LOL That's because only waiting a week is a luxury for the hard-core artists who go the 100% traditional route. Their oil primed canvases take weeks and months to dry! :-)
I made a joke about Elizabeth the First using lead-based gesso for her makeup and then asked a real question - but 10 seconds further into the video you answered it! Your videos are so thorough yet straight forward - I am binge watching and learning so much - I haven't touched oils in 40 years and your videos are inspiring!
I really enjoy these "behind the scenes" type videos. I love to watch people paint and learn how to improve my painting skills but these vides are very valuable. I would love to see more videos about prepping canvases, brushes/knives, oil painting chemicals (thinners etc), tips and tricks about things other than painting.
I do actually have a bunch of videos like that on my channel. If there is anything you don't see that you want to know more about let me know. I hope to start making videos again at some point or would be happy to answer questions directly. Thanks for watching! :)
Like so many others who've commented on this video - thank you for explaining the process AND that we can put oil primer on top of acrylic gesso priming. That is wonderful! But, I do have a question. After watching your delightful tour of your studio, where (and how) do you store these 'now-oil primed' canvases and canvas panels while they are drying for a month or two?
Thanks for watching! I have a store room in my home which is where I store extra art stuff as well as my drying canvases. It also holds extra foodstuffs and all my Christmas decorations. LOL
great. I have never used oiled primed canvases thinking they needed to be used with glue sizing. its great to know it can be applied over acrylic primed canvases
Thanks for this video I really needed to hear this. I painted oil straight on to acrylic primed surface and kept seeing the color become dull after a while. I didn't know it was best, as an oil painter, to paint on oil primed surfaces.
I was told that with the oil in the top of the tin you carefully pour it into another container then scoop out what you need and then pour the oil back into the tin because it keeps the primer moist as it dries it out very quickly. Thank you for the videos I learn new stuff each time I watch one. Cheers!
I purchased the Gamblin oil ground recently. I made a test panel primed half the surface with the oil ground and the other with gesso. I applied some common colors straight out of the tube in equal amounts to both primers to see if there was a noticeable difference. I also took this time to test the 3 different types of oil I typically use to do a side by side comparison of the same colors. These oils were Lukas 1862, Gamblin, and Charvin Paris. Also Permalba White just for Curiosity. The surface was an experiment as well. I obtained some Laboratory Grade Polyvinyl carbonate panels for free from my work and wanted to see if I could paint on them. I also left a portion of the panel unprimed just to see how the oil would adhere to the panel without primer. Before I explain my results I will disclose that I did this test 2 weeks ago and some of the oil still isn't completely dry since I added no mediums to my oils. So the results at this point were surprising. All the colors clearly have a gloss sheen on the gesso and unprimed area compared to the flat sheen on the oil primed area. It's very noticeable with the Cobalt Blue, Cad Red, and Cad Yellow. All the different brands were NOT hues, they are each brands top series of each of those colors. I tried 2 transparent colors, Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine. Not much of a noticeable difference with those between the different primers. It was interesting to see the difference in the Permalba White compared to Titanium and Flake. I want to say the Permalba is brighter, or it has a blue hue. Not sure exactly, but it's definitely different. Other observations were that the Charvin Paris colors seem to be more deep and pigmented than some of the Lukas colors, although they should for the price difference, but in the Cad's, Gamblin were much brighter than the others, very saturated. As far as the adhesion. I tried lifting the paint off with a palette knife. Surprisingly the paint stuck best to the unprimed Polyvinyl carbonate. I can peel the paint off the oil primed area easily. The gesso area it's stuck a little better. So what does this mean?? well nothing really at the moment because it's only been 2 weeks. But what I conclude is that the Polyvinyl carbonate should be safe to paint on. It's really not advisable for folks to runout and buy these Polyvinyl carbonate panels, these were very expensive. As I stated, these were scrap pieces I got from a laboratory project I was working on. But if the paint sticks to them, they will never decompose, as if my art is that worthy :) As for the Sheen of the colors on oil ground versus gesso, what has your experience been?? I've primed some canvases with the oil ground but they aren't ready to be used yet. I have a question for you about the oil ground. Is it wise to apply multiple coats of oil ground to a canvas? My motive would to be to completely cover or fill in all the imperfections of the canvas to create a perfectly smooth surface. Thanks for you're videos, they are very helpful!!
Thanks for watching and for that great information! It's not unusual for the paint to come up more easily from the oil ground. It needs to dry completely for a few months for full adhesion.Your different sheens on the paint surface can be caused by several things. Different pigments naturally absorb different amounts of oil. Some colors will be oilier than others. Metal colors like the Cadmiums are less oily. Titanium tends to dry more matte than other colors and so does Lead White. The Gamblin oil ground is an alkyd based primer which behaves a little bit differently from a traditional linseed oil based lead primer. I recently discovered Michael Harding makes an acrylic gesso that mimics the properties of an oil gounrd so you might want to check that out. You can certainly apply more than one coat of Gamblin oil ground. They posted a video on it. th-cam.com/video/t3tOoRU6hVQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks, Jason. Have you considered having the cans run through the shaker at a store? If they're not busy, they will do it for you, saving the lip of the can from filling with paint and being difficult to clean. Another tip is to store the can upside-down, so the layer of oil floats to the "bottom." Like the folks who store their tubes cap-down. You have a very natural and clear teaching manner, and you have saved this old fart a lot of grief with your lessons. Thanks a gallery-full.
Thanks so much for the nice comment! I wasn't aware that stores will do that for you. Thanks! Storing it upside down would still mean you'd need to stir it though as it will still separate.
U pack a ton a good info in your vids, thanks! All the younger/newer artists out there NEED this type of info! Only so much they can teach in a classroom
Good video. I’ve used Gamblin oil grounds for a few years and love it. I find that if I apply it indoors in the winter it stays tacky for months. So, I wait for a warm summer day and do a bunch of canvases at the same time out in the sun in my backyard and the alkyd base dries in a couple of hours. Also, these grounds are not applied with a brush but with a 3 or 4 inch putty knife. You keep working the grounds over the canvas until all the excess grounds are removed. A messy job but well worth it effort. Keep up these informative videos. I enjoy them very much.
Thanks for watching! I'm surprised to hear you had an issue with the ground staying tacky for so long. I have not experienced that with the Gamblin, but I do live a dry, warmer climate.
I kept having a nagging doubt about painting oil over acrylic, and was thinking about going to oil primed canvas. I have been wanting to reclaim a bunch of my canvas panels I use to paint oil exercises. I just bought my first can of Gamblin Oil Ground and plan to resurface these panels using the oil ground. Since they are painted with oil, the oil ground should be just the ticket. Your video really helped me understand how to use.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It was very concise and helpful information. I will definitely be trying this since I do find that I struggle to get my paints to flow off the brush.
Hi Jason, love your videos! I think you must be a fellow supply junky based on your video content. I like to try to paint the way the pros and masters do and thus would like to try lead primed linen. I have been using Centurion oil primed linen panels which are nice, but wanted to take it to the next level. Thus I purchased some of the Williamsburg Lead ground from Blick. Both cans I've received (original and the replacement) seem different than the one you demoed. The first can had virtually no oil floating on top - instead there was a big congealed blob of paint film. It was extremely hard to stir and required much more the the suggested amount of turp/OMS to get it to a spreadable condition. The second replacement can is better, but still there is some floating solids and not much oil. I haven't tried to stir this one yet. In your experience, is this normal? I was going to try to call Williamsburg customer service to see what they say also.
I am so sorry... I literally just saw this comment! I have not experienced that issue with the Williamsburg Lead Primer. It does not sound normal to me. I'm thinking maybe those cans were really old and the primer may have started to congeal inside the can? Lead pigments speed up the drying of oil paint so it may be what's causing it. If you haven't already, I would contact Blick or Williamsburg about it. All the cans I have bought have that thick layer of oil on top. Thanks for watching! :)
Bauman says the oil on top is put there to avoid paint getting a hard film. It's not suppose to be mixed but poured out carefully then poured back on for storage
mr Walcott that oil on top is added after the paint is put in the can to act ass a barrier so the paint doesn't form a crust from sitting...its ok to mix in but most pour it off...remove paint..and then pour back in to preserve remainder of paint
Great video. I still want to try the non-alkyd oil grounds. My favorite surface to paint on at the moment is one primed with Winsor and Newton oil primer, either on top of rsg or acrylic gesso. I tried gamblin ground, but even after cutting it with gamsol it still seemed to take too long to dry. The W&N ground goes on straight out of the can and dries in a few days.
Thanks for the video, I've never primed my canvases with oil. Do I have to sand the canvass once is dry? or is it ready to paint once it dries? Thanks for taking the time.
Hi Jason, this looks great, but can I still paint on this surface with oil mixed with a solvent? Can I still tone the surface with the gray mixtue left in my Gamsol jar?
Thanks so much for the kind comment! I wouldn't prime with straight oil. It really isn't meant for that and would break the rule of fat over lean. You can get linseed oil based primers though. Williamsburg makes a Titanum White one which is non toxic.
Walcott Fine Art Thank you for the response. I can't believe I didn't think about the danger of sanding a lead primer. Thank you for the warning. I will remember it. Much appreciated.
Hi Jason thanks for introducing me to Rublev paints wonderful. My question how long do you suggest I leave the Rublev oil ground to dry. I've only used bulk standard gesso until now . Thanks for the amazing job you do.
Thanks for watching! I would allow any oil ground to dry for at least a month if it is traditional oil ground...the longer you let it cure the nicer it is to paint on. :)
Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge. The oil painting learning curve is steep & your channel has been so essential for me in my painting journey. Few Questions: 1) what is lead oil ground made from? 2) how would you compare Gamblin & Williamsburg ground? 3) Do you have a patreon? Thanks again 🙏
Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you've enjoyed my videos. Lead Ground is made from linseed oil, white lead pigment and sometimes some marble dust or other material like that to make it a little leaner and give it some tooth. Gamblin's ground is alkyd based, and is a very good ground. Since alkyds dry so fast you can paint on it in about a week. Williamsburg is the traditional linseed oil Lead Ground and requires about a month or more to cure before you can paint on it. It is far more expensive than the Gamblin, but is a nice surface to paint on. I am not on Patreon for now, but I'll make an announcement if that changes. :)
Great video. I only like painting on oil primed linen. For over a year I've been buying lead primed linen panels on gatorfoam. I looooove them but they are expensive. Thinking of making my own. But safety is my biggest concern. Do you feel safe handling lead primer yourself? THank you
Thanks for watching! Great question... Much of the toxicity of pigments (especially cadmiums and lead) is overblown. Use caution of course, but the main thing is you will be fine as long as you don't ingest it or sand it. Lead pigment particles are too large to absorb through the skin. I wear a barrier cream for extra protection. Don't eat, drink or smoke while painting and wash your hands really well when you're finished and you should be fine. :)
Thank you for the opinion. I generally agree about the situation being exaggerated, as long as there is no breathing in dust, prolonged skin contact or ingestion involved. When I tell people I paint on lead primed linen panels (which are ready made, I don't even deal with primer) they are looking at me as if I was eating plutonium for breakfast! :-D
Nice video! I was wondering if you can do one where you would paint a few strokes over the oil primed surface and compare it to acrylic primed surface. I was also curious to see if an underpainting wash ( like with a thinner ) would absorb differently with each one. Thanks! great job on the videos!
I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. Do you mean can you tint the ground with a color oil paint. Yes you can. I would not use the lead ground as my white paint though. Oil ground is formulated to be a ground and is somehwta absorbetnt. It will not handle the same way as regular oil paint. It probably wouldn't hurt anything, but you could get some unexpected results. Thanks for watching!
No, plain linseed oil is too slick to be used as a primer. Oil primer is correctly formulated to act as the underlayer to a painting. Thanks for watching!
Hi Jason. Great video, thanks so much. My question is actually about an extra fine linen panel I bought (Artefex) and it had lead primer on it already. I love the surface and it's much better than my oil-priming efforts! :) What I wonder about this panel or any surface with oil primer, after it is fully dry, can solvent break it down at all, is that a danger? I practiced on a small oil-primed panel and the next day used Lavender Spike Oil solvent to remove the paint I had applied. Worked great, but made me think to ask if this solvent could damage oil priming. Thank you!
No, the solvent won't affect the oil priming once it's completely dried and cured. Same for the oil paint itself. It takes a few months to reach that point though. Your canvas panel was so easily cleaned because it was just the next day. :) Thanks for watching!
Hi can you show us how thick the lead oil primer is after you add the gamsol, unfortunately I can't see from the glass jar. Thanks for the video I never thought of Oil priming gesso canvases.
It should be about the consistency of house paint or a little thicker. Easy to spread, but still with plenty of body. Just be sure not to over thin it. Thanks for watching!
I am not a professional artist but a natural born artist for sure. And I love experiment things more than I create something. I have experimented on a Master's Touch Canvas to make its surface behave like Linen Canvas because I love to paint on linen canvases. And the traditional primers are too expensive, so I used regular fast drying oil and mixed that with walnut oil and used a foam brush to give a thin coat of priming. And my canvas has become like a linen canvas. It did not take very long to dry either.
Thank you for the lovely video Jason. Could you tell me that what changes can we see in our oil based paintings when we use oil based primers as oil base coat and when we use gesso as a base coat? Because these oil based primers are not easily available every where? Do we have an alternative for that?
Thanks for watching! Oil primer isn't absolutely necessary, but it makes the painting process easier. Your colors will sink in much less and stay more vibrant, plus paint is easier to spread on the canvas. One alternative I have not tired yet, but have heard good things about is Michael Harding's Non-Aobsorbent Acylic Gesso. It supposedly mimics the properties of oil primer. You can order that online. Hope that helps! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Thanks so much for the feedback. I would really like to tone it afterwards as you now mention... Then I could try to rub out certain areas for the lighter effect. Thanks for all your videos, I have seen a ton of them, you are the pro ! I am a begining novice...
Thanks for the nice compliment on this video! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I do have another video on my channel that demonstrates the difference between an oil primed surface and acrylic. Oil is the way to go for sure! Thanks for watching :)
I absolutely love your videos! If using the gamblin ground primer, is it possible to use a hair dryer of some sort to speed up the drying process or would that not work? Also, a "ready primed" canvas from a shop usually has little to none primer on there, would it be okay to go ahead with oil based or safer to do an acrylic gesso coating first, to be sure the canvas board is covered? I paint with acrylics, and want to spice it up a bit and try oils😊
Great questions! You cannot speed up the drying time of oils or the Gamblin ground with a hair dryer. Oils and Alkyds "dry" by polymerization not evaporation. :) As for the ready primed canvases you can go ahead with the oil primer unless you are using a super-cheap canvas brand (which I wouldn't recommend anyway). Avoid the ones from Michaels or Hobby Lobby etc. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you for replying so quickly! I'm in the uk and got some canvas boards from my local art shop. I'm guessing they would be no good lol. I'll have a look online!
@@katyjohnson5328 I apologize! I shouldn't have assumed you were in the USA. Those canvas boards you got from your art supply store are probably OK. The Michaels and Hobby Lobby I mentioned are big craft chain stores here in the USA. The art supplies they carry are really, really cheap and poorly made.
Hi again! I finally have the Williamsburg & the Gamblin odorless thinner to thin with, to mix and do the hardboards- which I had gessoed about 20 years ago. 😂. I am going to sand those a bit, (and vacuum) and then paint the mix you recommend here, but have one more question- could I ad a tiny bit of transparent oxide red to the mix, also in one step paint the canvas as a underpainting in one step? I would rather have them colored, but not sure if able to do it this way and still have fat over lean and tooth and all that. I paint slow- (as I remember, it’s been 20 years- haha)…Is that a neutral color? I am slowly collecting the colors you recommend on your tutorials. I don’t mind mixing, but love the choices! Thanks so much, loving your channel, and if I had the money I would buy all your beautiful paintings! Happy Easter!
Yes, you can tone the oil primer with a touch of oxide red, just don't use too much. Oxide red does tend to be quite warm. If you want a more neutral tone try Raw Umber. Happy Easter to you! :)
While oil priming is not necessary, it is much better for oil paintings, and is preferable over acrylic gesso. It also makes the final paintings look better because colors don't sink in as much. Thanks for watching!
You say we'll notice the difference. Can you explain that better? I always buy preprimed canvas and have considered priming unecessary. I guess I need to research this. Thanks for the info.
Sure! Oil priming creates a slicker less absorbent surface. When you paint on it, the paint moves around more easily and doesn't "sink in" as much. Preprimed commercial canvases are usually too absorbent. You want the oil to stay in the paint layer, not soak in too much. If you want to test it out, I would suggest buying a pre-oil primed canvas that's ready to go. Try it and see if you like it before investing in a can of oil primer. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your videos! I am recently start watching your videos, and there are so many many good information for oil painting! Thank you so much : ) Can I ask you some questions? Is it same method using Williamsburg lead oil and titanium oil ground (because I ordered titanium oil ground)? ; for example, stir with oil and ground before using it, and mixing it with gamsol..
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you for your fast reply! :) Could I ask you one more question? I don't need to rub the canvas with a sand paper after oil priming? like priming with gesso..
@@JW-wv3yb Typically you don't need to sand, no. BTW make sure you are oil priming on a surface that already has acrylic gesso on it. You can buy that premade or do it yourself, but never put oil priming on raw canvas! It will cause that canvas to disintegrate over time.
Thx for vid. So you could prime cheapo acrylic primed stretched canvasses, with a new layer of oil based primer, and have a first class support to paint on. The cheap stretched canvasses I buy (acrylic primed maybe 1x or 3x) soak up all the oil in my paints; the hues get washed out until about the third or fourth pass. I would only use these expensive primers on quality stretched canvas/linen or wood, not $2 cardboard backed panels.
Thanks for watching! Yes, you can do that and improve the painting surface of your acrylic primed canvases. You can get excellent quality panels as well. Check out the Centurion Oil Primed Linen panels at Jerry's Artarama. They are pretty well priced for the great quality.
I want to paint out a section of a completely dry oil painting. Should I just paint directly or cover the area with oil priming first? No need to sand, but would that help with adhesion of the priming?
Yes, sanding would help with the adhesion, just be sure to do it outdoors and wear a mask. Be very careful if you sand. I would recommend covering the area with some regular white oil paint instead of the primer. Primer is really meant to stay on the bottom layer. Thanks for watching!
Can I make my own ground? (Lead white, linseed oil and calcium carbonate) But instead of using lead white using a burnt or raw umber that has lead in it (Utrecht) then add linseed and calcium? That way I’m already starting on a toned surface or will only lead white work?
I think making your own ground would be very labor intensive, but you can do it. I have never made my own paint so I can't really give you any advice on that. If you are using dry powdered lead pigment, you need to be super cautious about not breathing any in. Just for that reason alone, I would not try to make my own. Once it's mixed with the oil it's pretty safe as long as you don't ingest any. You can tint pre-made lead ground with Burnt Umber oil paint or some color so that is an option as well. Just don't overdo it. You want to make sure the lead white pigment is still dominant in the ground as it provides a very stable surface for the canvas. Thanks for watching!
Are you aware both Williamsburg and Rublev put a bit of titanium dioxide into their lead oil grounds "to improve opacity and brightness," according to Williamsburg? I find that rather superfluous, personally, and have sought a truly authentic lead oil ground without titanium white. Vasari makes a lead oil ground which appears to omit titanium white amongst its ingredients. There are also those who swear by using Old Holland Cremnitz White (PW1) with just enough artist quality turps to make it spreadable on sized linen. I have yet to make the leap to this level of materials, as I am a mere hobbyist, but one day I'd like to. Have you considered using Vasari or OH Cremnitz White as lead oil grounds?
HI Amy, thanks for a great comment! I haven't used the Vasari Ground, but i would like to try it someday. I have tried the Old Holland Cremnitz white, but only as an actual color, not thinned for a ground. Oil Grounds are typically formulated a little differently so I would stick to those rather than try to thin a tubed white. I don't mind a bit of Titanium in my lead grounds. It isn't going to hurt anything, but I can see why a purist might choose a different brand. Thanks for watching! :)
Oil primer is formulated to provide the correct type of surface to paint on. It's a little different from tubed oil paint. You can reuse a canvas, but I wouldn't gesso the back. Thanks for watching! :)
4:42 you are suggesting mixing the oil...According to another very popular oil painter instructions, that oil is to prevent the ground from drying. Are you sure about mixing that or is that a mistake and you didn't know?
Thanks for watching! According to the Williamsburg (the brand I'm using here) website, you are supposed to mix the separated oil back into the primer before using. Yet I've heard others say the same as you, so to be honest I'm not sure. I have always mixed it and as of yet have not had any problems. I will try to do more research on this. It's possible it depends on the brand.
Hi! thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! QUick question i hope you will have time to asnwerd to: what do you think if i size my canvas with rabbit skin glue, than apply acrylic gesso, and than I'll use a oil primer just in the areas ill paint with oil paintings. The reason why im asking this is becasue my painitgs have an acrylic backgroun, but the silouette of the person in my painitng I pait it with oil colors....do you think would be fine to oil prime just some area of the canvas? and Do you think It's important to use rabbit skin glue at hte very beginnig or not necesary ? thank you so much for you time !
Great question! With acrylic gesso the rabbit skin glue is unnecessary. The only reason to use rabbit skin glue (in the old days) was to create a barrier between the oil primer and the raw canvas. Oil will eventually cause raw canvas to rot if it is in direct contact. With acrylic gesso this is not an issue since that is already creating the barrier. Go ahead and just start with the acrylic gesso. When that's done it's fine to only prime some areas with oil. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 sorry for bother, it’s me again! I’m from Italy but I’ve been leaving in Mexico for the last year. Do you know where I can’t find the Gamblin ground? I wrote to them on Gamblin’s website but they are not replying, and none of the Mexican art stores in Mexico that I called has it! Thanks again I really appreciate your time 🙏🏻🎨
So I wonder if you used an acrylic primed canvas and the painted a coat of acrylic paint as your “toned ground like burnt umber and white” to act as a thin plastic coat so the oil paint do not sink into the acrylic gesso?
Yes you can do that but it's just not the same as an oil primed surface in terms of feel. Plus if the acrylic layer is too glossy it might create adhesion problems down the line, although that's debatable. Lots of artists do an acrylic underpainting to establish the basic values so if that works for you then do it. Thanks for watching! :)
I purchased the centurion OP primed Linen panels and it does not seem like they put enough oil primer on it . I’m going to apply one coat of my own oil primer from gamblin. What are your thoughts? ?
That should be fine! The Gamblin oil primer is really an alkyd base so it will dry fairly quickly and should be ready to paint on in about a week. Thanks for watching!
Great and informative video as always! :) I have here an 200ml paint tube of titanium white from Van gogh (studentgrade), would that work as a grounding too? Since I have no other use for that tube anyway :)
Thanks for watching! You probably could get away with it, but primers are specially formulated to have a bit less oil than regular paint. If you paint the final picture alla prima then I think it would be fine.
Walcott Fine Art I think if you use a standard oil paint as a “primer” then-if you want to maintain archival quality-you would need to follow the fat over lean rule and make the Alla Prima layer fatter.
I don't know of or have heard of any drawbacks at this point. Alkyds haven't been around long enough to really show what will happen to them over long time spans, but for now they seems to be OK. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for your informative videos! I would like to know, do you have an experience with Rublev Colours Lead Oil Ground? Is there a difference of the 3 products?
Hi Jason, I'm new to oil. I wonder is it the oil itself or the lead/chalk that gives the oil ground that smoother property compared with an acrylic ground? In other words will it do the same thing if I prime it with a titanium white formula? What's the difference? Or is it the case that it simply gets smoother after I tone the canvas with some oil paint?
Commercial lead oil primer product is hard to get where I live and I can definitely DIY with the art lead power however available here. The problem is that the process is very dangerous especially considering my current house condition. So I'm looking for substitute plan.
Thanks for watching! I'm pretty sure it's the oil itself that makes it less absorbent. Oil primer is formulated with not only pigment and oil but sometimes either chalk or another "whiting" material that is slightly absorbent but not as much as acrylic gesso. That helps the layers of the oil painting adhere, but still "sit up" on the surface so it doens't sink in. Oil primer with titanium would work just as well as Lead. :)
So my oil primer has dried and I toned the surface with a stain of burnt number and that has dried now I’m finding it hard for my pencils to get in a good sketch because of the oil primer are there pencils that will work best for the surface?
That's a good question! Pencils with softer graphite might work (like a 6B or 7B) but then I would be cautious about introducing that under the paint layers. Keepht elines as light as possible. You can also sketch with very thin oil paint thinned with odorless spirits and a small brush. Thanks for watching! :)
Yes, you must protect the board from the oil in the Gamblin ground. If you paint with oil onto raw board or canvas it will eventually cause it to disintegrate. The effect is more pronounced on canvas but will happen with panels too.
Only sand if it is a Titanium white pigment. Don't ever sand a Lead White primer. If you dislike brush strokes, try the Winsor & Newton Oil Primer. It dries fast and self levels. Thanks for watching!
Waiting a month or two...What if you are using a wet on wet technique? Do you do this first, let is sit and then prime again before you start to paint?
I really love your video's! And I wonder if you know anything about using oil paints over acrylic paints? Is this possible? I find very little information about it and the effect over time. Will the oil Paint sink to much into the acrylic Paint over time ? Thanks for your video's btw I think you're a very great teacher ;)
Thanks for watching! From what I understand using oils on top of acrylics is OK. Acrylics were first sold commercially in the 1950s. Acrylic gesso has been around for awhile now too and artists have been using it to prime their canvases. No one is sure what long, long term effects will be (500+ years) as there just hasn't been enough time yet.
@@walcottfineart5088 Ok thanks for your reply :) Another question ive been asking myself, can you apply oil primer on top of an acrylic painting ? + Can you add a color to oil primer ?
@@jasminberckmans256 If you want to reuse a canvas that already has an acrylic painting on it, I would sand it down fairly well to remove any slickness and make a surface for the oil primer to adhere to. Sanding is best done outdoors. Wear a mask to to avoid breathing anything in. Be sure to remove any excess dust with a damp cloth before priming. You can certainly tint your oil primer with color if you want. :)
So, is it fine to paint oil priming over an acrylic priming or is even better to size the canvass first with rabbit skin glue. I heard that the rabbit skin glue absorbs too much moisture and expand and shrink the canvass a lot.
Yes, oil priming can go over top of acrylic gesso. You are correct that rabbit skin glue is very susceptible to moisture and changes in humidity. Some artists still use it, but it's better to size the canvas with an acrylic size or gesso. Thanks for watching! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you a lot for you answer and your videos, please keep going, your are an inspiration for all of us that love Art and want to know more about this subject
I have some raw linen canvas, can i go directly with oil ground? And how many coats, time between coats and do i need to sand it in between. Honestly I'm beginner and I'm highly sceptical about acrylic base.
No, raw canvas must be protected from coming in contact with any oil. First coat your raw canvas with a coat or two of acrylic gesso, then add the oil ground. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 as i said acrilic base (gesso ) is not option. Size is, pva is, rabbit skin is. Anyway thanks for replying, i will figure it out along the way...
@@dkepa90 I'm so sorry, I must have missed that in your original post! Yes you can use PVA size or rabbit skin glue whatever works best for you. Just be sure to isolate the raw canvas from any oil layer (ground or paint) and you'll be fine. Have fun! :)
I would encourage you NOT to do that! Commercial/household paints like Kilz or the kind you find at hardware stores are not designed to last more than 15 years or so. Thanks for watching!
I also like the Centurion Deluxe Linen from Jerry's Artarama....but I use the panels not the canvas as it is too thin. I have an entire video reviewing the Masterpiece canvas. th-cam.com/video/FbDW3BU5N1I/w-d-xo.html
Have you tried the lead oil primed pre-stretched Belgian linen from the Italian Art Store? I couldn't say who's primer they use, but you could always ask them.
Wheh! Glad to see you aren't one of those that promote crappy habits of priming with acrylic...in the last few years, I have seen lots of videos trying to do a lot of silly things stating its something good, from a professional standpoint. Until I saw your video here, I did not know there were any modern grounds for painting, and had been using an earth tone stain to cover my primer, which is an oil base primer from the paint store. (In case you are wondering, I do seal all my surfaces using PVA Primer or straight PVA glue before the oil)
Thanks for the great comment and for watching! I would recommend switching to the oil grounds made for fine art that I mentioned in the video. They will hold up better in the long term. :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Everyone tells me that, maybe I will switch when my first oil painting done "my way" shows some signs of degradations... it's up to 35 years so far.
nice piece in the background, IU checked out your website I think your a pretty good painter. How long have you been painting? Ive been painting about 10 years or so but only recently really got into it hardcore and started selling my work...anyways I was just looking for some advice for getting your name out there, and maybe I can email you some paintings of mine,. and you cdould give your honest opinion...? Thanks...
If you are doing it yourself, I would say at least two layers of gesso under the oil primer. Personally, I buy the pre-primed linen (Like Masterpiece Muir) and then just put a coat of oil priming on that. :) Thanks for watching!
Question: Can I use lead oil grounds as a poor-mans ceruse-white/underpainting white over acrylic gesso? It has chalk, it has lead Carbonite, it has oil or alkyd binder, logic says it should be usable as a lean underpainting white! Please tell me if my painting will explode if I try this
Yes you can put oil ground over acrylic gesso. :) I do that myself to turn regular canvases into oil primed. You can't put oil paint directly on raw canvas anyway so the gesso acts as a perfect barrier. Thanks for watching and for the nice comment!
NO! The canvas/linen must be first coated with either acrylic gesso or another PVA sizing. Don't put oil-based paint directly on raw canvas. You can also buy pre-gessoed canvas and add your own oil primer to that.
Is there a health hazard of using the lead oil ground and letting it dry inside my house? My only option is my garage which is very cold for the next 9 months....
Thanks for watching! Once the solvent/thinner evaporates from the paint, there is no danger in letting it dry inside. Lead doesn't gives off fumes and the oil itself is just linseed oil, which is non toxic.
@@walcottfineart5088 thank you for your informative videos! I would like to know how long it takes for the toxics to evaporate from the paint or mediums?
I just wonder, if I can paint a layer of oil paint on my painting and paint another layer in a few days, why do I have to wait so long to paint over the primer?
Oil primer is not formulated the same as regular oil paint. It's important to make sure the primer layer is fully cured so there's no risk of expansion or contraction after it's painted on. That's only for traditional lead or titanium white primers with linseed oil. If you want a faster option, Gamblin and Winsor & Newton make an "oil primer" that is alkyd based and will be ready to paint on in 5 to 7 days.
"...so they dry very quickly and you can paint on them - in about a week."
That cracked me up so much! Great and informative video! Thanks!
LOL :) Thanks for watching!
LOL That's because only waiting a week is a luxury for the hard-core artists who go the 100% traditional route. Their oil primed canvases take weeks and months to dry! :-)
@@walcottfineart5088 Have you ever tried Vasari Lead Oil Ground?.......and Rublev Lead Ground?.
The brand says four to 5 days
I made a joke about Elizabeth the First using lead-based gesso for her makeup and then asked a real question - but 10 seconds further into the video you answered it! Your videos are so thorough yet straight forward - I am binge watching and learning so much - I haven't touched oils in 40 years and your videos are inspiring!
Thank you for this channel. These instructional videos are a most generous gift. Learning much. Appreciative.
Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you enjoy my videos. :)
I really enjoy these "behind the scenes" type videos. I love to watch people paint and learn how to improve my painting skills but these vides are very valuable. I would love to see more videos about prepping canvases, brushes/knives, oil painting chemicals (thinners etc), tips and tricks about things other than painting.
I do actually have a bunch of videos like that on my channel. If there is anything you don't see that you want to know more about let me know. I hope to start making videos again at some point or would be happy to answer questions directly. Thanks for watching! :)
Like so many others who've commented on this video - thank you for explaining the process AND that we can put oil primer on top of acrylic gesso priming. That is wonderful! But, I do have a question. After watching your delightful tour of your studio, where (and how) do you store these 'now-oil primed' canvases and canvas panels while they are drying for a month or two?
Thanks for watching! I have a store room in my home which is where I store extra art stuff as well as my drying canvases. It also holds extra foodstuffs and all my Christmas decorations. LOL
great. I have never used oiled primed canvases thinking they needed to be used with glue sizing. its great to know it can be applied over acrylic primed canvases
Thanks for watching! Give it a try and see if you like it. :)
I am also very happy to know that I can put an oil primer over a panel coated with acrylic gesso.
Thanks for this video I really needed to hear this. I painted oil straight on to acrylic primed surface and kept seeing the color become dull after a while. I didn't know it was best, as an oil painter, to paint on oil primed surfaces.
Thanks for watching! You'd be surprised how many oil painters are never told about this...I only learned it about 5 years ago myself. :)
I love your videos! Whatever questions I try to look up on youtube you always have a video answering it lol. They've helped me a lot.
Thank you
Thanks for the kind comment! I'm so glad my videos have been so helpful! :)
I was told that with the oil in the top of the tin you carefully pour it into another container then scoop out what you need and then pour the oil back into the tin because it keeps the primer moist as it dries it out very quickly. Thank you for the videos I learn new stuff each time I watch one. Cheers!
Thanks for watching and for the info! Someone else mentioned the same thing about the oil layer. I will try and find out for sure about it.
Fascinating! Is there a comparison video for how each surface is to paint on?
I purchased the Gamblin oil ground recently. I made a test panel primed half the surface with the oil ground and the other with gesso. I applied some common colors straight out of the tube in equal amounts to both primers to see if there was a noticeable difference. I also took this time to test the 3 different types of oil I typically use to do a side by side comparison of the same colors. These oils were Lukas 1862, Gamblin, and Charvin Paris. Also Permalba White just for Curiosity. The surface was an experiment as well. I obtained some Laboratory Grade Polyvinyl carbonate panels for free from my work and wanted to see if I could paint on them. I also left a portion of the panel unprimed just to see how the oil would adhere to the panel without primer. Before I explain my results I will disclose that I did this test 2 weeks ago and some of the oil still isn't completely dry since I added no mediums to my oils. So the results at this point were surprising. All the colors clearly have a gloss sheen on the gesso and unprimed area compared to the flat sheen on the oil primed area. It's very noticeable with the Cobalt Blue, Cad Red, and Cad Yellow. All the different brands were NOT hues, they are each brands top series of each of those colors. I tried 2 transparent colors, Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine. Not much of a noticeable difference with those between the different primers. It was interesting to see the difference in the Permalba White compared to Titanium and Flake. I want to say the Permalba is brighter, or it has a blue hue. Not sure exactly, but it's definitely different. Other observations were that the Charvin Paris colors seem to be more deep and pigmented than some of the Lukas colors, although they should for the price difference, but in the Cad's, Gamblin were much brighter than the others, very saturated. As far as the adhesion. I tried lifting the paint off with a palette knife. Surprisingly the paint stuck best to the unprimed Polyvinyl carbonate. I can peel the paint off the oil primed area easily. The gesso area it's stuck a little better. So what does this mean?? well nothing really at the moment because it's only been 2 weeks. But what I conclude is that the Polyvinyl carbonate should be safe to paint on. It's really not advisable for folks to runout and buy these Polyvinyl carbonate panels, these were very expensive. As I stated, these were scrap pieces I got from a laboratory project I was working on. But if the paint sticks to them, they will never decompose, as if my art is that worthy :) As for the Sheen of the colors on oil ground versus gesso, what has your experience been?? I've primed some canvases with the oil ground but they aren't ready to be used yet. I have a question for you about the oil ground. Is it wise to apply multiple coats of oil ground to a canvas? My motive would to be to completely cover or fill in all the imperfections of the canvas to create a perfectly smooth surface. Thanks for you're videos, they are very helpful!!
Thanks for watching and for that great information! It's not unusual for the paint to come up more easily from the oil ground. It needs to dry completely for a few months for full adhesion.Your different sheens on the paint surface can be caused by several things. Different pigments naturally absorb different amounts of oil. Some colors will be oilier than others. Metal colors like the Cadmiums are less oily. Titanium tends to dry more matte than other colors and so does Lead White. The Gamblin oil ground is an alkyd based primer which behaves a little bit differently from a traditional linseed oil based lead primer. I recently discovered Michael Harding makes an acrylic gesso that mimics the properties of an oil gounrd so you might want to check that out. You can certainly apply more than one coat of Gamblin oil ground. They posted a video on it. th-cam.com/video/t3tOoRU6hVQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks, Jason. Have you considered having the cans run through the shaker at a store? If they're not busy, they will do it for you, saving the lip of the can from filling with paint and being difficult to clean. Another tip is to store the can upside-down, so the layer of oil floats to the "bottom." Like the folks who store their tubes cap-down.
You have a very natural and clear teaching manner, and you have saved this old fart a lot of grief with your lessons. Thanks a gallery-full.
Thanks so much for the nice comment! I wasn't aware that stores will do that for you. Thanks! Storing it upside down would still mean you'd need to stir it though as it will still separate.
U pack a ton a good info in your vids, thanks! All the younger/newer artists out there NEED this type of info! Only so much they can teach in a classroom
I appreciate that! I'm glad to know you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching! :)
Good video. I’ve used Gamblin oil grounds for a few years and love it. I find that if I apply it indoors in the winter it stays tacky for months. So, I wait for a warm summer day and do a bunch of canvases at the same time out in the sun in my backyard and the alkyd base dries in a couple of hours. Also, these grounds are not applied with a brush but with a 3 or 4 inch putty knife. You keep working the grounds over the canvas until all the excess grounds are removed. A messy job but well worth it effort. Keep up these informative videos. I enjoy them very much.
Thanks for watching! I'm surprised to hear you had an issue with the ground staying tacky for so long. I have not experienced that with the Gamblin, but I do live a dry, warmer climate.
Possibly because I don’t thin the oil grounds and use a putty knife to apply it. I think this is Gamblin’s recommended method.
I kept having a nagging doubt about painting oil over acrylic, and was thinking about going to oil primed canvas. I have been wanting to reclaim a bunch of my canvas panels I use to paint oil exercises. I just bought my first can of Gamblin Oil Ground and plan to resurface these panels using the oil ground. Since they are painted with oil, the oil ground should be just the ticket. Your video really helped me understand how to use.
I'm so glad you found the video useful! Painting on an oil primed surface is so much better. Thanks for watching :)
I definitely want to try this to a few canvasses. Thank you for another amazing video!
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed this one. You will have to let me know how you like the oil primer when you try it. :)
Thanks for this video! I bought some Fredrix oil priming. I think It’s the rapid kind of primer, and will see how long it takes to dry.
Thanks for watching! :) I hope the Fredrix primer works well for you.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It was very concise and helpful information. I will definitely be trying this since I do find that I struggle to get my paints to flow off the brush.
I am so in love with all of the materials in oil painting
I definitely know the feeling!! LOL Thanks for watching :)
Really nice job explaining the alkyd, lead, and titanium priming options!
Thanks for the nice comment and for watching!
More great information... Thank you for your time, you have saved me a ton of trial and error.
Awesome! :) Thanks for watching!
He's too cute for words 😂
Hi Jason, love your videos! I think you must be a fellow supply junky based on your video content.
I like to try to paint the way the pros and masters do and thus would like to try lead primed linen. I have been using Centurion oil primed linen panels which are nice, but wanted to take it to the next level.
Thus I purchased some of the Williamsburg Lead ground from Blick. Both cans I've received (original and the replacement) seem different than the one you demoed. The first can had virtually no oil floating on top - instead there was a big congealed blob of paint film. It was extremely hard to stir and required much more the the suggested amount of turp/OMS to get it to a spreadable condition.
The second replacement can is better, but still there is some floating solids and not much oil. I haven't tried to stir this one yet.
In your experience, is this normal? I was going to try to call Williamsburg customer service to see what they say also.
I am so sorry... I literally just saw this comment! I have not experienced that issue with the Williamsburg Lead Primer. It does not sound normal to me. I'm thinking maybe those cans were really old and the primer may have started to congeal inside the can? Lead pigments speed up the drying of oil paint so it may be what's causing it. If you haven't already, I would contact Blick or Williamsburg about it. All the cans I have bought have that thick layer of oil on top. Thanks for watching! :)
Bauman says the oil on top is put there to avoid paint getting a hard film. It's not suppose to be mixed but poured out carefully then poured back on for storage
mr Walcott that oil on top is added after the paint is put in the can to act ass a barrier so the paint doesn't form a crust from sitting...its ok to mix in but most pour it off...remove paint..and then pour back in to preserve remainder of paint
Thanks for watching and for the information! I had not heard that before.
Great video. I still want to try the non-alkyd oil grounds. My favorite surface to paint on at the moment is one primed with Winsor and Newton oil primer, either on top of rsg or acrylic gesso. I tried gamblin ground, but even after cutting it with gamsol it still seemed to take too long to dry. The W&N ground goes on straight out of the can and dries in a few days.
Thanks for the great comment! If you get a chance to try the Lead Oil ground, that is such a nice surface to paint on!
Thanks for the video, I've never primed my canvases with oil. Do I have to sand the canvass once is dry? or is it ready to paint once it dries? Thanks for taking the time.
Super helpful video, thank you. Would I have to use an acrylic gesso as a base if I am oil priming on a wood panel as well?
Yes, absolutely! Wood needs to be protected from the acids in the oil just like canvas. Thanks for watching and for the nice comment! :)
This is amazing..I am really happy to know about oil priming. Will surely try out.. thank you.
I'm glad my video was helpful! Thanks for watching :)
I know you have enjoyed Rublev paints as well, just an FYI, they do make a lead oil ground, their 16oz can is $55 currently.
Yes! I do want to try it at some point to compare it to the Williamsburg. Thanks for watching! :)
Great tips thank you very much, now once the paint is finish what kind of spay do you use to protect the paint?
If you spay the painting then it would not reproduce thus protecting your copyrights better.
Hi Jason, this looks great, but can I still paint on this surface with oil mixed with a solvent? Can I still tone the surface with the gray mixtue left in my Gamsol jar?
thanks, and great art by the way. Can you prime with linseed oil or any other non toxic oil?
Thanks so much for the kind comment! I wouldn't prime with straight oil. It really isn't meant for that and would break the rule of fat over lean. You can get linseed oil based primers though. Williamsburg makes a Titanum White one which is non toxic.
I love watching your videos !
Thanks for the nice comment! :)
Great demonstration Jason. I would like to know if you have to sand the surface after it dries, like you do with gesso.
Thanks for watching! You can sand very lightly between coats if you are using a Titanium White based primer. Don't ever sand any Lead based primers!!
Walcott Fine Art Thank you for the response. I can't believe I didn't think about the danger of sanding a lead primer. Thank you for the warning. I will remember it. Much appreciated.
I like the idea that you enjoy good music as well. Cheerio.
Thanks for watching and for the comment! :)
Hi Jason thanks for introducing me to Rublev paints wonderful. My question how long do you suggest I leave the Rublev oil ground to dry. I've only used bulk standard gesso until now . Thanks for the amazing job you do.
Thanks for watching! I would allow any oil ground to dry for at least a month if it is traditional oil ground...the longer you let it cure the nicer it is to paint on. :)
Thank you for replying.
As always, a very helpful video.
Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge. The oil painting learning curve is steep & your channel has been so essential for me in my painting journey.
Few Questions: 1) what is lead oil ground made from? 2) how would you compare Gamblin & Williamsburg ground?
3) Do you have a patreon?
Thanks again 🙏
Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you've enjoyed my videos. Lead Ground is made from linseed oil, white lead pigment and sometimes some marble dust or other material like that to make it a little leaner and give it some tooth. Gamblin's ground is alkyd based, and is a very good ground. Since alkyds dry so fast you can paint on it in about a week. Williamsburg is the traditional linseed oil Lead Ground and requires about a month or more to cure before you can paint on it. It is far more expensive than the Gamblin, but is a nice surface to paint on. I am not on Patreon for now, but I'll make an announcement if that changes. :)
@@walcottfineart5088 thanks so much!
I really enjoy your information. Thanks much!
Thanks for watching! I'm so glad you enjoyed it :)
Great video. I only like painting on oil primed linen. For over a year I've been buying lead primed linen panels on gatorfoam. I looooove them but they are expensive. Thinking of making my own. But safety is my biggest concern. Do you feel safe handling lead primer yourself? THank you
Thanks for watching! Great question... Much of the toxicity of pigments (especially cadmiums and lead) is overblown. Use caution of course, but the main thing is you will be fine as long as you don't ingest it or sand it. Lead pigment particles are too large to absorb through the skin. I wear a barrier cream for extra protection. Don't eat, drink or smoke while painting and wash your hands really well when you're finished and you should be fine. :)
Thank you for the opinion. I generally agree about the situation being exaggerated, as long as there is no breathing in dust, prolonged skin contact or ingestion involved. When I tell people I paint on lead primed linen panels (which are ready made, I don't even deal with primer) they are looking at me as if I was eating plutonium for breakfast! :-D
Thank you, I used to paint on canvas without any prime, this is what I've been looking for
Yes, once you paint on oil primed canvas you'll never go back! Thanks for watching :)
Can I thin the oil ground with turpentine? Thanks Jason
@@lukelu4931 Yes you can! Just don't thin it too much. No more than 25% turp to 75% primer.
Walcott Fine Art thanks
Nice video! I was wondering if you can do one where you would paint a few strokes over the oil primed surface and compare it to acrylic primed surface. I was also curious to see if an underpainting wash ( like with a thinner ) would absorb differently with each one. Thanks! great job on the videos!
Thanks for watching! That's a great idea for a video...I will add it to the list! :)
I have painted on an oil primed linen canvas. It has to date, my best painting.
I'm glad you liked the oil primer! It really does make the process of painting so much better :) Thanks for watching!
Very good video.But though lead oil ground contain much lead white pigment. I can use some oil paint like lead white with the oil ground?
I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. Do you mean can you tint the ground with a color oil paint. Yes you can. I would not use the lead ground as my white paint though. Oil ground is formulated to be a ground and is somehwta absorbetnt. It will not handle the same way as regular oil paint. It probably wouldn't hurt anything, but you could get some unexpected results. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you very much
thanks for your great information , can i use linseed oil as oil priming
No, plain linseed oil is too slick to be used as a primer. Oil primer is correctly formulated to act as the underlayer to a painting. Thanks for watching!
Hi Jason. Great video, thanks so much. My question is actually about an extra fine linen panel I bought (Artefex) and it had lead primer on it already. I love the surface and it's much better than my oil-priming efforts! :) What I wonder about this
panel or any surface with oil primer, after it is fully dry, can solvent break it down at all, is that a danger? I practiced on a small oil-primed panel and the next day used Lavender Spike Oil solvent to remove the paint I had applied. Worked great, but made me think to ask if this solvent could damage oil priming. Thank you!
No, the solvent won't affect the oil priming once it's completely dried and cured. Same for the oil paint itself. It takes a few months to reach that point though. Your canvas panel was so easily cleaned because it was just the next day. :) Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you, Jason!
Hi can you show us how thick the lead oil primer is after you add the gamsol, unfortunately I can't see from the glass jar. Thanks for the video I never thought of Oil priming gesso canvases.
It should be about the consistency of house paint or a little thicker. Easy to spread, but still with plenty of body. Just be sure not to over thin it. Thanks for watching!
I am not a professional artist but a natural born artist for sure. And I love experiment things more than I create something. I have experimented on a Master's Touch Canvas to make its surface behave like Linen Canvas because I love to paint on linen canvases. And the traditional primers are too expensive, so I used regular fast drying oil and mixed that with walnut oil and used a foam brush to give a thin coat of priming. And my canvas has become like a linen canvas. It did not take very long to dry either.
That's awesome! Thanks for watching :)
Thank you for the lovely video Jason. Could you tell me that what changes can we see in our oil based paintings when we use oil based primers as oil base coat and when we use gesso as a base coat? Because these oil based primers are not easily available every where? Do we have an alternative for that?
Thanks for watching! Oil primer isn't absolutely necessary, but it makes the painting process easier. Your colors will sink in much less and stay more vibrant, plus paint is easier to spread on the canvas. One alternative I have not tired yet, but have heard good things about is Michael Harding's Non-Aobsorbent Acylic Gesso. It supposedly mimics the properties of oil primer. You can order that online. Hope that helps! :)
Walcott Fine Art Alright. I’ll make sure to try that. Thanks alot Jason.😊
Can I mix liquin original in the oil primer to speed the drying process?
Excellent video.. If I use an alkyd type ground, how can I tone it ? Just throw a little burnt sienna in it ?
Yes you can mix burnt sienna into the primer, or tone the canvas afterwards as well. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 Thanks so much for the feedback. I would really like to tone it afterwards as you now mention... Then I could try to rub out certain areas for the lighter effect. Thanks for all your videos, I have seen a ton of them, you are the pro !
I am a begining novice...
You may want to mention that by using an oil ground, the spread of the paint is much much better, and the adherence is also good.
Thanks for the nice compliment on this video! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I do have another video on my channel that demonstrates the difference between an oil primed surface and acrylic. Oil is the way to go for sure! Thanks for watching :)
I absolutely love your videos! If using the gamblin ground primer, is it possible to use a hair dryer of some sort to speed up the drying process or would that not work? Also, a "ready primed" canvas from a shop usually has little to none primer on there, would it be okay to go ahead with oil based or safer to do an acrylic gesso coating first, to be sure the canvas board is covered? I paint with acrylics, and want to spice it up a bit and try oils😊
Great questions! You cannot speed up the drying time of oils or the Gamblin ground with a hair dryer. Oils and Alkyds "dry" by polymerization not evaporation. :) As for the ready primed canvases you can go ahead with the oil primer unless you are using a super-cheap canvas brand (which I wouldn't recommend anyway). Avoid the ones from Michaels or Hobby Lobby etc. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you for replying so quickly! I'm in the uk and got some canvas boards from my local art shop. I'm guessing they would be no good lol. I'll have a look online!
@@katyjohnson5328 I apologize! I shouldn't have assumed you were in the USA. Those canvas boards you got from your art supply store are probably OK. The Michaels and Hobby Lobby I mentioned are big craft chain stores here in the USA. The art supplies they carry are really, really cheap and poorly made.
@@walcottfineart5088 haha no worries! That's great thank you!! Your work is absolutely stunning!
Thanks. This was very informative. Would you recommend Liquin as a thinner/medium for the primer?
Thanks for watching! It's probably best to just thin your primers with a bit of turpentine or Gamsol.I wouldn't add a medium to a primer.
Hi again! I finally have the Williamsburg & the Gamblin odorless thinner to thin with, to mix and do the hardboards- which I had gessoed about 20 years ago. 😂. I am going to sand those a bit, (and vacuum) and then paint the mix you recommend here, but have one more question- could I ad a tiny bit of transparent oxide red to the mix, also in one step paint the canvas as a underpainting in one step? I would rather have them colored, but not sure if able to do it this way and still have fat over lean and tooth and all that. I paint slow- (as I remember, it’s been 20 years- haha)…Is that a neutral color? I am slowly collecting the colors you recommend on your tutorials. I don’t mind mixing, but love the choices! Thanks so much, loving your channel, and if I had the money I would buy all your beautiful paintings! Happy Easter!
Yes, you can tone the oil primer with a touch of oxide red, just don't use too much. Oxide red does tend to be quite warm. If you want a more neutral tone try Raw Umber. Happy Easter to you! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 So thankful you replied, I was about to make a mistake and I want neutral, so will use Raw umber. Thank you so much!!
I have a can of oil primer that someone gave me years ago. I think I'll try it out. I've been saving it but at this point it's just taking up space.
Thanks for watching! I hope once you get a chance to try the oil primer that you like it. :)
Nice video, by the way Is oil priming necessary? Can I just prime it with acrylic gesso and start painting on it?
While oil priming is not necessary, it is much better for oil paintings, and is preferable over acrylic gesso. It also makes the final paintings look better because colors don't sink in as much. Thanks for watching!
This is very informative thank you for sharing!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching :)
You say we'll notice the difference. Can you explain that better? I always buy preprimed canvas and have considered priming unecessary. I guess I need to research this. Thanks for the info.
Sure! Oil priming creates a slicker less absorbent surface. When you paint on it, the paint moves around more easily and doesn't "sink in" as much. Preprimed commercial canvases are usually too absorbent. You want the oil to stay in the paint layer, not soak in too much. If you want to test it out, I would suggest buying a pre-oil primed canvas that's ready to go. Try it and see if you like it before investing in a can of oil primer. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your videos! I am recently start watching your videos, and there are so many many good information for oil painting! Thank you so much : ) Can I ask you some questions? Is it same method using Williamsburg lead oil and titanium oil ground (because I ordered titanium oil ground)? ; for example, stir with oil and ground before using it, and mixing it with gamsol..
Yes it is the same method... The only difference will be the Titanium Ground will take longer to dry. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you for your fast reply! :) Could I ask you one more question? I don't need to rub the canvas with a sand paper after oil priming? like priming with gesso..
@@JW-wv3yb Typically you don't need to sand, no. BTW make sure you are oil priming on a surface that already has acrylic gesso on it. You can buy that premade or do it yourself, but never put oil priming on raw canvas! It will cause that canvas to disintegrate over time.
@@walcottfineart5088 Oh, thank you so so much for your kind advice!🙂
I’m going with Gamblin. After it has fully dried is it safe to apply a wash of burnt umber and Gamsol to stain the canvas before painting?
Sure, just don't over thin it too much. You want enough oil to bind to the surface. Thanks for watching!
Thx for vid. So you could prime cheapo acrylic primed stretched canvasses, with a new layer of oil based primer, and have a first class support to paint on. The cheap stretched canvasses I buy (acrylic primed maybe 1x or 3x) soak up all the oil in my paints; the hues get washed out until about the third or fourth pass. I would only use these expensive primers on quality stretched canvas/linen or wood, not $2 cardboard backed panels.
Thanks for watching! Yes, you can do that and improve the painting surface of your acrylic primed canvases. You can get excellent quality panels as well. Check out the Centurion Oil Primed Linen panels at Jerry's Artarama. They are pretty well priced for the great quality.
I want to paint out a section of a completely dry oil painting. Should I just paint directly or cover the area with oil priming first? No need to sand, but would that help with adhesion of the priming?
Yes, sanding would help with the adhesion, just be sure to do it outdoors and wear a mask. Be very careful if you sand. I would recommend covering the area with some regular white oil paint instead of the primer. Primer is really meant to stay on the bottom layer. Thanks for watching!
Hello, Mr Walcott!
Do you ever paint/block-in a painting with acrylics first, then paint over with oil?
Typically no, but it's fine to do that if you want as long as you aren't using an oil primed surface. Thanks for watching :)
good tutorial Jason.
Thanks for watching and for the nice comment! :)
Beautiful art
Thanks for the nice comment! :)
I love artists.
Can I make my own ground? (Lead white, linseed oil and calcium carbonate) But instead of using lead white using a burnt or raw umber that has lead in it (Utrecht) then add linseed and calcium? That way I’m already starting on a toned surface or will only lead white work?
I think making your own ground would be very labor intensive, but you can do it. I have never made my own paint so I can't really give you any advice on that. If you are using dry powdered lead pigment, you need to be super cautious about not breathing any in. Just for that reason alone, I would not try to make my own. Once it's mixed with the oil it's pretty safe as long as you don't ingest any. You can tint pre-made lead ground with Burnt Umber oil paint or some color so that is an option as well. Just don't overdo it. You want to make sure the lead white pigment is still dominant in the ground as it provides a very stable surface for the canvas. Thanks for watching!
Are you aware both Williamsburg and Rublev put a bit of titanium dioxide into their lead oil grounds "to improve opacity and brightness," according to Williamsburg? I find that rather superfluous, personally, and have sought a truly authentic lead oil ground without titanium white. Vasari makes a lead oil ground which appears to omit titanium white amongst its ingredients.
There are also those who swear by using Old Holland Cremnitz White (PW1) with just enough artist quality turps to make it spreadable on sized linen. I have yet to make the leap to this level of materials, as I am a mere hobbyist, but one day I'd like to. Have you considered using Vasari or OH Cremnitz White as lead oil grounds?
HI Amy, thanks for a great comment! I haven't used the Vasari Ground, but i would like to try it someday. I have tried the Old Holland Cremnitz white, but only as an actual color, not thinned for a ground. Oil Grounds are typically formulated a little differently so I would stick to those rather than try to thin a tubed white. I don't mind a bit of Titanium in my lead grounds. It isn't going to hurt anything, but I can see why a purist might choose a different brand. Thanks for watching! :)
👍 Thank you, Jason.
Thanks for watching! :)
Can ya use just an oil paint ? How about gesso the back of the canvas? For painting Alexander/Ross style? Wet on wet.
Oil primer is formulated to provide the correct type of surface to paint on. It's a little different from tubed oil paint. You can reuse a canvas, but I wouldn't gesso the back. Thanks for watching! :)
4:42 you are suggesting mixing the oil...According to another very popular oil painter instructions, that oil is to prevent the ground from drying. Are you sure about mixing that or is that a mistake and you didn't know?
Thanks for watching! According to the Williamsburg (the brand I'm using here) website, you are supposed to mix the separated oil back into the primer before using. Yet I've heard others say the same as you, so to be honest I'm not sure. I have always mixed it and as of yet have not had any problems. I will try to do more research on this. It's possible it depends on the brand.
Hi! thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! QUick question i hope you will have time to asnwerd to: what do you think if i size my canvas with rabbit skin glue, than apply acrylic gesso, and than I'll use a oil primer just in the areas ill paint with oil paintings. The reason why im asking this is becasue my painitgs have an acrylic backgroun, but the silouette of the person in my painitng I pait it with oil colors....do you think would be fine to oil prime just some area of the canvas? and Do you think It's important to use rabbit skin glue at hte very beginnig or not necesary ? thank you so much for you time !
Great question! With acrylic gesso the rabbit skin glue is unnecessary. The only reason to use rabbit skin glue (in the old days) was to create a barrier between the oil primer and the raw canvas. Oil will eventually cause raw canvas to rot if it is in direct contact. With acrylic gesso this is not an issue since that is already creating the barrier. Go ahead and just start with the acrylic gesso. When that's done it's fine to only prime some areas with oil. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 thank you so much, i really appreciate it!!
@@walcottfineart5088 sorry for bother, it’s me again! I’m from Italy but I’ve been leaving in Mexico for the last year. Do you know where I can’t find the Gamblin ground? I wrote to them on Gamblin’s website but they are not replying, and none of the Mexican art stores in Mexico that I called has it! Thanks again I really appreciate your time 🙏🏻🎨
So I wonder if you used an acrylic primed canvas and the painted a coat of acrylic paint as your “toned ground like burnt umber and white” to act as a thin plastic coat so the oil paint do not sink into the acrylic gesso?
Yes you can do that but it's just not the same as an oil primed surface in terms of feel. Plus if the acrylic layer is too glossy it might create adhesion problems down the line, although that's debatable. Lots of artists do an acrylic underpainting to establish the basic values so if that works for you then do it. Thanks for watching! :)
I purchased the centurion OP primed Linen panels and it does not seem like they put enough oil primer on it . I’m going to apply one coat of my own oil primer from gamblin. What are your thoughts? ?
That should be fine! The Gamblin oil primer is really an alkyd base so it will dry fairly quickly and should be ready to paint on in about a week. Thanks for watching!
Great and informative video as always! :)
I have here an 200ml paint tube of titanium white from Van gogh (studentgrade), would that work as a grounding too? Since I have no other use for that tube anyway :)
Thanks for watching! You probably could get away with it, but primers are specially formulated to have a bit less oil than regular paint. If you paint the final picture alla prima then I think it would be fine.
Walcott Fine Art I think if you use a standard oil paint as a “primer” then-if you want to maintain archival quality-you would need to follow the fat over lean rule and make the Alla Prima layer fatter.
any drawbacks to using an alkyd lead ground? seems faster drying is a positive but there must be some drawback?
I don't know of or have heard of any drawbacks at this point. Alkyds haven't been around long enough to really show what will happen to them over long time spans, but for now they seems to be OK. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for your informative videos! I would like to know, do you have an experience with Rublev Colours Lead Oil Ground? Is there a difference of the 3 products?
I have not tried the Rublev product yet! It's actually on my wishlist. LOL Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you for your quick reply! Sorry, if you try it, can you please, tell us your opinion when you compare the products?
@@artsenka Sound slike a great idea for a video! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Yes! It will be interesting to all of us!
Hi Jason, I'm new to oil. I wonder is it the oil itself or the lead/chalk that gives the oil ground that smoother property compared with an acrylic ground?
In other words will it do the same thing if I prime it with a titanium white formula? What's the difference?
Or is it the case that it simply gets smoother after I tone the canvas with some oil paint?
Commercial lead oil primer product is hard to get where I live and I can definitely DIY with the art lead power however available here. The problem is that the process is very dangerous especially considering my current house condition. So I'm looking for substitute plan.
Thanks for watching! I'm pretty sure it's the oil itself that makes it less absorbent. Oil primer is formulated with not only pigment and oil but sometimes either chalk or another "whiting" material that is slightly absorbent but not as much as acrylic gesso. That helps the layers of the oil painting adhere, but still "sit up" on the surface so it doens't sink in. Oil primer with titanium would work just as well as Lead. :)
thanks a lot🤠
So my oil primer has dried and I toned the surface with a stain of burnt number and that has dried now I’m finding it hard for my pencils to get in a good sketch because of the oil primer are there pencils that will work best for the surface?
That's a good question! Pencils with softer graphite might work (like a 6B or 7B) but then I would be cautious about introducing that under the paint layers. Keepht elines as light as possible. You can also sketch with very thin oil paint thinned with odorless spirits and a small brush. Thanks for watching! :)
So you HAVE TO gesso a mason board first then put on Gambling ground? Or can I just put on ground to a board straight up?
Yes, you must protect the board from the oil in the Gamblin ground. If you paint with oil onto raw board or canvas it will eventually cause it to disintegrate. The effect is more pronounced on canvas but will happen with panels too.
if you are putting primer on and its leaving brush strokes ,once it cures do you or can you sand it down?
Only sand if it is a Titanium white pigment. Don't ever sand a Lead White primer. If you dislike brush strokes, try the Winsor & Newton Oil Primer. It dries fast and self levels. Thanks for watching!
Just Fantastic!
Thanks for watching! :)
Waiting a month or two...What if you are using a wet on wet technique? Do you do this first, let is sit and then prime again before you start to paint?
Yes, wait for the primer to dry/cure, then proceed as normal wioh the wet-in-wet process. Thanks for watching!
I really love your video's! And I wonder if you know anything about using oil paints over acrylic paints? Is this possible? I find very little information about it and the effect over time. Will the oil Paint sink to much into the acrylic Paint over time ? Thanks for your video's btw I think you're a very great teacher ;)
Thanks for watching! From what I understand using oils on top of acrylics is OK. Acrylics were first sold commercially in the 1950s. Acrylic gesso has been around for awhile now too and artists have been using it to prime their canvases. No one is sure what long, long term effects will be (500+ years) as there just hasn't been enough time yet.
@@walcottfineart5088 Ok thanks for your reply :) Another question ive been asking myself, can you apply oil primer on top of an acrylic painting ? + Can you add a color to oil primer ?
@@jasminberckmans256 If you want to reuse a canvas that already has an acrylic painting on it, I would sand it down fairly well to remove any slickness and make a surface for the oil primer to adhere to. Sanding is best done outdoors. Wear a mask to to avoid breathing anything in. Be sure to remove any excess dust with a damp cloth before priming. You can certainly tint your oil primer with color if you want. :)
So, is it fine to paint oil priming over an acrylic priming or is even better to size the canvass first with rabbit skin glue. I heard that the rabbit skin glue absorbs too much moisture and expand and shrink the canvass a lot.
Yes, oil priming can go over top of acrylic gesso. You are correct that rabbit skin glue is very susceptible to moisture and changes in humidity. Some artists still use it, but it's better to size the canvas with an acrylic size or gesso. Thanks for watching! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you a lot for you answer and your videos, please keep going, your are an inspiration for all of us that love Art and want to know more about this subject
I have some raw linen canvas, can i go directly with oil ground? And how many coats, time between coats and do i need to sand it in between. Honestly I'm beginner and I'm highly sceptical about acrylic base.
No, raw canvas must be protected from coming in contact with any oil. First coat your raw canvas with a coat or two of acrylic gesso, then add the oil ground. Thanks for watching!
@@walcottfineart5088 as i said acrilic base (gesso ) is not option.
Size is, pva is, rabbit skin is.
Anyway thanks for replying, i will figure it out along the way...
@@dkepa90 I'm so sorry, I must have missed that in your original post! Yes you can use PVA size or rabbit skin glue whatever works best for you. Just be sure to isolate the raw canvas from any oil layer (ground or paint) and you'll be fine. Have fun! :)
I am seriously considering trying out oil based Kilz. Any opinion?
I would encourage you NOT to do that! Commercial/household paints like Kilz or the kind you find at hardware stores are not designed to last more than 15 years or so. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the video!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
What other canvas brands do you use if any? And what sets Masterpiece apart from other brands in your opinion?
I also like the Centurion Deluxe Linen from Jerry's Artarama....but I use the panels not the canvas as it is too thin. I have an entire video reviewing the Masterpiece canvas. th-cam.com/video/FbDW3BU5N1I/w-d-xo.html
Have you tried the lead oil primed pre-stretched Belgian linen from the Italian Art Store? I couldn't say who's primer they use, but you could always ask them.
Wheh! Glad to see you aren't one of those that promote crappy habits of priming with acrylic...in the last few years, I have seen lots of videos trying to do a lot of silly things stating its something good, from a professional standpoint. Until I saw your video here, I did not know there were any modern grounds for painting, and had been using an earth tone stain to cover my primer, which is an oil base primer from the paint store. (In case you are wondering, I do seal all my surfaces using PVA Primer or straight PVA glue before the oil)
Thanks for the great comment and for watching! I would recommend switching to the oil grounds made for fine art that I mentioned in the video. They will hold up better in the long term. :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Everyone tells me that, maybe I will switch when my first oil painting done "my way" shows some signs of degradations... it's up to 35 years so far.
nice piece in the background, IU checked out your website I think your a pretty good painter. How long have you been painting? Ive been painting about 10 years or so but only recently really got into it hardcore and started selling my work...anyways I was just looking for some advice for getting your name out there, and maybe I can email you some paintings of mine,. and you cdould give your honest opinion...? Thanks...
Thanks so much for the nice comment! I'd be happy to take a look at some of your work. Just email me through my website. Thanks! :)
Are there any clear (transparent) oil primers? I have acrylic clear gesso
Not that I know of. It would be hard or impossible to do that with oil paint. Thanks for watching!
sir ,how many layers of acrylic gesso must be there,under oil primer,and how many layers of oil primer itself.plz tell,ty.
If you are doing it yourself, I would say at least two layers of gesso under the oil primer. Personally, I buy the pre-primed linen (Like Masterpiece Muir) and then just put a coat of oil priming on that. :) Thanks for watching!
ty sir
What did you use to thin down the oil primer?
You can use either Gamsol or turpentine. Thanks for watching!
Question: Can I use lead oil grounds as a poor-mans ceruse-white/underpainting white over acrylic gesso? It has chalk, it has lead Carbonite, it has oil or alkyd binder, logic says it should be usable as a lean underpainting white! Please tell me if my painting will explode if I try this
Ps: I hope all is well! And I hope you upload again someday! I always come back to your videos for remembering info and oil color ideas. ☺️
Yes you can put oil ground over acrylic gesso. :) I do that myself to turn regular canvases into oil primed. You can't put oil paint directly on raw canvas anyway so the gesso acts as a perfect barrier. Thanks for watching and for the nice comment!
@@walcottfineart5088 of course thanks for the fast reply!
@@walcottfineart5088 One more follow up question, what about using it as a lean mixing white?? In thin layers with umbers, oxides and ochres?
@@SnkobArts As long as you don't put it over more oily layers it should be OK. Better for underpainting/grisaille rather than finishing layers.
so you apply the ground directly to bare canvas or linen?
NO! The canvas/linen must be first coated with either acrylic gesso or another PVA sizing. Don't put oil-based paint directly on raw canvas. You can also buy pre-gessoed canvas and add your own oil primer to that.
Ah, so a gesso is still involved with the oil priming.
Is there a health hazard of using the lead oil ground and letting it dry inside my house? My only option is my garage which is very cold for the next 9 months....
Thanks for watching! Once the solvent/thinner evaporates from the paint, there is no danger in letting it dry inside. Lead doesn't gives off fumes and the oil itself is just linseed oil, which is non toxic.
@@walcottfineart5088 thank you for your informative videos! I would like to know how long it takes for the toxics to evaporate from the paint or mediums?
@@artsenka Not very long, they are probably all gone in about 60 minutes.
@@walcottfineart5088 Thank you! I appreciate your answer!
I just wonder, if I can paint a layer of oil paint on my painting and paint another layer in a few days, why do I have to wait so long to paint over the primer?
Oil primer is not formulated the same as regular oil paint. It's important to make sure the primer layer is fully cured so there's no risk of expansion or contraction after it's painted on. That's only for traditional lead or titanium white primers with linseed oil. If you want a faster option, Gamblin and Winsor & Newton make an "oil primer" that is alkyd based and will be ready to paint on in 5 to 7 days.