Oil-paint grounds

Illustrator Draftsman 3 & 2 - Volume 3 Executionable Practices
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Oil-Based Pigments, Continued Oil paint opacity and permanence Oil paints are an opaque medium. You can achieve near transparency or translucence by adding an extender and using the stumbling or glazing techniques. Artist grade oil paint is permanent. Pigments made by organic or mineral derivatives are more permanent than synthetic manufactured color which tends to fade. Without an appropriate ground and substrate, oil paints will crack and flake off the surface of the painting. Oil paint grounds The ground and preparation of the substrate is important. An incorrectly prepared surface effects pigment adhesion and permanence. The most common grounds are artist’s flake white, artist’s white lead in oil, or gesso. Household or industrial white paint is not suitable as a ground because this paint looses its elasticity over time and increases the likelihood of cracking and flaking. You should not apply a ground too thickly. It is better to apply two thin coats. The ground should not ooze out the back of the canvas through the linen mesh. Substrates Substrates or the surface on which you apply oil paint are canvas, canvas board, masonite, wood panels, and metal. Before applying a ground to the substrate, seal the substrate with a mixture of rabbitskin glue. CANVAS: Canvas, bought in rolls, must be attached to stretchers before painting. Once you have secured canvas to a stretcher (a wood frame), make sure to cover the canvas with a mixture of rabbitskin glue and gesso. Be sure to apply the ground to the edges of the canvas where it wraps around the stretcher. This is the first area to deteriorate and it receives the most abuse. Some artists prefer the spring of the canvas under their brush as they paint. CANVAS BOARD: Canvas board is linen or canvas already adhered to a solid surface such as rigid cardstock or thin wood panels. Many artists prefer canvas board because they do not have to stretch the canvas themselves, and canvas board provides a solid surface on which to paint. The solid backing also offers protection from mishandling and puncture. Continued on next page 1-49

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