Grounds for panel paintings

Dan Hopewell <dan [at] iconoduel__org> writes

>I am a painter in search of a bit of advice.
>
>I've been investigating grounds for panel supports for oil painting
>but find traditional hide glue gesso preparation more trouble than
>it's worth. A couple of painters I've talked to have suggested using
>PVAc as a binder instead (with calcium carbonate pigment, as well
>as, possibly, titanium white). The little I know about it suggests
>that this probably ought to be adequate to the task (perhaps better
>than rabbit skin glue in some respects) but I thought I should seek
>the opinions of those who might know otherwise.
>
>How about it? What suggestions and concerns might anyone share? What
>type of PVAc is recommended? What sort of dilution and mixture is
>advisable? What kind of health concerns are there with this stuff?

In my experience the pre-mixed acrylic and latex products available
are a decent  substitute for the  rabbit skin gesso,  but a lot
depends on what you intend to paint over it.  For an oil painting on
wood panel, the traditional ground is a wonderful surface on which
to work if you can put the time into preparing it correctly.
However,  I generally use acrylic gesso, especially for priming
canvas. Daniel Smith makes some very nice acrylic gesso in black,
grey, and white, which seals well,  and sands out smoothly. Only
dilute it enough to make it easier to apply.  I use several coats
sanding between them. For larger canvas panels and murals I use 2-3
coats of latex house paint diluted about 25%  with water (when you
have to cover a lot of area, gesso becomes rather expensive)  again,
sanding between coats. The benefit of latex paint, or acrylic gesso,
is that it is flexible and long lasting, and the canvas can be
easily rolled up, transported, installed, with out fear of the
ground cracking under the painting.

There are a lot of nasty things in "water based" acrylic or latex
products; formaldehyde, for one.  Make sure the area is well
ventilated, and wear gloves.  Use a dust mask when sanding.  Regular
use of a good respirator wouldn't hurt you either!

Lynne Rutter
Murals and Decorative Painting


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:10
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