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Question: Materials to paint on!?
Hello, I've been practicing painting on canvas, but I'd like a smoother surface, and I'd like something cheaper than what I've found in my local art supply stores- illustration boards and mat boards are too expensive in the sizes I want, and they are a bit too flimsy!.
I'm interested in getting something from a store like Home Depot, maybe thin wood or particle board/ chip board!.!.!. something like that!. But I don't know what would work best and be affordable!.
I'd like something lightweight and fairly thin (no more than 1/3" thick)!.
Any ideas!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Back in the fifties I and many other artists painted on UNtempered masonite!. The procedure was to give the 4x8 foot board a coat of gesso and then paint in either oils or acrylics or back then we also painted with lacquers!.!.!.the purpose of useing untempered was that the softer open surface allowed the gesso to have "roots" thus gripping the board better!. Then we would cut the board into several pieces unless we were going to do a larger painting as I often would!.!.!.this was a popular material with many of the abstract expressionists at that time!.1/8th inch masonite works fine!. tempered masonite is pressed hard and the upper fibers are locked together making it diffucult for the paint to grip it!.!. An added advantage if you liked to paint in transparencies !.!.!.when you gessoed the surface you could add deliberate thick brush passages and then when your thin color went over it it would pool in the lower areas giving you a highly exxerated textural mark!.!.!.even today in many of my watercolors i paint on almost any surface by precoating it this way with mat gessoWww@QuestionHome@Com