Thursday 2 June 2016

Preparing Boards & The Studio


It is the longest I haven't painted during this year and I miss it, I'm itching to do one! I brought some cherries a few days ago and started to set up a composition but focus when I knew I still had loads to prepare tor this Saturday.

My studio is now ready for the Surrey Open Studio's so I wanted to do a messy job before we open the door to visitors.

The above picture is boards or panels I've prepared with oil primer (the equivilent to Gesso a water based primer) I got a little carried away with how many boards I did - 38! Which should keep me going for a bit :-)
If your interested I used C Roberson & Co primer the drying time is about 16 hours. I mixed Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna and sometimes a little Yellow Ochre. Making quite weak mixes so its not too dark in tone. - a warm and cool version. (grey and brown) I prop them up on glass pots (saved from deserts) to keep the floor clean and easier to put the primer on as well.
Using these boards means I get the surface I want - not too slippery or too rough also not a stark white board.

You can see my displayed paintings on the floor behind the boards I ran out of wall and shelf space :-)

2 comments:

  1. V helpful seeing how you prepare your boards, Clare. I use acrylic gesso with extra whiting In the last coat which gives a nice tooth, but I'm wondering if it sucks out some of the sheen from the paints. I'll get some oil primer. Do you mean you mix the colours into it? Is it just one coat? And are they bought boards ot do you use MDF/hardboard? When you have time to answer! All the best for the Open Studio. They look amazing grouped together.

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  2. Hi Caroline, Thanks for the comment. To answer your questions... It will be interesting how you find your acrylic mix to the oil primer, let us know. I do mix the oil paint straight into the primer in little glass pots. (The primer is like a white oil paint so it lightens the colours.) I use MDF and bought boards, a mixture of Jacksons premium and fine linen boards, Pebeo and Belle Arti. I only give one coat usually unless its on mdf then a couple - I sometimes sand it down inbetween as well (it depends on how much tooth you want). I hope this helps. C

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