Priming Painting Panels

Since people always ask me this in the gallery, both Robert and I now work on wood panels instead of canvas or linen.  It takes a bit more work to get just the right surface but in the end the smooth finish seems to soot the types of paintings we make.

Here’s what we do…

I lightly sand by hand the wood surface before putting on a layer of Gesso. It’s worth it to buy the nicer Gesso because you end up putting on less coats. Then I use one of those green sponges that you can buy at any store.  The sponges that are made out of actual sponge tend to break up and little bits of stuff get into the surface you are trying to prime.  Also, rollers, palette knives, and brushes tend to make a texture as you apply the Gesso and you end up sanding most of the Gesso off to try to get a flat surface.  A slightly wet synthetic sponge seems to be the best thing we’ve found.

 After the first layer dries, which I put on a bit thicker, I lightly sand with an electric sander with a very fine finishing grit sandpaper.  I add on a second layer and then, by hand with a fine grit sandpaper, sand after the layer dries. Usually it takes at least four layers, with sanding between each one, to get just the right surface.

Sometimes wood panels will have “teeth” marks along the edges from where the chop-saw cut the wood.  To fill those in, I like to use an aerosol can of spray Gesso for the last layer and focus it on the edge.  I would probably use aerosol Gesso to apply all the layers but it’s expensive and not a good environmental practice.

Here’s the thing, everyone has their own recipe of what works for them, for example: Nathan Durfee usually uses pre-primed masonite, Amy Lind paints on linen that she stretches and primes herself, Fred Jamar paints on canvas, Erik Johnson, Adam Hall, Robert Lange, and I all prime our own birch wood panels with Gesso. JB Boyd and Karen Ann Myers prime wood panels with oil ground etc…

There are tons of sites dedicated to teaching artists how to create archival works.  It is also important to remember that you’re an artist, which means, don’t follow “rules” just because “you read it someplace” and make works that you love, artists like Basquiat used house paint on metal.

Cheers – Megan