How to Gesso a Canvas

Upcycle a Used Canvas witH Gesso tutorial

I have some inspiring art-related posts coming up soon and it got me thinking about the work coming out of my studio these days. This month, I plan to work on some improvisational paintings on paper and wood. It's this idea that has me feeling excited. It all started with a modern painting that I made for the Minted x West Elm design challenge. It was freeing to create something expressive and loose for a change.

Have you ever felt overly attached to the outcome of an art project? 

Photo by Tim Arterbury via Unsplash

To move past that initial hesitation, I decided to recycle some used canvases that I had lying around my studio. In a way, I feel less attached to a recycled canvas than a brand new canvas or a blank sheet of paper. To prepare each canvas, I needed to resurface them with gesso. 

Here's how you can gesso a canvas and start a fresh painting. 

For the full details, read on!

In this post, you will learn how to properly prime your own canvas using gesso. Even, if you have been painting for a while now, you may have never needed to prime something because many canvases are already primed before purchase.
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Here are some instances when you may need to prime a canvas:

• Wood panels
• Recycled canvases
• Priming watercolor paper for oil paint 
• Natural linen canvas 
• Cotton canvas you stretched yourself by hand

For this project, I used:

• A household paintbrush
• A canvas, canvas panel, or raw cotton canvas
• Jar of gesso
• Fine grit sandpaper

This is how the canvases looked after 3 coats of gesso. As for my technique, I paint in one direction moving the brush from i.e. side to side. Then, alternate directions, i.e. painting up and down as each coat dries. 

One thing, that I learned as a studio assistant working for an artist who painted with oil paint on linen was to sand the gesso lightly after each coat. She showed me how to sand using super-fine paper and a random orbital sander. Another good option, would be using fine grit sandpaper on a sanding block and doing it by hand. 

With careful preparation and dedication, soon your canvases will be good as new and ready to go! I can't wait to see and hear what you are painting in your studio. Let me know, if you have any questions or have tips on how to gesso. 

P.S. Here is a peak below of what I have been painting in my studio. If you have the time to vote for my Abstract Mountain III in the Minted Design Challenge, I would really appreciate it. You can see my other artwork here, a 5 being the highest and best possible rating. I promise you will find loads of other great artists on Minted!