Welcome Back
It took me a long time to try gesso, then I had no idea what to do with it. In this tutorial I’ll show you a few ways to apply it.
You Will Need
- Tub of gesso
- Jar of water
- Rag
- Palette knife
- Car sponge
- Brush
- mountboard
- palette to mix on
- craft sheet
Method
Sponge
The simplest way I’ve found to apply gesso to small projects and intricate shapes is with a sponge. Pour some gesso into a bottle top. Dab a sponge into the gesso and swipe it onto your chosen surface. It dries faster if you apply a couple of thin coats rather than go for a thick coat right away. Leave to dry, how long it takes to dry depends on your room temperature and humidity.
Palette knife
Scoop up gesso and spread it onto your project. Repeated thin coats allowed to dry will dry faster than one thick application.
Brush
Apply as you did with the knife.
Don’t let gesso or any acrylic dry on your tools, if you can’t clean them immediately, place them in water. Once you have finished using them, use soap and cold water to clean off the gesso.
Options/Added Extras
Experiment with different surfaces to apply your gesso to, and different tools to apply the gesso with.
Links
Best wishes and thanks for reading see you soon
Billie 🙂
When I click on the video, I get a message that it’s private.
Thanks for the heads up. I schedule ahead but sadly can’t with you tube. I forgot to change the setting on the video in time DOH!!!!!
I think that there must be various consistencies of gesso depending upon whose product you buy because my gesso doesn’t seem to be as thick as yours. The one I have (don’t know whose it is as it was decanted from a larger container) seems to have a much thinner consistency, don’t think I’d be able to use a palette knife with it. I shall have to dig it out and try it. Thanks for this Billie 🙂
Hugs
Lynn x
HI Lynn
Just a thought, have you tried giving it a good stir? Would yours have seperated?
Mine is a couple of years old, well the white one is, my black one is more the consitancy of paint and that one is newer.