Cherry Blossom Canvas

This morning I mixed RED and BLUE acrylic paints (no measuring) in a can then added new white Gesso to make a light violet or purple color.  I very gently sanded the previous coat of Gesso then applied the second coat of tinted Gesso to the canvas top, sides and bottom edges.  After this coat of Gesso dries I'll sand the surface and apply the third coat of Gesso. 

I apply the Gesso by pouring it from the mixing container onto the canvas then pushing it all over the canvas with my 2 inch bristle brush. I try to work the Gesso into the weave of the canvas with the brush.  I use the foam roller to smooth out the brush marks after the painting surface is covered with Gesso.

I talked about the foam rollers lasting a long time. This morning my roller lost two chunks of foam and I had to "retire" it to the trash can.  The lost chunks created a pattern of dots as I rolled the Gesso "smooth".  The "retired" roller was used to prepare MANY of my painting surfaces. The largest chunk (most bothersome in terms of leaving "dots") is shown in the photo below.

I'd like at least four nice coats of Gesso. The consistency (watery or thick) of the Gesso and the absorbency of the cotton canvas dictate how many coats I'll lay down.  I determine how the canvas painting surface feels to my fingertips and if it looks "right" rather than counting how many coats of Gesso.  This is where touch and feel come into play and counting goes out the window.

I have to tell you that the last of a bucket of Gesso that I used was at least a couple of months old. It hadn't clumped AT ALL thanks to an idea from a blogger friend, Carolina Alzamora in Lima, Peru. I had been fighting Gesso "glumps" where the surface area of Gesso stored in a closed container would be exposed to trapped internal air and begin to form these "glumps" that were almost impossible to avoid.  Carolina suggested putting plastic food film (e.g. Glad Wrap) on the surface. And it worked beyond my wildest expectations!  Thanks Carolina!

Making the canvas for our 36"x36" Cherry Blossom painting

I'm making the canvas for our 36"x36+ Cherry Blossom painting.  Yesterday I applied two coats of hot - not boiling -  Rabbit Skin Glue from Gamblin (other companies sell it also) to the bare canvas to seal it and to shrink the cotton fabric.

Here I have begun applying the first coat of tinted Gesso. It's tinted with several colors of acrylic paint (whatever I had at the time) so that I can easily see what's covered and what isn't. This Gesso is white in the bucket. I'll probably apply four coats of Gesso lightly sanding between each coat.

The roller is a "cabinet roller" made of foam rubber available in most stores that sell paint.  It is about 6 inches across and 1 inch in diameter.  The rollers last a long time if I give it a thorough washing. After MANY uses the rollers will start coming apart

Showing the (gallon) bucket of Gesso, the paint roller and the 2 inch bristle brush. I usually don't apply the Gesso out of the bucket because it tends to dry and form clumps. But this bucket is virtually empty with JUST enough left to give this canvas one good coat. The Gesso is also thin for the first coat. Each successive coat of Gesso is thicker.

Another view of the canvas and my studio work bench.  Finished paintings behind and "good stuff" beneath.

I apply Gesso to the sides of the canvas and to the back side (bottom?)  The 11x14 study of this painting is behind the canvas.

This is the little heater I use to blow warm air on the canvas to help dry the Gesso.  It's on the lowest heat setting. It's raining and cool = humid and without this "boost" the Gesso takes a very long time (overnight) to dry enough for a light sanding and the next coat of Gesso. The next coat of Gesso will be tinted a different color - easier to see and correct the areas that I have missed or didn't cover well.

Home-made painting supports

I had to use Google for the proper term for painting panel, painting canvas and etc. I found this definition at http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/prepsupp.php "The term "support" refers to any material onto which paint is applied. Canvas, wood, and paper are common painting supports, but the types of supports used for artwork are very extensive". . . . .

So, OK, I make my own supports and have for as long as I've been painting. Oh, I do buy the prepared supports but there is only one (1) source within thrty miles of where I live.  The prepared supports (in my opinion are overpriced for the poor quality) PLUS, I enjoy the diversion of doing it myself.  Most of the time I just cut Masonite into the size of support(s) that I want. Then I tried gluing fabric to the Masonite. Just gluing the fabric to the raw support doesn't work well because the fabric shrinks and leaves funky edges. I have glued fabric to plywood, but GOOD plywood is much more expensive than Masonite. I'm a really CHEAP so-and-so. Ask my daughters! :-)

This is how I do it now. I will probably make changes to this process to improve the "product" - or make it easier. I wear disposable vinyl gloves whenever I use Rabbit Skin Glue, apply Gesso to my supports and/or I paint my home-made picture frames.

• With my power table saw I cut square strips from the pine lumber. (The same pine lumber that I use to make my picture frames)
  
• I cut my masonite about an eighth of an inch larger than necessary - a 16x20 finished support will be cut to about 16 1/8 x 20 1/8.  If I'm feeling good, I cut it to the correct size.
  
• I cut wood pieces to make a frame upon which I nail and glue the masonite.  After all is dry, I sand all of the edges of the new panel - top and edges.
• I use my table saw again to trim the support to the accurate measurements - as accurate as I get.  Sometimes my accuracy is only in my mind.
• I cut cotton duck canvas (from the fabric store) about 2 - 3 inches larger than the Masonite panel support.  
• I stretch (with my fingers) and staple the canvas to the  back edges of the wood frame. 
• I use RABBIT SKIN GLUE (RSG) to glue the canvas to the panel top and sides.. The RSG shrinks the cotton duck canvas very tight. (I think any warm wet will shrink the cotton.) You can google "make your own supports" and see that many types of glue are used.  For whatever reasons (unknown to me) I like to use RSG.
• When the RSG is dry I sand all of the surfaces and give the support one more coat of RSG.
• When this is dry I give it another light sanding just to knock off any bumps.
  
• I paint the support with three (3) coats of gesso, lightly sanding between coats.  I like to tint my gesso - white supports inhibit me for some reason.
  

A finished support showing the back. The canvas is stapled on the back and the staples do not show if you paint the edges. The back edges have been trimmed flush to the wood frame with a razor knife.

One of the drawbacks that I haven't resolved. The canvas "curls" away from the wood frame. Maybe more staples?  Does it matter?   I don't know.

The staples are barely visible under the tinted (gray) gesso.

The finished support with three (3) coats of tinted acrylic gesso, sanded between coats.