This one is painted on a high quality linen canvas that I stretched and primed myself.
The other artist in the workshop taught me how to stretch and prime using rabbit glue and champagne chalk. The rabbit glue makes the canvas taut like a drum and 5 layers of chalk primer plus sanding makes it extremely smooth. I don't think I'll ever be able to paint on another surface. Just luxurious
I ended up going back in to work on the eyes and completely ruined it by losing all the painterly strokes there. I'll probably do a third pass and redo the eyes again.
I'll take some pics or videos next time we're prepping canvases and share them
Actually using rabbit glue... I've been told that smells bad, so I never even attempted to use it for my own canvasses.
When I stretch and prime a canvas myself I always use 2 layers of "buttermilk" gesso. And then 2 or more layers of "yoghurt" gesso. And one final default gesso thickness layer. The very thin layers first so the gesso can really soak into the fibers of the cotton. It does tighten the cotton, but probably not as much as the rabbit glue.
Never used champagne chalk either.
Can you get it is as a ready to use paint or do you mix it yourself?
All that said, I like how the portrait turned out!
It smelled only a little bit, not even worth mentioning to be honest.
The chalk is mixed with more rabbit glue and water. We had it as a dry powder
Sign in to leave a comment.
Not a member yet?
Join over 6879 other painters and share your
paintings with the world!
I love everything about this painting! It is perfectly volumetric and the color choices on that canvas color have great balance. I wonder @Felix if you would be willing to write an article on that canvas prep; I would love to learn about it!