I know that as a watercolor painter such videos mostly don't apply to my art, but I love watching them so much. So informative, in-depth, well articulated, and most importantly - no gatekeeping whatsoever. Thank you Alex, your insights are precious, all the best to you!
About PVA, I am playing violin also, there is used hyde glue (rabbit bones and other components, same as rabbit skin but less flexible). When someone used PVA, violinmakers experienced that lifespan of PVA is around 10 - 20 years, then it brokes structure and starts to turn to dust. Lifespan is based on UV light and other elements. So yes, I recommend traditional proven recipes. Great video :)
Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the details it makes a massive difference to someone like me that hasn't had any training. I too loved the hippy story. Hilarious!
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Hi Alex, I would like to enrol on one of your Oil Painting courses in March this year or when the weather gets better as my painting studio is in the Garage and its too cold to use it now.! thanks.
I watch your videos from beginning until the end..this one was not different..a little extra lesson learned today is not to lend your rubber mallet to hippies..🤩Thank you once again for your effort and time to teach us..!🧑🎨
@Simplify Drawing and Painting. I couldn't agree more with your views on the archival nature of art materials. Sadly, many threads on art forums are obsessed with this. I've been painting for over 50 years, and have never concerned myself with this at all.
I'm not completely oblivious to archival quality. Once you start selling stuff it's definitely something to think about. But I quite often hear people whining about archival quality when they should probably spend more time worrying about getting better at painting, because no one will buy your paintings if you can't paint (supposedly?).
Thank you for the video. Note that if you use a normal hammer rather than a rubber mallet, then I recommend using a wooden block which would "dent" rather than the frame.
Greetings from North Carolina.Thank you for taking the time to make this video Mr. Tzavaras. There is little information on making high quality canvas' as interesting and detailed as yours. You made an excellent video and exactly what I have been looking for. What type of hardware would you use on a high quality canvas ?
You don't need very much (unless you're trying to make your own wooden stretcher bars, which I've never done) All you need is a staple gun, or a hammer and tacks to attach the canvas. You will need right angle set square for the corners and a tape measure to check that it isn't crooked. Before attaching the canvas, you measure the diagonals of the frame to make sure they are the same. If you are stretching pre primed linen you will need canvas pliers.
Invaluable information! Now I dare to try to "stretch" (raw) canvases besides my glued linen panels. Thank you for that a lot! (Shame on those hippies!)
Thank you for this video. Following your very clear instructions I have just made my own canvases for the first time using raw linen and rabbit skin glue, and am pleased with the results. I notice that the larger canvases (40cm x 50cm and larger) are great. The smaller ones (30cm x 40 or 45cm) needed more rabbit skin glue and were harder to get perfectly tight and flat. There must be a scientific reason for this as I used the same materials and technique for all of the canvases. Perhaps I need to pull the raw linen tighter on the smaller stretchers, or maybe I should stick to wood panels for the smaller pieces (where weight isn't an issue) and just use this method for the larger ones?
Well done! That's what I like to hear. 30x40 isn't that much smaller so I don't think it makes much of a difference? I've found it;s quite random, sometimes you still get some bumbs and stuff after the first coat, but usually a second coats sorts it out?
Very helpful content, Alex thank you. I’ve been using my Caravaggio Lead Primed linen roll for about a year now, and though i love the ease of not have to prime it the way i like, it does ripple a LOT. It’s so frustrating as I feel I’m an experienced artist who’s been stretching canvas for nearly 10 years. It only goes fully taut when/if I spray the back with water. Curious if you’ve found other solutions to the rippling? Can you perhaps PVA size the back of an already primed linen? The backside of the oil ground doesn’t look sized after all... Would love your thoughts!
I've never tried sizing it on the back. I find I can usually get rid of the ripples by either pulling the linen even tighter where the ripples are with canvas pliers or using canvas keys. But having the canvas under so much tension, surely can't be great? Also I've found ripples can reappear after the painting has been finished and dried, which I usually sort out with canvas keys. This is why I prefer making canvases with raw linen, as the canvas just stretches by itself and then stays that way.
I have very study homemade stretchers for my frames but.... I can't get joy from sizing raw linen. I did first coat of RSG and as it is drying I can see significant ripples not just at the edges but at the centre too. This is just the 1st coat of RSG so it may be OK. I heard you said if the solution is too thick it may cause warpage but I diluted it 20gram 1 litre water so that should be thin enough. I feel like I've attached the linen loose enough to both. If my second coat is unsuccessful shall I try taking the whole thing off and restretching once dry? I do not have canvas pliers. I've never had this kinda ball ache with cotton canvas but it would like to preserve( in-between the tears)
Have you done this before with cotton canvas instead of linen? 20g to one litre sounds like it would be ok? Though I'm not sure, I normally do it by eye. I fill up a small container and do 1 part granules to 10 parts water. You often get wrinkles after only 1 coat. They normally come out after the 2nd coat. On the rare occasion that I've had wrinkles after the second coat I've added a third and they've come out. If you've got loads of wrinkles it may be that the canvas is too loose, but it would have to be really loose? Raw linen usually does feel quite loose and the size stretches it as it dries.
Hi Alex. Thanks for this video! At some point, please can you give us tips on finding reference photos online? I find it so hard to find photos with good lighting, shadows, etc...
I can't help you I'm afraid. I mainly work from life and when I do use photos they're always photos that I've taken myself, so I've never looked for reference photos online. However, I know you can find a lot of great high res images of paintings if you're interested in doing Master copies, which is a great exercise? Many of the museums in the U.S. offer high res images of their paintings for free. Here are two downloadable images that I used for master copies which I've done for this channel: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437869 www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/collection/10870
Thanks Alex for your amazing videos and work! You should be knighted for services to education and inspiration! I’m just getting started in the game and considering supports, paints, brushes etc. Is there a way to prepare raw linen for oil painting while maintaining its original visual texture i.e. not priming it white, but transparent? I’ve seen many paintings from late 19th/ early 20th century that appear to be painted directly to raw linen with part of the linen support showing through, and it looks great! Many thanks.
Thank you very much! Yes, it is possible to paint directly onto raw linen once it has been sized, without any other ground. But it's a very absorbent surface to work on. Maybe adding additional layers of size, either rabbit skin glue or PVA will make it less absorbent, but I'm not sure about how archival loads of coats of glue is? There is also clear acrylic gesso available, tho I've never used it: www.jacksonsart.com/holbein-clear-acrylic-gesso-900ml-m-medium-texture
Great video! Very informative and clear. One question I have is if once you mass produce many canvases you can use them any time you want, even after years or the coating decays if not used. Another question is: can you use oil prime on a premade canvas? Why in this case yeso works and not oil prime?
Thanks. If you prepare them properly, I imagine the surface should definitely last for many years. Though I've never left one to see. You're probably better asking a manufacturer if there is a sell by date? The only thing I've noticed that may happen with canvases that have been left or a while, including that have been painted on, is that they may sag ever so slightly. I think this happens because the wooden stretchers expand and contract in the heat, or maybe the weight of the paint on the canvas stretches it a little. Its hardly noticeable and if it is you can use canvas Keys in the corners of the stretch bars to expand the stretchers. It's absolutely fine to use oil primer on on pre-made canvas.
Thank you so much for this. I'm certainly going to give it a try. I do have one question though. Is there something special about the rabbit-hide glue you used to size the canvas, or could you use any type of hide glue? I've used hide glue when woodworking and bookbinding, and even made my own hide glue from rawhide dog-chews on occasion, but I think this may be the first time I have heard anyone talk about using a particular species of hide glue for a specific application.
Tbh I don't really know if there is anything particularly special about rabbit skin glue. It's what they used back in the day, so it's the hide glue that is available in all the art stores. When you prepare your own glue from rabbit skin granules, it works out a lot cheaper than the only other size that is available, PVA.
I use "extra fine" Belgian linen, which is 200gsm. The other types of linen are usually "fine" at around 300gsm and "medium" at 350gsm. Artists who prefer courser linen, might use flax or hessian which is around 500gsm? Of course, he exact gsm for different brands my vary between different manufacturers. I buy my linen from a company called Russell ask Chapple, I've used other brands of extra fine linen and it's been different. I like using extra fine because it gives me a smoother surface which allows the paint to move more. Other artists may prefer courser linen because it holds more paint. I've never used egg tempera, so I don't really know. As far as I was aware tempera is normally used directly onto wooden panels, as they need a rigid support? But I would image, if you were to stick linen to boards for tempera, you would want as fine a weave as possible? As I said, I don't know, so you're probably better asking an artists who uses Tempera?
You only need to oil when you come back to a painting after it has dried, and then not excessivly. Here is a video I made on oil painting mediums that should hopefully explain why in a little more detail th-cam.com/video/22zHMjpdK2Y/w-d-xo.html
So-called acrylic "gesso"* has grit in it that is death to natural hair brushes. The grit is to keep the oil paint from de-laminating. *Real gesso is made from chalk and glue. It is for panels. It is not suitable for priming canvas.
Fair enough. You can also use oil primer on wooden panels, tho you need to size them first. Though I find oil primer on wooden panels, a bit too slick for my liking. I think it works well if you prefer a more classical approach painting with glazes etc. like in the rennaisance?
Great video, best tutorial I've seen on this subject! Quick question - would that oil primer work painted directly onto a panel of MDF or something? When I first started out I bought a big sheet of MDF and primed it with acrylic gesso as a cheap alternative to shop bought canvases, and found I rather liked painting on that surface. I textured it by dabbing it with crumpled newspaper, so I was wondering if that oil primer painted over gesso on MDF would make a nice, slick surface?
Yes you can definitely use oil primer on wooden panels, although its better to size the panels first, with either rabbit skin glue or PVA before applying the oil primer.
Hello sir, beautiful demonstration. I have one question. Since I quite like the texture of canvas as a painting background and I can't find transparent gesso to buy, would I still need to prime the canvas or could I just paint over the 2nd coat of sizing? After sanding it a bit? Do i really need to prime the canvas? Can it still be less absorbent?
You can definitely paint onto sized linen without priming it but it is quite absorbent. You can also buy clear primed canvases and boards in art stores, though I think they are just sized with PVA?
Hmmm, what about transparent gesso? I was thinking about homemade transparent gesso. Rabbit skin glue mixed with calcium carbonate or marble powder? Have you ever tried it? If so, would it still be as absorbent? Thank you very much btw
@@nadrkanimoderator won't adding chalk or marble reduce transparency? Though apparently, there is such a thing as clear gesso: www.jacksonsart.com/winsor-newton-professional-acrylic-clear-gesso-primer-450ml
Rabbit Skin glue? Maybe if you freeze it? If not it goes rotten after 2 days. I don't know if ready made rabbit skin glue behaves any differently, Ive never tried it as it works out as quite a bit more expensive: www.jacksonsart.com/roberson-prepared-rabbit-skin-glue-500ml
Hi again! Thank you so much for all the information you are giving us!!! I tried to find the oil primer you use, but it’s really difficult to get, probably impossible in Spain. Do you have an optional primer or another solution? I have primed recently boards with Winton oil white just to try. Do you think I will have oil primed boards in let’s say 6 months? Thank you!🙏🏻💙
I think everywhere has been out of Roberson's for some time. They are apparently having supply issues with some of their ingredients? Recently I have been using Gamblin's oil primer. It's really thick, but you have to wait a week before you paint on it, where as Roberson's was 24hrs. I reckon student grade titanium white will work quite well, though you should probably wait around a month before painting on it? Also, even with student grade paint it will probably work out a bit more expensive than oil primer?
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting thank you! I can’t get Gamblin neither so I will have to check local solutions ;) I read about the Michael Harding non absorvant acrílic primer or something like that that looks so tempting, but again too far, too expensive. Thank you again for your help!
Hi. Thanks for the video. Just wondering about your primer. Roberson discontinued its lovely oil primer a couple of years ago. Has that affected you yet? And if so, have you found a a good substitute? I've been experimenting with a few things, but nothing that's quite the same. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Also, not sure if you've had this problem, but making panels with primed linen on hardboard, I used to find the panels would often bow slightly as the linen shrank. I got around this by applying size/PVA to the back of the linen and leaving it to soak in for a few minutes before fixing to the board, allowing the linen to shrink before its attached (as with hanging wallpaper). That seems to work with hardboard, though I've never worked with the board you suggest, so perhaps the issue never comes up? Thanks, Carl
I didn't know they'd discontinued it? I'd heard there was a global shortage in one of the main ingredients which had also affected brands. I seem to remember someone telling me they couldn't get Gamblin oil primer for the same reason. I know there are other brands of thixotropic alkyd primer available which works just as well: www.atlantisart.co.uk/spectrum-thixotropic-alkyd-primer/ As an alternative to oil primer, you could use a titanium white ground? Student grade maybe? Tho this will take a month or so too dry and might work out quite expensive? I've never had that problem of panels bending after gluing linen to them. The gator board I used in the video won't bend but neither have I had it with wooden panels. But then the panels I make are usually quite small. I have experienced bending with wooden panels when I've primed them directly but I find putting a coat of size on the back usually prevents this.
Tbh I don't think any of the old masters cared much about archival quality. They didn't know that we would still be looking at their work. If they did care more about archival quality, there would be any work for art conservators, so they should stop complaining about it.
Yes Indeed. That's what is normally recommended. Though practically speaking, it depends on how much size you need to prepare. Because making canvases with raw linen takes several days, I usually make 10 or so canvases at a time, so that's quite a lot of size. I have to use a large saucepan and I don't have an even bigger saucepan to make a Bain-marie.
Unless it is made with Lead which takes a lot longer to dry, most oil primers available these days use Alkyds. Which I believe is a kind of polyester? It's basically the same stuff that they make house paint out of. But supposedly the stuff the use to make oil primer contains far fewer impurities that house paint. House paint isn't designed to last decades, hopefully oil primer has a better archival quality. The Roberson's oil primer I normally use says its Titanium White based. But it's been temporarily discontinued due to ingredient sourcing issues. So I've been using Gamblin oil primer recently.
What kind of oil primer are you using at the end of the video on the panel? Also, is it white? It looks like you are able to retain some of the gray tone of the linen. I currently use Gamblin Ground which is white.
I'm using Roberson's oil primer, which is made with titanium white so it's pretty white. But they've stopped making it because of a shortage of ingredients? How long for I don't know. So I bought some Gamblin Ground but I haven't used any yet. I've recently been using more pre-primed linen out of laziness.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting If I use un-primed linen, I imagine I must paint the linen surface with PVA after I've glued it to the panel and then oil prime it. Is this correct?
A friend of mine, who graduated from the Repin Institute, taught me how to use unflavored gelatin as sizing instead of rabbit skin glue. He learned it there. I have been doing this for several years now with seemingly good results. It’s preparation is much the same as it is just like making Jello with out the dyes and flavoring. It might even be cheaper than rabbit skin glue and just as effective. PVA is much too expensive in my opinion. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Thanks Jeff. Sounds like a good tip. It makes sense, as gelatin is also made from animal parts. What do we know about its archival quality? In theory it should be similar to rabbit skin glue, but there may be other impurities in gelatin? Gelatin is available in edible forms, so it can't be that bad. I've just searched Google and you can get gelatin with a neutral Ph, this is the stuff to use as other types gelatin are apparently acidic. Gelatin certainly sounds like it would be lot less disgusting to prepare than rabbit skin glue and I agree completely about PVA size being really expensive. I think I shall give it a try.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting The general instructions that he gave me where to heat gelatin and water until completely dissolved. Paint on hot. Then refrigerate the left over gelatin until solid, like the desert. Then, after the hot application is completely dry, take a gob of cold gelatin in you hand and rub it into the canvas/linen until all the little globs have melted and filled all the hole in the fabric. Looking at the back of the canvas you will see bits of extruded gelatin that have filled in the holes. Let it dry. It will be drum tight. The surface is now ready to be gessoed. Enjoy.
@@verydrunkcat I have never experienced a single problem using food grade unflavored gelatin. I’m still doing it the way I described. The canvas comes out smooth, drum tight and, ready for gesso. I imagine it does suffer from similar problems of being hydrophilic like skin glue and can suffer in the same ways from mold in very damp environments. PVA doesn’t have this issue. Also, gelatin doesn’t have the disgusting qualities in prep and use that rabbit skin glue does even though gelatin is rendered from hides as well so is therefor not an acceptable choice for strict vegans.
@@verydrunkcat I have a piece on my wall that is about 7 or 8 years old and there is no smell or mold or, anything wrong with it. I hate doing the rabbit glue thing and my only experience with trying PVA left me unimpressed because the canvas I stretched became to loose after the coatings and I didn’t like that, especially given the cost. That is my only experience with using PVA. The gelatin grounded painting on my wall is on a very heavy jute/hemp fabric which at the time I was obsessed with painting on that deep weave surface. I’ve used gelatin on everything from that to fine woven linen. Bonus, I’ve kept leftover gelatin in my freezer for months and then thawed it out and used it to no noticeable ill effect. It’s simple. It doesn’t stink and, in my personal experience, is very stable.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting It hasnt been available at Jacksons in some time or even Atlantis. Apparently Robertsons cant find a particular ingredient to make it anymore :/
@@christopherhanson9578 Tbh oil primer is oil primer. I don't think you'll notice any difference between any of the good quality brands (not for the first 50 years or so, at least). I use Roberson's because it's what they sell at Russell and Chapple, where I buy my linen. Gamblin's oil painting ground is probably good, tho it says that is also out of stock on Jackson's website. Maybe they can't get the ingredient either? I've used this before and it works well: www.atlantisart.co.uk/spectrum-thixotropic-alkyd-primer/
I really prefer PVA and you can get 5l for about 27€, wouldnt consider that more expansive - only downside is, you have to stretch the linen or cotton canvas more when putting it on the stretcher.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting though it was cheap, it says solvent and acid free on the canister - have to believe them, since I have no laboratory at home 😄 its still my first canister, but I guess itll last for a while. Another method I really like is to use acrylic gesso for seizing the linen. I buy gesso from Lefranc&Bourgeois, its 9 - 11€ per litre (buy it at Gerstaecker, big german art supply dealer) and though I tried gesso 3 times the price, I always come back, its not so thin as others, you can sand it, and its cheap, so I have no problem using it as "glue" - and on top I then use Gamblins oil ground, they say you can use it on top of gesso and so I do, works fine🙂
Thanks for this upload, over the last week or so Ive been looking into making my own canvases and panels and this, is the best tutorial I've seen so far. I've already ordered unprimed Linen roll; already, but it has been sized with 1 coat of rabbit skin glue, can I give it a second coat of ph neutral PVA after I have stretched it?
If it's sold as pre-sized then you shouldn't need to add a second coat. However, I have never heard of pre-sized linen in a roll without primer, only pre-primed? If it's already been sized it should be a lot stiffer than raw linen, so I would think you would need to stretch it with canvas pliers, just like pre-primed linen? In which case, it shouldn't need a second coat of PVA size, you just need to prime it. If it's soft fabric, then it will need more size once it's been attached to the stretcher bars in order to stretch it. PVA should work for this, but in terms of archival quality I don't know how well a PVA and rabbit skin glue will perform together?
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Yeah I ordered it from Jacksons, it says its clear sized linen roll. I just reread it, it does say for oil paint I'll need to add an extra layer of size. Do you always prepare the linen before you attach it to a panel?
@@tonderaiarts4590 I've only ever attached pre-primed linen to panels and I've only used raw linen with stretcher bars. It's not very clear from their instructions, but I'm guessing you attach it to stretchers the same way I did with raw linen in this video, then add a second coat of size, in order to stretch it. If you're glueing it to panels then the glue you're using to stick it down should act as your second coat, shouldn't it? So once it's stuck down and dry, you should only need to prime it.
I was thinking might do a landscape for my next video on what colours to use. But I'm a bit wary of teaching plein air, I've still got a lot to learn about it. There are a lot of much better plein air painters than me about.
I was thinking of doing a landscape for my next video on what paint to use? But I'm a bit wary, I'm better at painting portraits and I've never done a landscape demo before.
If anybody could answer this question for me I would be appreciative. How does the rabbit skin glue mixture smell? My lady wouldn’t be very happy about be stinking up our apartment.
It doesn't smell great, but it isn't so bad while you're making it and using it. However, after a couple of days it starts to get mouldy and then it smells like rotting flesh.
If you added alizarin crimson to the red oxide on the Right portrait, then obviously it would look more vibrant and colorful than the one on the left without the red pigment.
But that was the colour of the model's hair on the right, it didn't need to be more more vibrant. The model on the left had died hair, that's why it's more red. The purpose of showing you these to paintings side by side isn't to show you the difference in colour, it's to show you the difference in texture caused by using more or less absorbent surfaces, in that the one on the right appears much more dull and flat on gesso compared to oil primed linen,
I'm currently taking Old Masters Academy and the instructor says never to use oil ground because it has been proven to peel off, many paintings have been ruined because of this. I can't vouch for this just parroting what I heard in the course and wanted to share. I used Gamblin Ground and I love it.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Acrylic Gesso over Rabbit skin glue, nothing out of the ordinary, just really stresses not to use oil primer. Here is the quote from the course. I had never heard this prior to this course so I'm really trying to get a second opinion on it: "Important: Never use Oil Primer In the middle of 19th century, when connection with Old Masters’ methods was completely lost, many misleading techniques of painting and priming methods occurred. Artists started to use Oil Based Primers, which caused significant damage to paintings and dramatically reduced the age of many works from that time. Most of the works painted over Oil Primer, adhere to the ground very weakly, and some paint is already falling off. The fact is, that the Oil Ground has a glossy surface that does not absorb oil from the paint, thus painting layers are very poorly attached to the oil ground, and after sufficient drying time, it can easily separate from it. The connection between the ground and a paint layer is unstable, especially in a multi-layered impasto painting."
Tacks are certainly more aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps I should have shown how to use tacks? I sometimes use them when I make canvas with pre primed linen, as they go in the sides of the stretcher and are therefore more visible. I don't see the point of putting tacks in the back of the canvas where no one will see them. But they are also a lot more fiddly and take longer than using a staple gun, particularly while simultaneously stretching a canvas with pliers. And if your canvas is going to be framed, no one will see them anyway.
Оленька ты очаровательна! Я помню каждый твой шаг на ниве живописи. Твой внутренний дар, любовь к искусству и широкое воображение создали ТВОЙ особенный творческий мир. Горжусь тобой, Я так счастлива за твои успехи, горжусь каждым новым созданным художественным образом. Обожаю переполненное любовью выражение Дэвида - "мой маленький Ван-Гог" .....
Google translation: Olenka you are charming! I remember every step you take in the field of painting. Your inner gift, love of art and wide imagination have created YOUR special creative world. I am proud of you, I am so happy for your success, proud of every new artistic image created. I love David's love-filled expression - "my little Van Gogh"
I've seen a serious student of art materials and the technical aspects of painting for over half a century, and I've never once read or heard that a lead white primer/ground requires more than about a week to two weeks (maximum) to be completely ready for oil painting. Your saying that it needs six months(!) to be ready for painting on it is simply and completely incorrect. The only thing that I can think of is that you inadvertently confused the time needed to wait from the completion of an oil painting until varnishing, which is indeed almost always recommended to be six months.
Do you teach in art academies ? I say this cause i start to dissagree the fact everyone watch everything on the internet. Not cause i dislike sharing, but humanity and teachings are becomming mecanical / losing social human links.
Yeah I hear you. It is pretty disgusting stuff, particularly when it goes off. My son used to have a pet rabbit too. Archival quality PVA size is a lot more expensive though and I don't think you'd get much coverage from a 250ml bottle, maybe a couple of canvases? You can apparently dilute it tho? www.jacksonsart.com/gamblin-pva-size-237ml?channable=0044a5696400313134383736b6&___store=jacksonsart_en&gclid=CjwKCAiAi_D_BRApEiwASslbJ4dNhC1WpOf_qpTAuOpJ1QdSCYbNV4Ozyndi8ncKRPnR7w_arwvjnRoCHAUQAvD_BwE
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting The price of Gamblin's glue is ridiculous, considering the fact that is nothing more than polyvinyl glue (wood glue) with a neutral ph (acid-free). In the restoration/conservation industry there are similar products that are less expensive but they are harder to find and sold in big sizes only.
@@Ryowazza99 That's the only one I could find on the Jackon's website, which is one of the best online suppliers I've used here in the UK. It's the only one I could find on Amazon, but I could probably find some if I looked a bit harder. Still, rabbit skin glue literally works out at a few pennies per canvas. Tho it is more of a hassle and definitely not a vegan option.
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You had me at “Hippies Stole my Rubber Mallet”. I watched this whole video. What a comprehensive video on preparing linen canvas. Excellent work!
Thank you very much!
Damn hippies!
Great videos.
I know that as a watercolor painter such videos mostly don't apply to my art, but I love watching them so much. So informative, in-depth, well articulated, and most importantly - no gatekeeping whatsoever. Thank you Alex, your insights are precious, all the best to you!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
About PVA, I am playing violin also, there is used hyde glue (rabbit bones and other components, same as rabbit skin but less flexible). When someone used PVA, violinmakers experienced that lifespan of PVA is around 10 - 20 years, then it brokes structure and starts to turn to dust. Lifespan is based on UV light and other elements. So yes, I recommend traditional proven recipes. Great video :)
Thank yoy Martin!
You are putting losts of time and effort making these kind of videos..you are incredible Sir !!!you deserve something more...you will😊
Thank you!
Talented, full of information and generous, thank you for your work ❤️
Thank you very much Marie!
Thank you Alex. This is the gold standard video for this process.
Thanks Timothy. Glad you liked it.
Mind blown. Thanks, Alex.
Thank you for your generosity in sharing your knowledge with us.
My pleasure! Glad it was helpful.
Thank you so much for putting so much time, knowledge and effort in your videos
Thanks Crissy
Alex. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Alex. Very valuable
Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the details it makes a massive difference to someone like me that hasn't had any training. I too loved the hippy story. Hilarious!
Thank you Danny! Glad it was helpful.
Thank you so much for this valuable video.
Thank you Ruby! Glad it was helpful.
Outstanding video!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your techniques and experience! THIS is the video I’ve needed for a very long time.
Thanks John! Glad you found this useful.
This is very useful just like the rest of your great Videos. thank you Alex.
Thank you Fawzi!
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Hi Alex, I would like to enrol on one of your Oil Painting courses in March this year or when the weather gets better as my painting studio is in the Garage and its too cold to use it now.! thanks.
Simply a great video!
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
You are so clear. Thank you. There was such confusion round about on TH-cam, thank you. I like your style of speaking and teaching.
Thank you very much Tommaso!
Absolutely fantastic video! This is so informative. Thank you very much for making it.
Thanks Dorian! Glad you found it helpful.
Funniest thing I’ve heard in a bit. “Unfortunately I lent my rubber mallet to some hippies and they stole it” good video
Never trust a hippie...
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Haha!
Love it
Seriously 🤣🤣🤣
I watch your videos from beginning until the end..this one was not different..a little extra lesson learned today is not to lend your rubber mallet to hippies..🤩Thank you once again for your effort and time to teach us..!🧑🎨
My pleasure Ingrid. Glad you liked it!
Excellent, thank you!!
Thank YOU MUCH 💓
..your videos are highly helpful and effective. X
Thank you Fatoom! Very glad you find them helpful.
@Simplify Drawing and Painting. I couldn't agree more with your views on the archival nature of art materials. Sadly, many threads on art forums are obsessed with this. I've been painting for over 50 years, and have never concerned myself with this at all.
I'm not completely oblivious to archival quality. Once you start selling stuff it's definitely something to think about. But I quite often hear people whining about archival quality when they should probably spend more time worrying about getting better at painting, because no one will buy your paintings if you can't paint (supposedly?).
Excellent tutorial.
Thank you Jeremiah!
looking forward to your next video its so fun
Thanks!
Great Video!
Thank you for the video. Note that if you use a normal hammer rather than a rubber mallet, then I recommend using a wooden block which would "dent" rather than the frame.
happy new year!
Excellent alex, well done !
Greetings from North Carolina.Thank you for taking the time to make this video Mr. Tzavaras. There is little information on making high quality canvas' as interesting and detailed as yours. You made an excellent video and exactly what I have been looking for. What type of hardware would you use on a high quality canvas ?
You don't need very much (unless you're trying to make your own wooden stretcher bars, which I've never done) All you need is a staple gun, or a hammer and tacks to attach the canvas. You will need right angle set square for the corners and a tape measure to check that it isn't crooked. Before attaching the canvas, you measure the diagonals of the frame to make sure they are the same. If you are stretching pre primed linen you will need canvas pliers.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thank You !
Excellent!
Invaluable information! Now I dare to try to "stretch" (raw) canvases besides my glued linen panels. Thank you for that a lot!
(Shame on those hippies!)
Very nice video my friend,amazing❤️❤️🌟🌟good👍..❤️❤️😉👍.❤️😉
Thank you
Just speech less sir ❤❤❤❤❤bravo
Thanks you so much💐
Thank you, very helpful
Thank you so much 🎨😊
Thank you for this video. Following your very clear instructions I have just made my own canvases for the first time using raw linen and rabbit skin glue, and am pleased with the results. I notice that the larger canvases (40cm x 50cm and larger) are great. The smaller ones (30cm x 40 or 45cm) needed more rabbit skin glue and were harder to get perfectly tight and flat. There must be a scientific reason for this as I used the same materials and technique for all of the canvases. Perhaps I need to pull the raw linen tighter on the smaller stretchers, or maybe I should stick to wood panels for the smaller pieces (where weight isn't an issue) and just use this method for the larger ones?
Well done! That's what I like to hear. 30x40 isn't that much smaller so I don't think it makes much of a difference? I've found it;s quite random, sometimes you still get some bumbs and stuff after the first coat, but usually a second coats sorts it out?
Very helpful content, Alex thank you. I’ve been using my Caravaggio Lead Primed linen roll for about a year now, and though i love the ease of not have to prime it the way i like, it does ripple a LOT. It’s so frustrating as I feel I’m an experienced artist who’s been stretching canvas for nearly 10 years. It only goes fully taut when/if I spray the back with water. Curious if you’ve found other solutions to the rippling? Can you perhaps PVA size the back of an already primed linen? The backside of the oil ground doesn’t look sized after all... Would love your thoughts!
I've never tried sizing it on the back. I find I can usually get rid of the ripples by either pulling the linen even tighter where the ripples are with canvas pliers or using canvas keys. But having the canvas under so much tension, surely can't be great? Also I've found ripples can reappear after the painting has been finished and dried, which I usually sort out with canvas keys. This is why I prefer making canvases with raw linen, as the canvas just stretches by itself and then stays that way.
I have very study homemade stretchers for my frames but.... I can't get joy from sizing raw linen. I did first coat of RSG and as it is drying I can see significant ripples not just at the edges but at the centre too. This is just the 1st coat of RSG so it may be OK. I heard you said if the solution is too thick it may cause warpage but I diluted it 20gram 1 litre water so that should be thin enough. I feel like I've attached the linen loose enough to both. If my second coat is unsuccessful shall I try taking the whole thing off and restretching once dry? I do not have canvas pliers. I've never had this kinda ball ache with cotton canvas but it would like to preserve( in-between the tears)
Have you done this before with cotton canvas instead of linen? 20g to one litre sounds like it would be ok? Though I'm not sure, I normally do it by eye. I fill up a small container and do 1 part granules to 10 parts water. You often get wrinkles after only 1 coat. They normally come out after the 2nd coat. On the rare occasion that I've had wrinkles after the second coat I've added a third and they've come out. If you've got loads of wrinkles it may be that the canvas is too loose, but it would have to be really loose? Raw linen usually does feel quite loose and the size stretches it as it dries.
Hi Alex. Thanks for this video! At some point, please can you give us tips on finding reference photos online? I find it so hard to find photos with good lighting, shadows, etc...
I can't help you I'm afraid. I mainly work from life and when I do use photos they're always photos that I've taken myself, so I've never looked for reference photos online. However, I know you can find a lot of great high res images of paintings if you're interested in doing Master copies, which is a great exercise? Many of the museums in the U.S. offer high res images of their paintings for free. Here are two downloadable images that I used for master copies which I've done for this channel:
www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437869
www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/collection/10870
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thank you for these links! By the way, I really love your videos!
Thanks Alex for your amazing videos and work! You should be knighted for services to education and inspiration!
I’m just getting started in the game and considering supports, paints, brushes etc. Is there a way to prepare raw linen for oil painting while maintaining its original visual texture i.e. not priming it white, but transparent? I’ve seen many paintings from late 19th/ early 20th century that appear to be painted directly to raw linen with part of the linen support showing through, and it looks great! Many thanks.
Thank you very much! Yes, it is possible to paint directly onto raw linen once it has been sized, without any other ground. But it's a very absorbent surface to work on. Maybe adding additional layers of size, either rabbit skin glue or PVA will make it less absorbent, but I'm not sure about how archival loads of coats of glue is? There is also clear acrylic gesso available, tho I've never used it:
www.jacksonsart.com/holbein-clear-acrylic-gesso-900ml-m-medium-texture
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Many thanks for taking the time to respond Alex! I’ll start trying out some options and see how they are to work with.
A couple of years back I bought some vintage upholstery quality linen. It's not raw, but is thick. Can I use that?
I don't know. I think it depends on how thick it is and whether the size will stretch it?
Thank you!
Hi Alex, should I use PVA size by itself, or put ground on top of it? Gamblin's website seems to recommend ground.
I believe you can paint straight onto size, but you'll find it veru absorbent. I'd definitely use a ground.
Great video! Very informative and clear. One question I have is if once you mass produce many canvases you can use them any time you want, even after years or the coating decays if not used.
Another question is: can you use oil prime on a premade canvas? Why in this case yeso works and not oil prime?
Thanks. If you prepare them properly, I imagine the surface should definitely last for many years. Though I've never left one to see. You're probably better asking a manufacturer if there is a sell by date? The only thing I've noticed that may happen with canvases that have been left or a while, including that have been painted on, is that they may sag ever so slightly. I think this happens because the wooden stretchers expand and contract in the heat, or maybe the weight of the paint on the canvas stretches it a little. Its hardly noticeable and if it is you can use canvas Keys in the corners of the stretch bars to expand the stretchers.
It's absolutely fine to use oil primer on on pre-made canvas.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting many thanks!
Thank you so much for this. I'm certainly going to give it a try. I do have one question though. Is there something special about the rabbit-hide glue you used to size the canvas, or could you use any type of hide glue? I've used hide glue when woodworking and bookbinding, and even made my own hide glue from rawhide dog-chews on occasion, but I think this may be the first time I have heard anyone talk about using a particular species of hide glue for a specific application.
Tbh I don't really know if there is anything particularly special about rabbit skin glue. It's what they used back in the day, so it's the hide glue that is available in all the art stores. When you prepare your own glue from rabbit skin granules, it works out a lot cheaper than the only other size that is available, PVA.
Thank you for this video, What is the best per GSM maximum should be linen to attach plywood in egg tempera? I am waiting for answering, thank you.
I use "extra fine" Belgian linen, which is 200gsm. The other types of linen are usually "fine" at around 300gsm and "medium" at 350gsm. Artists who prefer courser linen, might use flax or hessian which is around 500gsm? Of course, he exact gsm for different brands my vary between different manufacturers. I buy my linen from a company called Russell ask Chapple, I've used other brands of extra fine linen and it's been different. I like using extra fine because it gives me a smoother surface which allows the paint to move more. Other artists may prefer courser linen because it holds more paint. I've never used egg tempera, so I don't really know. As far as I was aware tempera is normally used directly onto wooden panels, as they need a rigid support? But I would image, if you were to stick linen to boards for tempera, you would want as fine a weave as possible? As I said, I don't know, so you're probably better asking an artists who uses Tempera?
Do you know why apply a full range of rinsed oil on canvas?
You only need to oil when you come back to a painting after it has dried, and then not excessivly. Here is a video I made on oil painting mediums that should hopefully explain why in a little more detail th-cam.com/video/22zHMjpdK2Y/w-d-xo.html
I think ill stick to my acrylic gessoed mdf panel's, but still so bloody useful in the future, thank u.
So-called acrylic "gesso"* has grit in it that is death to natural hair brushes. The grit is to keep the oil paint from de-laminating.
*Real gesso is made from chalk and glue. It is for panels. It is not suitable for priming canvas.
Fair enough. You can also use oil primer on wooden panels, tho you need to size them first. Though I find oil primer on wooden panels, a bit too slick for my liking. I think it works well if you prefer a more classical approach painting with glazes etc. like in the rennaisance?
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Direct painting is the way to go when possible
Great video, best tutorial I've seen on this subject! Quick question - would that oil primer work painted directly onto a panel of MDF or something? When I first started out I bought a big sheet of MDF and primed it with acrylic gesso as a cheap alternative to shop bought canvases, and found I rather liked painting on that surface. I textured it by dabbing it with crumpled newspaper, so I was wondering if that oil primer painted over gesso on MDF would make a nice, slick surface?
Yes you can definitely use oil primer on wooden panels, although its better to size the panels first, with either rabbit skin glue or PVA before applying the oil primer.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting oh brilliant, that's good to hear! I find those panels very cheap, nice to paint on, and handy to store.
Señor amo sus videos, :)
Thank you!
Hello sir, beautiful demonstration. I have one question. Since I quite like the texture of canvas as a painting background and I can't find transparent gesso to buy, would I still need to prime the canvas or could I just paint over the 2nd coat of sizing? After sanding it a bit? Do i really need to prime the canvas? Can it still be less absorbent?
You can definitely paint onto sized linen without priming it but it is quite absorbent. You can also buy clear primed canvases and boards in art stores, though I think they are just sized with PVA?
Hmmm, what about transparent gesso? I was thinking about homemade transparent gesso. Rabbit skin glue mixed with calcium carbonate or marble powder? Have you ever tried it? If so, would it still be as absorbent? Thank you very much btw
@@nadrkanimoderator won't adding chalk or marble reduce transparency? Though apparently, there is such a thing as clear gesso: www.jacksonsart.com/winsor-newton-professional-acrylic-clear-gesso-primer-450ml
Yeah, I think chalk would maybe reduce transparency but not marble. I don't know yet, I would have to try :) Thanks!@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting
can the hardened glue be saved for use on another occasion instead of throwing it away? It seems so easy to reactivate.
Rabbit Skin glue? Maybe if you freeze it? If not it goes rotten after 2 days. I don't know if ready made rabbit skin glue behaves any differently, Ive never tried it as it works out as quite a bit more expensive:
www.jacksonsart.com/roberson-prepared-rabbit-skin-glue-500ml
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Ok, didn't realize it rots. Thanks for the info and quick reply.
Hi again! Thank you so much for all the information you are giving us!!!
I tried to find the oil primer you use, but it’s really difficult to get, probably impossible in Spain. Do you have an optional primer or another solution? I have primed recently boards with Winton oil white just to try. Do you think I will have oil primed boards in let’s say 6 months? Thank you!🙏🏻💙
I think everywhere has been out of Roberson's for some time. They are apparently having supply issues with some of their ingredients? Recently I have been using Gamblin's oil primer. It's really thick, but you have to wait a week before you paint on it, where as Roberson's was 24hrs. I reckon student grade titanium white will work quite well, though you should probably wait around a month before painting on it? Also, even with student grade paint it will probably work out a bit more expensive than oil primer?
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting thank you! I can’t get Gamblin neither so I will have to check local solutions ;) I read about the Michael Harding non absorvant acrílic primer or something like that that looks so tempting, but again too far, too expensive. Thank you again for your help!
Hi. Thanks for the video. Just wondering about your primer. Roberson discontinued its lovely oil primer a couple of years ago. Has that affected you yet? And if so, have you found a a good substitute? I've been experimenting with a few things, but nothing that's quite the same. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Also, not sure if you've had this problem, but making panels with primed linen on hardboard, I used to find the panels would often bow slightly as the linen shrank. I got around this by applying size/PVA to the back of the linen and leaving it to soak in for a few minutes before fixing to the board, allowing the linen to shrink before its attached (as with hanging wallpaper). That seems to work with hardboard, though I've never worked with the board you suggest, so perhaps the issue never comes up? Thanks, Carl
I didn't know they'd discontinued it? I'd heard there was a global shortage in one of the main ingredients which had also affected brands. I seem to remember someone telling me they couldn't get Gamblin oil primer for the same reason. I know there are other brands of thixotropic alkyd primer available which works just as well:
www.atlantisart.co.uk/spectrum-thixotropic-alkyd-primer/
As an alternative to oil primer, you could use a titanium white ground? Student grade maybe? Tho this will take a month or so too dry and might work out quite expensive?
I've never had that problem of panels bending after gluing linen to them. The gator board I used in the video won't bend but neither have I had it with wooden panels. But then the panels I make are usually quite small. I have experienced bending with wooden panels when I've primed them directly but I find putting a coat of size on the back usually prevents this.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Hi Alex. Can you tell mw what thickness of Gator board you're using?
@@shopley5255 5mm
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thank you.
an important point you make-- it doesnt matter how long the art survives, if it is crap (my paraphrase)
Tbh I don't think any of the old masters cared much about archival quality. They didn't know that we would still be looking at their work. If they did care more about archival quality, there would be any work for art conservators, so they should stop complaining about it.
Ever tried Michael Harding's Acrylic Primer?
Yes, it's definitely less absorbent than other acrylic gesso. But's its more expensive, it's a similar price to oil primer which I prefer.
❤️
Heating size in a small saucepan, in a larger one
which has boiling water,avoids chance
of spoiling,by
boiling
✔️
Yes Indeed. That's what is normally recommended. Though practically speaking, it depends on how much size you need to prepare. Because making canvases with raw linen takes several days, I usually make 10 or so canvases at a time, so that's quite a lot of size. I have to use a large saucepan and I don't have an even bigger saucepan to make a Bain-marie.
Great job, thank you
It does feel good to know I am not alone
In pursuits like this
All the best
Henry
Would you tell me about the components of the oil primer you used , please ?
Unless it is made with Lead which takes a lot longer to dry, most oil primers available these days use Alkyds. Which I believe is a kind of polyester? It's basically the same stuff that they make house paint out of. But supposedly the stuff the use to make oil primer contains far fewer impurities that house paint. House paint isn't designed to last decades, hopefully oil primer has a better archival quality.
The Roberson's oil primer I normally use says its Titanium White based. But it's been temporarily discontinued due to ingredient sourcing issues. So I've been using Gamblin oil primer recently.
What kind of oil primer are you using at the end of the video on the panel? Also, is it white? It looks like you are able to retain some of the gray tone of the linen. I currently use Gamblin Ground which is white.
I'm using Roberson's oil primer, which is made with titanium white so it's pretty white. But they've stopped making it because of a shortage of ingredients? How long for I don't know. So I bought some Gamblin Ground but I haven't used any yet. I've recently been using more pre-primed linen out of laziness.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting If I use un-primed linen, I imagine I must paint the linen surface with PVA after I've glued it to the panel and then oil prime it. Is this correct?
A friend of mine, who graduated from the Repin Institute, taught me how to use unflavored gelatin as sizing instead of rabbit skin glue. He learned it there. I have been doing this for several years now with seemingly good results. It’s preparation is much the same as it is just like making Jello with out the dyes and flavoring. It might even be cheaper than rabbit skin glue and just as effective. PVA is much too expensive in my opinion. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Thanks Jeff. Sounds like a good tip. It makes sense, as gelatin is also made from animal parts. What do we know about its archival quality? In theory it should be similar to rabbit skin glue, but there may be other impurities in gelatin? Gelatin is available in edible forms, so it can't be that bad. I've just searched Google and you can get gelatin with a neutral Ph, this is the stuff to use as other types gelatin are apparently acidic. Gelatin certainly sounds like it would be lot less disgusting to prepare than rabbit skin glue and I agree completely about PVA size being really expensive. I think I shall give it a try.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting The general instructions that he gave me where to heat gelatin and water until completely dissolved. Paint on hot. Then refrigerate the left over gelatin until solid, like the desert. Then, after the hot application is completely dry, take a gob of cold gelatin in you hand and rub it into the canvas/linen until all the little globs have melted and filled all the hole in the fabric. Looking at the back of the canvas you will see bits of extruded gelatin that have filled in the holes. Let it dry. It will be drum tight. The surface is now ready to be gessoed. Enjoy.
@@verydrunkcat I have never experienced a single problem using food grade unflavored gelatin. I’m still doing it the way I described. The canvas comes out smooth, drum tight and, ready for gesso. I imagine it does suffer from similar problems of being hydrophilic like skin glue and can suffer in the same ways from mold in very damp environments. PVA doesn’t have this issue. Also, gelatin doesn’t have the disgusting qualities in prep and use that rabbit skin glue does even though gelatin is rendered from hides as well so is therefor not an acceptable choice for strict vegans.
@@verydrunkcat I have a piece on my wall that is about 7 or 8 years old and there is no smell or mold or, anything wrong with it. I hate doing the rabbit glue thing and my only experience with trying PVA left me unimpressed because the canvas I stretched became to loose after the coatings and I didn’t like that, especially given the cost. That is my only experience with using PVA. The gelatin grounded painting on my wall is on a very heavy jute/hemp fabric which at the time I was obsessed with painting on that deep weave surface. I’ve used gelatin on everything from that to fine woven linen. Bonus, I’ve kept leftover gelatin in my freezer for months and then thawed it out and used it to no noticeable ill effect. It’s simple. It doesn’t stink and, in my personal experience, is very stable.
Where can I find rebertsons oil primer? Do they still make it?
It's available from quite a few different suppliers here in the UK. I usually get mine from here:
www.jacksonsart.com/robersons-oil-primer-1-litre
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting
It hasnt been available at Jacksons in some time or even Atlantis. Apparently Robertsons cant find a particular ingredient to make it anymore :/
@@christopherhanson9578 Tbh oil primer is oil primer. I don't think you'll notice any difference between any of the good quality brands (not for the first 50 years or so, at least). I use Roberson's because it's what they sell at Russell and Chapple, where I buy my linen. Gamblin's oil painting ground is probably good, tho it says that is also out of stock on Jackson's website. Maybe they can't get the ingredient either? I've used this before and it works well:
www.atlantisart.co.uk/spectrum-thixotropic-alkyd-primer/
I really prefer PVA and you can get 5l for about 27€, wouldnt consider that more expansive - only downside is, you have to stretch the linen or cotton canvas more when putting it on the stretcher.
Is that acid free PVA? How many canvas will you normally get out of 5L?
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting though it was cheap, it says solvent and acid free on the canister - have to believe them, since I have no laboratory at home 😄 its still my first canister, but I guess itll last for a while. Another method I really like is to use acrylic gesso for seizing the linen. I buy gesso from Lefranc&Bourgeois, its 9 - 11€ per litre (buy it at Gerstaecker, big german art supply dealer) and though I tried gesso 3 times the price, I always come back, its not so thin as others, you can sand it, and its cheap, so I have no problem using it as "glue" - and on top I then use Gamblins oil ground, they say you can use it on top of gesso and so I do, works fine🙂
Thanks for this upload, over the last week or so Ive been looking into making my own canvases and panels and this, is the best tutorial I've seen so far. I've already ordered unprimed Linen roll; already, but it has been sized with 1 coat of rabbit skin glue, can I give it a second coat of ph neutral PVA after I have stretched it?
If it's sold as pre-sized then you shouldn't need to add a second coat. However, I have never heard of pre-sized linen in a roll without primer, only pre-primed? If it's already been sized it should be a lot stiffer than raw linen, so I would think you would need to stretch it with canvas pliers, just like pre-primed linen? In which case, it shouldn't need a second coat of PVA size, you just need to prime it. If it's soft fabric, then it will need more size once it's been attached to the stretcher bars in order to stretch it. PVA should work for this, but in terms of archival quality I don't know how well a PVA and rabbit skin glue will perform together?
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Yeah I ordered it from Jacksons, it says its clear sized linen roll. I just reread it, it does say for oil paint I'll need to add an extra layer of size. Do you always prepare the linen before you attach it to a panel?
@@tonderaiarts4590 I've only ever attached pre-primed linen to panels and I've only used raw linen with stretcher bars. It's not very clear from their instructions, but I'm guessing you attach it to stretchers the same way I did with raw linen in this video, then add a second coat of size, in order to stretch it. If you're glueing it to panels then the glue you're using to stick it down should act as your second coat, shouldn't it? So once it's stuck down and dry, you should only need to prime it.
Might we see how you paint landscapes one day please..
I was thinking might do a landscape for my next video on what colours to use. But I'm a bit wary of teaching plein air, I've still got a lot to learn about it. There are a lot of much better plein air painters than me about.
It would be nice to paint a landscape in one of the following videos, in your manner, many would like to see it... Thanks!
I was thinking of doing a landscape for my next video on what paint to use? But I'm a bit wary, I'm better at painting portraits and I've never done a landscape demo before.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting after everything we saw on youtube you worry? I'm sure it will be a great one... :)
If anybody could answer this question for me I would be appreciative. How does the rabbit skin glue mixture smell? My lady wouldn’t be very happy about be stinking up our apartment.
It doesn't smell great, but it isn't so bad while you're making it and using it. However, after a couple of days it starts to get mouldy and then it smells like rotting flesh.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting thank you for the heads up. I will use it quickly, and on one of the rare days that she has to work and I am off.
If you added alizarin crimson to the red oxide on the Right portrait, then obviously it would look more vibrant and colorful than the one on the left without the red pigment.
But that was the colour of the model's hair on the right, it didn't need to be more more vibrant. The model on the left had died hair, that's why it's more red. The purpose of showing you these to paintings side by side isn't to show you the difference in colour, it's to show you the difference in texture caused by using more or less absorbent surfaces, in that the one on the right appears much more dull and flat on gesso compared to oil primed linen,
I'm currently taking Old Masters Academy and the instructor says never to use oil ground because it has been proven to peel off, many paintings have been ruined because of this. I can't vouch for this just parroting what I heard in the course and wanted to share. I used Gamblin Ground and I love it.
What does he use instead?
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Acrylic Gesso over Rabbit skin glue, nothing out of the ordinary, just really stresses not to use oil primer. Here is the quote from the course. I had never heard this prior to this course so I'm really trying to get a second opinion on it: "Important: Never use Oil Primer
In the middle of 19th century, when connection with Old Masters’ methods was completely lost, many misleading techniques of painting and priming methods occurred. Artists started to use Oil Based Primers, which caused significant damage to paintings and dramatically reduced the age of many works from that time. Most of the works painted over Oil Primer, adhere to the ground very weakly, and some paint is already falling off. The fact is, that the Oil Ground has a glossy surface that does not absorb oil from the paint, thus painting layers are very poorly attached to the oil ground, and after sufficient drying time, it can easily separate from it. The connection between the ground and a paint layer is unstable, especially in a multi-layered impasto painting."
So all those paintings that are hundreds of years old are fakes ?
Hippies and their lust for rubber mallets!..........
Why not tacks instead of staples?
Tacks are certainly more aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps I should have shown how to use tacks? I sometimes use them when I make canvas with pre primed linen, as they go in the sides of the stretcher and are therefore more visible. I don't see the point of putting tacks in the back of the canvas where no one will see them. But they are also a lot more fiddly and take longer than using a staple gun, particularly while simultaneously stretching a canvas with pliers. And if your canvas is going to be framed, no one will see them anyway.
can you iron the canvas first?
You don't need to. If you're using raw linen the rabbit skin glue size removes all the creases as it dries.
I wish I'd seen this video sooner, primed a canvas with w&n oil primer, my canvas has gone floppy,
Do you buy a specific rabbit skin glue ?
Not really. But I've always used granules and I prepare it myself. You can get pre-prepared rabbit skin glue but it works out more expensive.
Оленька ты очаровательна! Я помню каждый твой шаг на ниве живописи. Твой внутренний дар, любовь к искусству и широкое воображение создали ТВОЙ особенный творческий мир. Горжусь тобой, Я так счастлива за твои успехи, горжусь каждым новым созданным художественным образом. Обожаю переполненное любовью выражение Дэвида - "мой маленький Ван-Гог" .....
Google translation: Olenka you are charming! I remember every step you take in the field of painting. Your inner gift, love of art and wide imagination have created YOUR special creative world. I am proud of you, I am so happy for your success, proud of every new artistic image created. I love David's love-filled expression - "my little Van Gogh"
Probably the same rubber mallet collecting hippies that stole mine.
I've seen a serious student of art materials and the technical aspects of painting for over half a century, and I've never once read or heard that a lead white primer/ground requires more than about a week to two weeks (maximum) to be completely ready for oil painting. Your saying that it needs six months(!) to be ready for painting on it is simply and completely incorrect. The only thing that I can think of is that you inadvertently confused the time needed to wait from the completion of an oil painting until varnishing, which is indeed almost always recommended to be six months.
Holy shit...This is a profession by itself LOL
Yes people do make canvases for a living, but to buy canvases of this quality readymade can be pretty expensive. Many professional artists do though.
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting Thanks, excellent tutorial.👍 One question; Does the glue smells bad?
I have your rubber mallet love.
NOT TH HIPPIES :(
🤭😂😂😂 I am a hippy!!! what's the story? I love all nature lovers
Then why'd ya steal the man's mallet? Harhar, just kidding of course. Love ya!
I think those are very expensive for me. 😐
Have you seen my other video on cheaper surfaces?
th-cam.com/video/RVU7GKa33a4/w-d-xo.html
Do you teach in art academies ?
I say this cause i start to dissagree the fact everyone watch everything on the internet.
Not cause i dislike sharing, but humanity and teachings are becomming mecanical / losing social human links.
I do not teach in an academy as such but yes, I do teach in person classes in London working from a live model. Pandemic permitting, of course.
Me: *paints on cardboard*
Did you see my previous video on painting surfaces? I talk about painting on paper and card in that.
th-cam.com/video/RVU7GKa33a4/w-d-xo.html
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting OH ILL CHECK IT OUT RN
I'd rather go with pva glue spending more rather than painting on dead animal's skin. Disgusting to say the least! Great tutorial though, thanks!
Yeah I hear you. It is pretty disgusting stuff, particularly when it goes off. My son used to have a pet rabbit too. Archival quality PVA size is a lot more expensive though and I don't think you'd get much coverage from a 250ml bottle, maybe a couple of canvases? You can apparently dilute it tho?
www.jacksonsart.com/gamblin-pva-size-237ml?channable=0044a5696400313134383736b6&___store=jacksonsart_en&gclid=CjwKCAiAi_D_BRApEiwASslbJ4dNhC1WpOf_qpTAuOpJ1QdSCYbNV4Ozyndi8ncKRPnR7w_arwvjnRoCHAUQAvD_BwE
@@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting The price of Gamblin's glue is ridiculous, considering the fact that is nothing more than polyvinyl glue (wood glue) with a neutral ph (acid-free).
In the restoration/conservation industry there are similar products that are less expensive but they are harder to find and sold in big sizes only.
@@Ryowazza99 That's the only one I could find on the Jackon's website, which is one of the best online suppliers I've used here in the UK. It's the only one I could find on Amazon, but I could probably find some if I looked a bit harder. Still, rabbit skin glue literally works out at a few pennies per canvas. Tho it is more of a hassle and definitely not a vegan option.
Pesky hippies!