Gesso

Gesso is an acrylic primer that is similar to paint, except that it is thinner and dries in a stiff, slightly rough, matt finish. Traditionally, it is used to cover the surface of wood or canvas as a preparation for receiving paint. It gives the paint something to adhere to (which is often called giving the substrate ‘tooth’).

Pre-gessoed canvases are available from all art stores and can be painted with all kinds of paint, from watercolor to oil. You can purchase bottles of gesso for priming your own canvas or paper. It comes in either black, grey or white, and heavy bodied or clear. For collage purposes white is the best choice.

The heavy bodied gesso is useful for folks doing altered art, or working on wood and you want to sand the gesso down to a smooth finish. It is typically applied with a brush or sponge brush. It will cover almost anything with a lovely thick layer that can then be painted over.

It can be purchased at regular art supply and craft stores. It usually comes in a large container as the manufacturers are assuming you will need it to cover large canvases. Golden and Liquitex both make a very good product. I have tried both and was equally impressed with them.

How to use gesso in collage making

1) As a primer
If you are working in a journal or on paper, and you apply a layer of gesso your paper will become a strong enough to receive collaged bits and pieces and also waterproof, which is great then for creating a to surface on which to add paint. If you cover both sides of the paper, then it will make the paper even stronger.


2) As a cover up
If you are working on a collage and make a mistake or adhere something that is simply not working, gesso will prime right over it and let you start again. This is one of the reasons why it is a must have product.

3) As an image enhancer
It is a water based primer, so it can be watered down easily. I use a watered down gesso most of all to soften or tone down my collages, to push prominent images back and to unify a piece. Applied over a patterned paper or paper with text will create a lovely soft, feminine and shabby chic feeling to your art.

4) To add texture
I generally will apply gesso with a brush and love how the brush textures are still visible. Then when I add a wash of paint or water soluble oil pastel it give a nice uneven, painterly effect.

** Note: White craft paint can be used to achieve these last two effects, but white paint does not work so well as a primer.

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