How to make clear Gesso - All about Gesso

Hello Friends,

This article is all about Clear Gesso, so this post was inspired by one of my YouTube viewers - Madhvi, who wanted me to make a video on homemade clear gesso and so I decided to add this video to the list of DIY craft supplies videos I already have up on my channel.

If you do not know much about gesso and would like to understand please read till the end of the post.

Supplies for making the clear Gesso:
MARBLE POWDER: https://amzn.to/2Jc4gZk
RANGOLI POWDER: https://amzn.to/2J9KM7G
PVA GLUE OR FEVICOL: https://amzn.to/2yV167D
WATER
CONTAINER TO MIX THE RECIPE IN

Ok so let's begin at the top:

What is Gesso ??

Google answer: Gesso is a hard compound of plaster of Paris or whiting in glue, used in sculpture or as a base for gilding or painting on wood.

My explanation: Gesso is an acrylic primer used by artists on a surface like canvas, wood, metal, glass to ensure that the subsequent layers of paint can bond with the surface better. It is a little coarse in texture and also allows the paint to stick better to the surface. It also creates a non porous surface when used on paper as then you can move the paint better around the surface rather than it getting absorbed into the paper immediately.

Types and Uses of  GESSO?

There are primarily 3 types of gesso and they can serve different purposes other than the basic purpose of gesso.

White Gesso is the most commonly used gesso and as it says it makes the surface white so when used on a surface other than white it will dull the background colour or completely cover it depending on how diluted the gesso is. You can actually paint over an old painting (boring or just bad)completely and start over like you had a fresh canvas believe me I have tried it.... It can be used to add soft texture on a surface too.

Black Gesso : Like white gesso this gesso will also tint the surface with black so if you need the background blacked out you can used Black gesso. You can also use black gesso in case you want a matt black colour. This gesso works very much like white gesso but the colour is black.

Clear Gesso: This gesso is of a milky translucent colour when you first put it on, but it dries clear which means that it does not dull or cover the background. It only gives a matt and nonporous finish for further paint to be added. So if you like the colours on the background to ramain as is but want to get better movement with the colours you need to add on top, it is a good idea to use clear gesso. It also seals the background : for example you created a beautiful watercolour or acrylic background and now want to added new layer with complimentary colours then you do not want the colours from the separate layers mixing into each other so you can use a layer of clear gesso in between so that the background is sealed and the colours you add on top will not smudge with new layers.

Can you make gesso at Home?

Yes you can easily make gesso at home and I have links to the video it made in the same here:

You can also use add the acrylic white or acrylic black to make the white or white gesso in the recipe for clear gesso to get white or black gesso.

Where to BUY and Which Brand?

This is a really tough one as there are so many companies making gesso and most gessos are similar and solve the same purpose. Most paint companies like Liquitex, Golden, Daler Rowney, Pebeo, 

Most companies into mixed media art product make gesso like Ranger, Finnabair, Artiste and many more...

Indian companies like Camel and ItsyBitsy have also got gesso in their product line.

Most of these brands are available at most craft stores, art store and also online , I am sharing some links here that you can check out...

Golden Gesso: https://amzn.to/2Jbglhy

Liquitex gesso: https://amzn.to/2EOJNv4

Camel Gesso: https://amzn.to/2OHfwTQ

Monte Marte Gesso: https://amzn.to/2OGpQLI

I hope you enjoyed this post and found the information useful or insightful.

See you soon, until then

Happy Crafting !!

Hugs

Seemaa