How to Prepare Your Own Supports for Oil Painting 

Thank you very much Paula! I'm glad you've found my videos helpful.

That's absolutely fantastic! I wish I'd come across this knowledge when I was younger. But when I was young we didn't have the internet and it was impossible to find teachers who knew anything about working from life. All the Art schools here in the UK just taught modern art. I didn't start painting properly until I was almost 30. So keep painting, and when your older you'll be an amazing Artist.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting aww thank you very much! It's also a bit difficult because I just started the other day so here I am watching tips on your videos to also give me an idea of ​​how to start, I'm also a bit lacking in equipment so I sometimes do not imitate like you do when painting. and I will also run out of my acrylic paints so it will take me a few days to save up to buy new ones lol so I will watch your other tips first until I can save the right money. Thank you so much for the tips you share with our people who want to be artists and be good at painting, we are grateful to appreciate your videos so keep on teaching, our teacher! From Phillippines 🇵🇭❤

Wish I had started sooner like that xD

​@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thats good to know you started at nearly 30, i am 30 and started at about 30 also. Random thought- would love to see some more of your interviews, loved those.

Thank you very much Muhammad!

I agree

Thank you!

I coudnt agree more. I bought some of the pincel as I always wonder what thouse "long" bristles were

Thank you very much! Glad you like them.

Thank you very much Siddarth!

Thanks Chris!

Thank you Mark

Thank you Tim

Absolutely. Think of acrylic as a surface, it's plastic after all. Oil over acrylic works great, acrylic over oil doesn't work.

I know people who use Alkyd based house paint as a primer i.e. the more glossy stuff you use for wood, like wood silk. As alkyds are basically the same stuff most artists oil primers are made of, tho some makes of oil primer are made with titanium white. The thing is with house paint, is that it will contain more chemical impurities that artists grade primer. House doesn't need to last longer than a decade or so because houses get redecorated. One hopes that expensive artists oil primer will last a little longer? So surfaces primed with house paint will be fine for practicing and studies, but you shouldn't use it for stuff you want to sell. Same with the polyurethane varnish I use in this video.

Gesso is basically pva + a white (for white gesso obv) acrylic paint and is much cheaper when you make your own. I've not used decorator's paint but have used pound shop whites, which is probably the same thing come to think of it. I do love adding a bit of yellow ochre and/or burnt umber to it for my prime too. If it's in my gesso I make sure they're acrylics though.

Yes anything on paper should be framed like a drawing or water colour, under glass. This is also how I have framed anything I have done on the water colour paper primed with rabbit skin two and boards primed with polyurethane varnish. However, the methods in this video do not have the best archival quality, they are cheap ways of preparing surfaces that can be used for studies. You may wish to frame them to show them but I would be wary about selling them?

I wouldn't use polyurethane varnish as a size. The alternative to rabbit skin glue is PVA size. Though I've never used it. I normally find Rabbit skin glue does the job, removing the buckles with the second coat? However, I normally use a very fine weave linen, what canvas do you normally use? I'll be showing you how I do it all in my next video.

Thank you, merry Christmas to you too!

Thank you Dimitris! I would definitely go for thicker vellum, 160gsm or above. 90gsm will tend to crinkle when you paint on it, even without any medium.

Many thanks!

I've not heard of Shellac being used as a size on canvas, but it can be used as a ground on paper or wooden panels. I've used it before on Museum board the same way I use polyurethane varnish in this video. Polyurethane is cheaper and much easier to find. The archival quality of Shellac is probably better, but then it still yellows with time.

I think it depends if the oil layer is totally dry, not only to the touch. If it s totally dry it shouldn t affect the layers upon.

Supposedly not. It isn't archival, but I've been doing it ever since I was a student for studies and it has always worked fine. Like Jean Luc says below, I think it depends on how dry the oil is when you apply the gesso.

Yes it was an oil. I may have caused a bit of controversy here as you are right, you are not supposed to use Acrylic gesso over oil. It supposedly doesn't adhere to the surface, which I think may have something to do with the much slower drying time of the oil. But I've been doing it ever since I was a student. as its the quickest way to recycle old canvases. I usually leave it many months before I do it, so the oil is completely dry. And so far I've never had any problems with cracking or peeling. But I've only ever use these recycled canvases for studies and such, which I'm too bothered about keeping. All of the methods shown in this video are meant to be cheap, quick and easy and may not be the best surfaces in terms of their archival properties, though they're a lot nicer to use than ready made canvases and panels. In my next video I'll be showing you how to prepare high quality surfaces.

SIMPLIFY Drawing & Painting Understood ;) Thank you Alex for time and effort to answer.

Thanks Renato, Glad you like my videos. I don't know if there is anything you can do to make acrylic surfaces less absorbent? You could try adding gloss medium to the gesso you use to prime for painting surfaces, maybe will make it less absorbent? Or you could try painting straight onto a less absorbent surface, like some sort of plastic panel?

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Great idea, ill do that. My feeling is that the coverage wont be that different in glossy surface, using softer brushes and not messing around too much on the same area. And the gain would be in flow. I dislike so much that feeling of absobency when i'm trying to block in a big sky area, when trying to achieve a little more blended look, and the remedy for that in my work has been using much more paint, and I feel i'm just wasting materials. Anyway, my question was only to know if my painting would be in risk of peeling or cracking when painting over glossy acrylic paint, but my general knowledge is that it shouldn't, because my paint IS glossy and they say i can layer idefinetly with it, so, it must be OK. Thank you again

I know mixed media artists use oils on top of acrylic paint. So it should be ok, but I've never tried it. Also the gesso I use is made of Acrylic.

I didn't know that about Monet. Do you know what ground he used, as I didn't think they had acrylic gesso back then? Did he mix chalk into his lead ground? Also, I've heard of artists using a thicker weave on their linen , so that it would hold more paint?

It depends on what the parchment is made of. Vellum and tracing paper is made of cotton, where as other paper is made of wood pulp.

I find it makes a really nice non absorbent surface for painting on cardboard, but your right it definitely should only be used for studies as it isn't archival. I learned this method from Susan Lyon in one of her videos many years ago, and I haven't experienced any yellowing or cracking yet. Fortunately, I've never sold anything I've done on cardboard.

I'm actually running online classes on zoom at the moment. I considered starting physical classes again, but what with Lockdowns and changing restrictions etc. it's hard to predict if I'll be allowed to remain open. Next course starts in January. You can find the details here: www.dulwichartgroup.co.uk/portraiture-with-alex-tzavaras/

I normally use Satin. You might be ok with Matt but it could be a bit too absorbent? Also remember that this isn’t archival so these should only be used for studies.

many thanks !

I think I may have caused some controversy with the archival quality of some of this methods. These are supposed to be cheap and easy surfaces for practicing and not necessarily meant to last 100's of years. But tbh I think some artists worry too much about the archival quality of their work, when really we should be worrying more about getting better at painting.

You can't, as it will soak the paper in crinkle it. When using smoother surfaces like this, you just use the paint as it comes out of the tube. You'll find it spreads quite easily over the surface without needing to thin it.

Thank you Kiko. I don't really know I'm afraid. Acrylic gesso will probably be ok adhering to plastic? But if the plastic is really smooth it might scrape off quite easily. Also, you might be ably to paint directly onto the plastic with oils? Tho it will probably be quite a slick surface to work on?

​@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Yes. I'm not sure too... I already finished a few paintings and it worked well, they look just fine. Even with the slick surface. My main concern is about the longevity of them. Well, I guess I'll have to wait and see. Maybe I should make different tests. But thank you a lot anyways! I'm always learning w/ your videos.

Yes, I think so. But I've never tried it.

The only time you should use mineral spirits to thin the paint is in the earlier stages of the painting. To place a coloured ground at the start and you can get away with a few drops mixed into the paint for the block in. But after that you definitely shouldn't use any. After that if you want to create more flow, you may use a medium, either linseed oil or a mixture of oil and turpentine. But you need to be careful not to use too much, particularly if you are painting in several layers as the medium will cause the layers to dry at different times which may cause your colours to appear flat and dull (sinking in) or cracking. This is the fat over lean rule, which states the top layers of paint need to contain more oil than the layers underneath. I would personally recommend not using any medium for the first day or until the initial layer of paint has dried. Only use the paint straight out of the tube. If you need the paint to flow more, just mix more paint. Then, if you come back to a painting after it has dried, you can add a little oil for the top layers. Does that make sense?

I have a similar question. It should adhere because gesso has glue in it. My concern would be cracking. Typically you should not paint acrylic over oil because oil dries slower. But if the oil has cured for over 6 six months and if the recycled painting is for practice or a study then it should be fine. I wouldn’t recommend doing this for a painting you plan to sell. But it’s fine for practice. Was that helpful?

I'd concur with Gallery Try. It probably isn't the best practice archivally, but as long as the painting you are gessoing over has been dry for at least a few months it should adhere fine. I've been doing it ever since I was a student etc. as it's so quick. So far, none of the painting I've done on recycled gesso have peeled off or cracked.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Brilliant thank you very much 👍

Tbh I think a lot of artists spend too much time worrying about stuff being archival, when we should be spending time worrying about getting better at painting.

I look little closer and see that you use gesso! Sorry!

Yes, I've used it with Acrylic gesso before. Hardboard works well, but because it's quite thin, it can bend a little with larger panels.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Yes I can imagine it would bend a bit, but if it's put into a rigid frame before it's presented to the client then it should be OK. The problem I have with the usual cotton canvas that I buy is that oil paint and acrylic both refuse to leave my brush and actually flow into the canvas and the tiny dimples in the canvas seem to repel the paint. I then have to thin the paint with "liquin" or linseed oil or odorless spirit I'm thinking the paint would flow better if I had a perfectly smooth surface, just like the hardboard I mentioned Anyway I've nearly finished my metre wide "Hotel California" It has movie stars and a few glamorous "devils" in it, so it should sell OK. I hope so, I've been on it about a month. Thanks again for your advice Kind regards - Chris in Thailand go2ssff@gmail.com

As far as I'm aware it is archival. Its is normally used for sketching and as long as it as acid free then it should be archival? I'd frame a painting I did on vellum like any other work on paper, mounted behind glass.

That would definitely work. Though I've never used PVA size, I have done 1 coat of rabbit skin glue and one coat of oil primer on paper before and it's a really nice surface. However, oil primer is expensive, so I don't use it on paper much. I'll be talking about oil primer in my next video.

I do one or two coats of GAC100 on (watercolour) paper and paint with oils straight on the size without any gesso. It's nice and slippery. And as far as I can tell archival as well.

I'd only use the varnish on boards. It isn't a glue size, so you can't use it on linen.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting thank you so much. I might have a go at your rabbitskin glue canvases but a bit daunted by the whole procedure. But the surface really does make all the difference doesn’t it? I hate the feeling of painting on acrylic gesso.

@@lucystillwell5294 Have you ever used pre-primed linen? If you don't want the hassle of rabbit skin glue and all that, you could try some and see what it's like to work on. Though it's twice the price as raw linen. Here is the stuff I use: www.russellandchapple.co.uk/index.php/belgian-fine-oil-primed-linen.html?

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thanks so much Alex. I was aware of these but, as you say, the price is a bit eye watering! I actually recently bought some oil primed linen from Green and Stone in Fulham but I still find the paint seems to get absorbed if you know what. I mean? I really like the oil primed linen boards that Jackson’s do which are really very affordable but limited in terms of size, also, maybe slight too slick a surface!? I feel like Goldilocks around this surface issue!!

Yes definitely! Shellac has been used as a ground for many years. Really the polyurethane varnish I used is an alternative to shellac. It's easier to come by, also it apparently yellows less than shellac. Tho I'm not sure it is very archival. It's interior varnish, so I suppose it isn't meant to last forever , it's meant to be re applied every few years.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thank you.

Yes,you can. Make sure to apply a few coats and then sand it down.

Yes you can. Make sure you size it with a sizing agent like GAC 100 before you gesso it to protect the wood from oil and water from the gesso.

I'm not 100% sure about the archival of vellum, or of any of the methods in this video. They're all cheap surfaces meant for studies. But saying that, how certain are we about the archival quality of anything? And I've still got painting I did on vellum from over a decade ago. If you frame them properly like other works on paper, mounted behind glass, I think they will probably last a long time.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thank you. I also learned relatively recently that one should varnish acrylic paintings as the dust may get embedded in the surface over time. I have acrylic paintings completed over 20 years ago and they seem to be fine...

@@ewaMCC yes. I would varnish them. Large dust particles can be dusted off, but it’s the small microscopic particles in the environment that can dull a painting over time. Perhaps we wouldn’t see it in our lifetime, but if you want your paintings to last, varnish will protect them. And removable is best because it can be taken off and reapplied to restore a painting to its original appearance. :) Did that help?

@@GalleryBry Thank you very much.

@@ewaMCC most welcome. :)

This video is cheaper surfaces. My next video will be on how I prepare the oil primed linen surfaces I normally like to work on.

It was over an old oil painting. If the painting is completely dry i.e. at least a couple of months, then the acrylic will adhere fine. However, I can't say if it will still be fine in 50 years time, but it's the quickest to recycle old canvases you're not happy, with to be used for studies and practicing. Where I trained, back when I was a student everyone used to do it. I've still got paintings from 15 years ago done on recycled gesso and they still appear to be fine.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting oh excellent, that's really handy to know, thank you!

The surfaces in this video are meant to be cheap quick and easy to make and used for studies. Apart from the gesso straight onto wood, non of them have particularly great archival quality. Though saying that, I have still have paintings that I did on Gesso over older paintings that I did 20 years ago and they're still fine.

I started doing it before I knew you supposedly couldn't, on the advise of my then art teacher. As did my fellow students. If the oil paint has had several month to dry, I find the gesso adheres fine. What happens in 100 years is another matter? But if you're not to bothered about that, it's the quickest way to recycle old failures, to be used for studies and practice.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thanks for the explanation. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. Cheers.

Its traditionally used as a size when stretching linen or canvas before priming. I'll be showing you all that in my next video. But you can also use it to size paper or wood and paint directly on to it.

Yes it does supposedly. But I've been doing it since my student days, because it's the quickest way to recycle old canvases. Though the archival quality is definitely questionable. I wouldn't do it for any work I wished to keep or sell, only for studies and practice. As long as the oil is completely dry i.e. at least after a few months, it appears to be ok. I have paintings from 15 years ago, that I've done on canvases prepared in this way and they haven't started peeling yet. Maybe they'll be giving some conservator somewhere a nightmare sometime in the future, you never know? But I'd be surprised if anyone is still interested in my work by then? And if they are, then I've done plenty of other paintings on surfaces that I am much more confident in their archival quality.

The suggestions in this video are for cheap supports to use for studies, archival quality isn't my main concern here. You can't use water based medium on top of oil because oil paint takes longer to dry. But if the oil is completely dry then I find it's usually ok. I've been gessoing over old paintings for years because its quickest way to reuse old canvases. So far I haven't had any problems. According to Ralph Mayer's artist's handbook of materials & techniques, the bible when it comes to materials, it's inadvisable to re-prime old paintings full stop, even with an oil based ground. But as I said, I'm not concerned about the archival quality of these particular canvases. Tbh I generally don't get too hung up on archival quality. I'm more interested in getting better at painting. I think it's very unlikely anyone will be interested in my paintings in 100 years time. If there's the slightest chance than any of my paintings do turn out to be valuable in that time, then a conservator will have to worry about their archival quality.

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting I realize, in reading, this is your stock response. But that doesn't absolve you of promoting bad, long term, advice. I have a first printing of Mayer, and got my BFA under Mark Gottsegen ( author of the new painter's bible). We can name drop all day. That doesn't help other people get proper information. If, in your video, you had offered the caveats given in your responses, or pinned proper information under the video, I wouldn't have bothered to write. But, deserved or not, people trust media creators as authorities. And often, as in this instance, that trust is misplaced. Whether people take your lesson or not, sharing bad or incomplete information makes you responsible for the outcome. You don't want people to get better at making art. That's a contained process involving the understanding and use of the materials in question; including the types of surfaces they choose. You withheld a sustainable choice from them. A person who wanted others to get better at making art, would give them a lesson involving those things. Or, at the very least, a mention of possible outcomes. What you want ( based on the logic of your argument) is for people to improve their image making skills using a specific material- oil paint. And, according to you, surface is unimportant, So why not have them paint on unprimed paper? Or raw cardboard? Or styrofoam? Or a piece of drywall? Or a sidewalk block? Since, as you argue, surface is unimportant. When you answer that question honestly, the flaw in your construct becomes apparent. Stop rationalising failure. And stop acting as a teacher if you aren't willing to be one. While this may be an ego exercise for you ( notice you are only concerned with the fate of your own work and not that of people taking your flawed lessons), the people watching aren't taking lessons for another person's advancement, they're taking lessons for their own. Your name is now on every mis-constructed work produced out of this video. 15 years from now: This painting is falling apart. Who taught you to paint? Simplify Drawing &Painting. Looks like he simplified a bit too much then.

@@KarenParkerArtist I didn't say surfaces aren't important, In fact I say how important they are in the first sentence of this video. I also say that the surfaces in this video are cheap quick and easy to make. I apologise if my response to your original comment comes across as a sign of my massive ego, which I don't deny. It's just that I feel there is a very common tendency for artists to get hung up on materials when they should be focusing on getting batter at painting. Particularly when it comes to realism, as the solutions to achieving a lifelike representation of what we see really do not lie in the materials but rather in how we see. The surfaces I suggest in this video are for students to practice on. I used them all the time when I was student and so did my colleagues. I gessoed over my canvas many times and reused them. I still have some of them, they are over 15 years old and they're still fine. Though I am by no means suggesting that this is the be all and end all of painting surfaces. You say I offer incomplete information, unfortunately I can only speak about the surfaces I have experience of. I did however make another video about the better quality surfaces I normally use for my own work. I hope you approve of that one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2bgKUTmnvG4.html

Do you mean the Rabbit Skin Glue "Size"? Which is the stuff I boiled. It's used for sizing linen which you can see in my other video on making canvases. You can buy ready to use PVA size but it's more expensive. What are you using it for? Boards or Canvases?

@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Villum paper, I paint on a DM board, then when its dry I keep it stored. Fuck sake my English is so so rubbish, my bad. I saw the other video but I thought it was this one jajajajaja

I gonna use it for canvasses as well, as my gesso feels to "plastic" and I want to paint on a non-absorbent surface