Re: Oil Painting Support?

 

Re: oil painting support?

Hi there.
I received the new issue of FCA magazine which had an article by you regarding oil painting supports.  I am quite disturbed by this as I wonder if all the paintings I have sold will soon disintegrate!!  Please help me figure out if I am still okay.  I paint with water miscible oil paints on pre stretched canvases that are gessoed with acrylic gesso three times.  Once from the factory and twice by me.  I paint in very thin layers, even the first layer.  There is no impasto.  I see no leakage to the back on any of my paintings.  Question:  If I buy the pre-stretched canvases with the one layer of gesso and add my own layers of PVA and oil ground on top, will this be okay?  Can the PVA be used on canvas as well as linen?  Can you buy pre-stretched linen canvas?  Where?  You also say that there is an alkyd resin available- does this take the place of the PVA or is it in addition to?  Please send me as much information regarding supports, especially those already made up - I am not prepared to start making my own.  Thank you!!
Donna

Hi Donna,

I am sorry to be bringing the bad news to you, and to many others who are concerned about the permanence of their paintings.  It is unfortunate that such basic technical information is not common knowledge with artists.  We are trying to fix that problem. 

Your paintings, as you describe them, will be as permanent as any oil paintings could be on cotton canvas.  I am sure they will last a long time.  It is a good idea to put the extra coats of gesso on the front. I think that your other ideas may be a further improvement as well...

I have seen pre-stretched linen on canvas in stores.  You can ask at your favorite art store if they can get it in for you.  Have you considered painting on hardboard instead of canvas?  It is more stable and permanent than cotton or even linen for oils.  I know that some painters prefer the texture and surface tension of canvas better for their style of painting.  They sell ready cut and primed pieces of hardboard (sometimes called 'door skins') at opus I believe. An extra coat or two of acrylic gesso, just like you do with the canvases, would make a permanent painting support for oils. 

Yes you can use PVA on cotton as well as linen.  It is a good idea to coat the ready-made canvas, front and back, with the PVA, then add the oil ground on top.  Putting a coat of size (PVA) on the back will protect the fragile cotton fibers from deterioration from exposure to the elements and it will make it less hydroscopic (water absorbent) so that it will not flex as much.  Dried layers of oil paint become brittle and hard and don’t really like to sit on flexing surface as you can imagine.  The alkyd resin primer IS the oil ground and it replaces the acrylic gesso ground, not the size (PVA).  For those who are concerned about using lead white oil grounds you can check the ingredients on the can.  Most oil based primer using alkyd resins don’t use lead white anymore. 

I hope you feel better Donna, if you have any more Q's please drop me a line. 
 
Hi David. 

I'm trying to get started painting on hardboard, so today I went to Home Hardware and got some 1/8".  I asked for the kind that did not have oil in it ( you said it was the light kind), and the clerk said that the 1/8" stuff I bought was not tempered.  It's still bugging me, though, because it looks dark to me  (and it was darker than the 1/4"). What do you think?  I don't want my painting to peel off in a year or something!

Thanks,
Chris

Hi Chris,

If the clerk says that it is untempered then it mostly likely is.  Hardboard comes in different shades of brown depending on the source. If you are still uncertain, ask to see some 'tempered' hardboard (with oil in it) so that you can compare.  That way you will see how different it looks and feels and be better able to judge for yourself in the future. 

have fun!