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Gesso is used to prepare or primer surfaces you want to paint or glue items to. I like Golden paints and the picture I attached shows Golden Gesso in white, they also carry it in black. I was introduced to gesso when I took an altered art class several years ago and the instructor used gesso to prepare our paper. Gesso was used to primer our paper that we were going to put lots of paint on. The gesso made the paper wet or moist proof, preventing the paint to soak into the paper.
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In the picture below I used gesso to primer a wire bound journal I picked up at the second hand store. The cover of the journal was glossy and had a picture I wanted to paint over. I used gesso to prepare the journal cover. Gesso was used to primer the surface allowing the paint to adhere easily and dry quickly. Gesso can also be used to repaint paper or a surface. To reuse a painted piece of paper or surface simply coat it with gesso for a clean neutral surface and only a light coat is needed.
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Gesso is manufactured by many companies and the price ranges from $5-$10 depending on the size of the bottle, it can be purchased at most art supply stores or craft stores in the paint section. Use a paintbrush, spongebrush or make-up sponge to apply.
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I hope this little turtorial was helpful. The journal is almost done; I'll post a picture when I finish it.
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I'm finally back with a follow-up to my Gesso post. Excuse my long absence but I had my daughter's 3 year old birthday party. Besides preparing for the little shin-dig we also had to recover from it. While we only planned a basic birthday party (no clown, ponies or visiting Cinderella) it was still exhausting. She was very excited this year for her birthday and I believe it was a great success.
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This is the finished altered journal. I'll quickly go over what I did. I primered the original covers of the book with Gesso (primer) then glued scrapbook paper to the outside covers. I then applied another layer of primer, once dry I applied a layer of yellow paint over the paper using a sponge paint brush and spreading the paint thinly. I then applied orange paint to the edges of the cover with my finger. I do that a lot on my books and I'm not sure why, I think it softens the edges. I use Golden paints when I do art because the colors are so vibrant and they are my favorite. Golden paints are $4-$6 a tube but I bought a litter on eBay for $30. I think the seller was a drop out artist who needed some cash.
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This is a picture of work in process, you'll see the journal (pre-altering), Gesso, Golden paints and scrapbook paper in the far back. After the painting was done I stamped the butterfly and industrial circle images with StazOn ink in orange and blue. The book had a small square window so I placed a stamped image of Frida in the window then placed a piece of plastic sheet over it. I stamped the words "idea book" using the orange paint and Tim Holtz Distressed foam alpha stamps. I use paint a lot with my foam stamps, it gives you an alternative to ink pads and the paint gives dimension, you can feel where the paint is built up or heavy. Also, if you mess up you can quickly wipe clean the image with a moist napkin. I don't use paint with red rubber stamps as the paint is too thick and the image stamps messy. I then painted the inside covers of the journal orange.
I will admit I'm a messy crafter and by the time I was done with this altered journal there was paint on my fingers, my daughter and all over the kitchen counter.
Now for the fun part! Post a comment by Tuesday,9/30, and I'll randomly select a winner for the journal!
be creative everyday
Samantha
GESSO TIP PART II:
Gesso is a popular tool right now and lots of art teachers are offering classes on this product. We wanted to share some tips and tricks with you so you can save your money. This is the first post of Gesso we will be sharing more each week.
First what is Gesso? Gesso is used for two basic uses.
- To prime and seal a canvas and create a smooth surface for painting. Artists are also using it to seal and prime art journals.
- An additive to acrylic paint to create dimension in paintings.
Also did you know you can add plaster of paris to Gesso! Why you ask...to create dimension on your project. Always put a layer of pure Gesso on the project first to keep it from warping.
Gesso also has can be sanded and has resist qualities. Here is an example of both:
First I stamped some images on the canvas. Top is a harlequin pattern, bottom left is a star and bottom right is a flourish. I let these dry completely before I moved on. I stamped the Gesso right onto the canvas. Most canvases come already primed and ready for painting.
Second I painted the board with acrylic paints. Then rubbed off the paint on the stamped images. With a fine grit sand paper sand the images slightly to bring out the stamped image even more. I suggest you use stamps that do not have lots of detail.
Now think of the possibilities of this technique...if the Gesso was tinted brown you can create an aged look. The stamp images just peak through the paint.
Next week I will bring you another tip! But here are two sites I found that offer great tips on Gesso:
First is Mel: http://melstampz.blogspot.com/ You will see Gesso Stuff listed right at the top, click it and have a look.
Second is Michelles site: http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/2008/11/crusade-no-25-properties-of-gesso.html Sorry about the music but her works are really cool.
Have fun!
Ramona
GESSO TIP PART III:
Our third part of the Gesso Tips and Tricks involves Plaster of Paris. Craft stores carry Plaster of Paris and the cost is around $5 dollars for a big tub.
First step is to Gesso your project. We do this because the Plaster of Paris takes about 20-30 minutes to dry and you don't want your surface to warp.
Mix equal parts of Gesso and Plaster of Paris in a plastic container. The consistency will be thick, you can add more Gesso if you prefer it to be thinner. It is totally up to you and the effect you are trying to create.
This photo is of a star, white on white but you can see the thickness on the canvas. It also dried and created cracks. I used a paintbrush and applied the mixture in the shape of a star, wiping off any excess around the edges.
In this photo I used my paintbrush to create a swirl or snake on the canvas.
Finally because the mixture can be applied to the whole canvas in a think layer I used the tip of the paintbrush and wrote the word LOVE in the mixture.
After everything was dried I painted the canvas, then sanded the images I had created in the mixture. Plaster of Paris can be sanded! One final step you could also do is color the sanded star with ink or paint to make it pop even more.
By using the Gesso and Plaster of Paris mixture you can create dimension in your projects. Plaster of Paris can be used on canvas, wood and chipboard as long as you Gesso the area before applying the mixture.
Next week we will have more fun tips using Gesso so stop back by.
Ramona
GESSO PART IIII: LAYERS
As you know, I start a lot of projects and don't finish them - my list includes the altered shadow (cigar) box, the mystery sewing project and many more I'm ashamed to mention. There is also this little project:I started this altered journal a few years ago, (yes, YEARS) to experiment in creating layers. I had taken a class and learned a little about gesso and gel medium and how to use them to create layers and texture to mixed media projects. I thought a few of you might want to know how to create layers and decided to do a quick tutorial for the blog using this book.
I started on a blank page. The following steps and pictures will walk you through what I did to create the final look:
1. Gesso page. This is important on any type of paper or surface you use but necessary on a glossy paper or surface.
2. Paint a light coating of paint, I used off white colored paint as I didn't know what colors I wanted the final project to be. I used Golden acrylic paints which is tubed, thick, paint so I mixed in gel medium which thins the paint but doesn't dampen the color.
3. Once the paint is dry I layered a coat of gel medium on page. This layer doesn't have to cover every inch, you can brush it on in a thin, uneven, layer. There is a reason to applying an uneven layer - you'll know why in Step 4. Gel medium is being used as an adhesive in this project.
4. Immediately place tissue paper over the pager, spread it over your page and I encourage wrinkles. When it dries you tear pieces of the tissue paper off. Where the glue was uneven the tissue paper lifts off. To create more noticeable texture you can crumble the tissue paper before laying it over the gel medium. Apply another layer of gesso,let it dry and add a coat of pain.
5. I then stamped images on a separate piece of tissue paper and repeated step 4.
6. When I was happy with my texture I added another light coating of gesso and added more paint. I added a golden yellow color, bright pink and off white. To create a rubbed look I took a wet wipe and brushed some paint off while it was drying.
I then added some collage items:
Be creative today!
Samantha
