless and lose pose. When I find an interesting face, I grab a shot with my digital camera, and from that, I'll do a 12X16 oil sketch on mdf which the library puts up in my "library kids" section. But, my point is, I've been experimenting with texturing the surfaces of these little boards. I use an old wall paper paste brush, an old and well worn hand held whisk broom, wadded up newspaper for pressing down into the thick gesso, or the same thing with a balled up wad of plastic Saran wrap. The point is, I keep fiddling, looking for odd ways to texture the gesso, which, as you know by now, sometimes makes for a very interesting painting surface. I don't do this for more serious portrait work. I don't now why. Not sure "they" would understand. But, it's fun to texture the stuff and see what happens in/on the painting surface.