A restored gesso panel representing St. Martin of Tours. From St. Michael and All Angels Church, Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Gesso is used in painting as a preparation for any number of substrates such as wood panels, canvas and sculpture as a base for paint and other materials that are applied over it.
The colour of gesso is usually white or off-white. Its absorbency makes it work with all painting media, including water-based media, different types of tempera and oil paint.
Mixing and applying it is a craft in itself, as it is usually applied in ten or more extremely thin layers. The hide glue mixture used to make the traditional gesso is rather brittle and susceptible to cracking, thus making it suitable for rigid surfaces only.
When painting, there are several advantages to using gesso. It provides a strong foundation for the paint to adhere to, prevents the paint from soaking into the surface, and can also be used to achieve a desired texture or surface finish. Furthermore, Gesso can help to extend the life of a painting by acting as a barrier to protect it from moisture, dust, and UV rays.[3]
Compositionedit
Acrylic gesso
Gesso is traditionally a mix of an animal glue binder (usually rabbit-skin glue), chalk, and white pigment.
Acrylic gesso is a mixture of white pigment and some kind of filler (chalk, silica, etc.) and acrylic resin dispersed in water. It produces a soft, flexible non-absorbent surface that is technically not gesso (although it is commonly called that by its manufacturers).[5][6] It can contain calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to increase the absorbency of the primer coat as well as titanium dioxide or "titanium white" as a whitening agent. It is sold premixed for both sizing and priming panels and flexible canvas for painting. Art supply manufacturers market canvases pre-primed with acrylic gesso. Acrylic gesso can be colored, either commercially by replacing the titanium white with another pigment, such as carbon black, or by the artist directly, with the addition of an acrylic paint. Acrylic gesso can be odorous, due to the presence of ammonia and/or formaldehyde, which are added in small amounts as preservatives. Acrylic gesso's non-absorbent acrylic polymer base makes it incompatible with media that require an absorbent substrate, such as egg tempera.[7]The Painter's Handbook notes a problem with using oil paints over an acrylic gesso ground instead of a traditional oil ground, citing a mismatch in flexibility that over time could cause the oil paint to delaminate.[8]
Usesedit
Gesso is used by sculptors to prepare the shape of a final sculpture (fused bronze) or directly as a material for sculpting. Gesso can also be used as a layer between sculpted wood and gold leaf.[9] In this case, a layer of refined and coloured clay called 'bole' is used to cover the gesso before applying the gold.[10] Bole is usually red in colour.
It is also used as a base on three-dimensional surfaces for the application of paint or gold leaf.[11]
Referencesedit
^The Painter's Handbook: A Complete Reference by Mark David Gottsegen. p. 321 June 3, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
^Daniel Varney Thompson (January 1956). The materials and techniques of medieval painting. p. 32. ISBN9780486203270. Retrieved 2014-04-09 – via Books.google.com.
^siddiqui, Ubaid; Mapari, Muskan (2023-02-08). "What Is Gesso: Everything You Should Know". Inkbyhand. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
^The Painter's Handbook: A Complete Reference, by Mark David Gottsegen. p. 321 June 3, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
^Michael Friel (2010). Still Life Painting Atelier: An Introduction to Oil Painting. Random House Digital, Inc. p. 58. ISBN9780823034086. Retrieved 2014-04-09 – via Books.google.com.
^Altoon Sultan (1999). Luminous Brush: Painting with Egg Tempera. p. 33. ISBN9780823028887. Retrieved 2014-04-09 – via Books.google.com.
^Gottsegen, Mark David (2006). Painter's Handbook: Revised and Expanded (Revised, Expanded ed.). New York: Watson-Guptill. p. 60. ISBN978-0-8230-3496-3.
^"What Does That Do: Gesso Carving Chisels". Chicago: The Conservation Center. November 29, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2020. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
^Thompson, Daniel V. (2012). The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting. Dover Publications. p. 219. ISBN9780486142036.
^Lettering & Calligraphy Workbook. Diagram Group. 2006. p. 148. ISBN9781402741012. Retrieved 2014-04-09 – via Books.google.com.
External linksedit
Media related to Gesso at Wikimedia Commons
"The Technique of Raised Gilding", Jerry Tresser, 1992 2015-03-28 at the Wayback Machine
Crane, Walter (May 1893). "Gesso Work". The Studio. 1 (2): 45–49.
April 26, 2024
gesso, italian, geology, term, gypsum, italian, pronunciation, ˈdʒɛsso, chalk, from, latin, gypsum, from, greek, γύψος, also, known, glue, gesso, italian, gesso, white, paint, mixture, used, coat, rigid, surfaces, such, wooden, painting, panels, masonite, perm. For the Italian geology term see gypsum Gesso Italian pronunciation ˈdʒɛsso chalk from the Latin gypsum from Greek gypsos also known as glue gesso or Italian gesso 1 is a white paint mixture used to coat rigid surfaces such as wooden painting panels or masonite as a permanent absorbent primer substrate for painting It consists of a binder mixed with chalk gypsum pigment or any combination of these 2 A restored gesso panel representing St Martin of Tours From St Michael and All Angels Church Lyndhurst Hampshire Gesso is used in painting as a preparation for any number of substrates such as wood panels canvas and sculpture as a base for paint and other materials that are applied over it Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Composition 3 Uses 4 References 5 External linksCharacteristics editThe colour of gesso is usually white or off white Its absorbency makes it work with all painting media including water based media different types of tempera and oil paint Mixing and applying it is a craft in itself as it is usually applied in ten or more extremely thin layers The hide glue mixture used to make the traditional gesso is rather brittle and susceptible to cracking thus making it suitable for rigid surfaces only When painting there are several advantages to using gesso It provides a strong foundation for the paint to adhere to prevents the paint from soaking into the surface and can also be used to achieve a desired texture or surface finish Furthermore Gesso can help to extend the life of a painting by acting as a barrier to protect it from moisture dust and UV rays 3 Composition edit nbsp Acrylic gesso Gesso is traditionally a mix of an animal glue binder usually rabbit skin glue chalk and white pigment For priming flexible canvas an emulsion of gesso and linseed oil also called half chalk ground is used 4 Acrylic gesso is a mixture of white pigment and some kind of filler chalk silica etc and acrylic resin dispersed in water It produces a soft flexible non absorbent surface that is technically not gesso although it is commonly called that by its manufacturers 5 6 It can contain calcium carbonate CaCO3 to increase the absorbency of the primer coat as well as titanium dioxide or titanium white as a whitening agent It is sold premixed for both sizing and priming panels and flexible canvas for painting Art supply manufacturers market canvases pre primed with acrylic gesso Acrylic gesso can be colored either commercially by replacing the titanium white with another pigment such as carbon black or by the artist directly with the addition of an acrylic paint Acrylic gesso can be odorous due to the presence of ammonia and or formaldehyde which are added in small amounts as preservatives Acrylic gesso s non absorbent acrylic polymer base makes it incompatible with media that require an absorbent substrate such as egg tempera 7 The Painter s Handbook notes a problem with using oil paints over an acrylic gesso ground instead of a traditional oil ground citing a mismatch in flexibility that over time could cause the oil paint to delaminate 8 Uses editGesso is used by sculptors to prepare the shape of a final sculpture fused bronze or directly as a material for sculpting Gesso can also be used as a layer between sculpted wood and gold leaf 9 In this case a layer of refined and coloured clay called bole is used to cover the gesso before applying the gold 10 Bole is usually red in colour It is also used as a base on three dimensional surfaces for the application of paint or gold leaf 11 References edit The Painter s Handbook A Complete Reference by Mark David Gottsegen p 321 Archived June 3 2015 at the Wayback Machine Daniel Varney Thompson January 1956 The materials and techniques of medieval painting p 32 ISBN 9780486203270 Retrieved 2014 04 09 via Books google com siddiqui Ubaid Mapari Muskan 2023 02 08 What Is Gesso Everything You Should Know Inkbyhand Retrieved 2023 02 13 The Painter s Handbook A Complete Reference by Mark David Gottsegen p 64 The Painter s Handbook A Complete Reference by Mark David Gottsegen p 321 Archived June 3 2015 at the Wayback Machine Michael Friel 2010 Still Life Painting Atelier An Introduction to Oil Painting Random House Digital Inc p 58 ISBN 9780823034086 Retrieved 2014 04 09 via Books google com Altoon Sultan 1999 Luminous Brush Painting with Egg Tempera p 33 ISBN 9780823028887 Retrieved 2014 04 09 via Books google com Gottsegen Mark David 2006 Painter s Handbook Revised and Expanded Revised Expanded ed New York Watson Guptill p 60 ISBN 978 0 8230 3496 3 What Does That Do Gesso Carving Chisels Chicago The Conservation Center November 29 2017 Retrieved May 23 2020 a href Template Cite magazine html title Template Cite magazine cite magazine a Cite magazine requires magazine help Thompson Daniel V 2012 The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting Dover Publications p 219 ISBN 9780486142036 Lettering amp Calligraphy Workbook Diagram Group 2006 p 148 ISBN 9781402741012 Retrieved 2014 04 09 via Books google com External links edit nbsp Media related to Gesso at Wikimedia Commons The Technique of Raised Gilding Jerry Tresser 1992 Archived 2015 03 28 at the Wayback Machine Crane Walter May 1893 Gesso Work The Studio 1 2 45 49 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gesso amp oldid 1192003661, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
