Canvas priming for working with oil paints?

Question:Hiya, i have recently been wanting to work wth oil paints. i have oil paints of my own, some turpentine and a rolled canvas.

I am really confused about how to prime the canvas ready to paint on- As i discovered it is extremely hard to paint on raw canvas!

It is from hobbycraft, and says it is primed, but i'm not sure if this is the important bit :S

I've read about gesso, acrylic primers, household paint, rabbitskin glue, PVA, and alsorts.

Just wondering if anyone could tell me a relatively easy and cheap way of priming my lovely new canvas!

i have PvA glue to hand and probably some emulsion somewhere. Is this all that's needed to be suitable for oil painting? or do i need lots of complicated gesso methods?

Thanks alot

Dragonvine

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Hiya, i have recently been wanting to work wth oil paints. i have oil paints of my own, some turpentine and a rolled canvas.

I am really confused about how to prime the canvas ready to paint on- As i discovered it is extremely hard to paint on raw canvas!

It is from hobbycraft, and says it is primed, but i'm not sure if this is the important bit :S

I've read about gesso, acrylic primers, household paint, rabbitskin glue, PVA, and alsorts.

Just wondering if anyone could tell me a relatively easy and cheap way of priming my lovely new canvas!

i have PvA glue to hand and probably some emulsion somewhere. Is this all that's needed to be suitable for oil painting? or do i need lots of complicated gesso methods?

Thanks alot

Dragonvine

First you need to stretch the canvas. http://www.wikihow.com/Stretch-a-Canvas

You can find stretcher bars (usually Fredrix) at local art supply stores, but they can be hideously overpriced at places like A.C. Moore. I get mine from Blick. If it is a huge piece, I recommend using sturdier bars with reinforcements so the canvas won't bend or bow. Also, if you're working small, I wouldn't run out and buy canvas pliers because you can easily stretch it with your hands. If you haven't stretched before, I'd start small and not used pre-gessoed canvas.

After you've stretched the canvas, you should prime it with acrylic gesso. It really isn't as messy or scary as it seems. Put on one coat horizontally and another vertically with a large (3") brush. This will tighten everything. Don't worry about the hairs or chalk clumps because you can sand them out.

If you are working large and want to save money on paints, you can do an acrylic underpainting. Oils will go right over the top and you can work faster. Always oil on acrylic and never the opposite!

I've learned that stretching a canvas is not cheap. You may want to find alternative surfaces like the canvas panels to start with. (http://www.dickblick.com/zz070/08/) They do have a tendency to bow a little over time, but are great for practice. They don't suck up the paint like canvas and you don't have to worry about priming them.

i use the gesso as a primer. it's always worked for me.

Primed canvas is white on one side. If yours is not then buy some Gesso and brush it onto the stretched canvas. Do not try to gesso unstretched canvas. Sand the dried gesso finish to the smoothness your project requires and start painting.