The most important part of a painting is the preparation of the painting surface. It begins with the support, which is usually stretched canvas or a panel of some kind. I have always chosen to work on panels. When I work on canvas it is first glued to a panel. Panels are less sensitive to humidity and temperature fluctuations. They move less over time than stretched canvas. The oils in oil paint will weaken canvas fibers. Wooden panels can be acidic and will discolor the pigments in paint. For these reasons it is necessary to isolate the paint from the support and prepare the surface for paint with a layer of gesso. Gessoes vary in absorbency. Some painting mediums such as egg tempera require a very absorbent surface for adhesion. Oil paint on the other hand will separate if the surface is too absorbent. The most absorbent gesso is a traditional gesso made from a combination of hide glue, white pigment and a body of marble dust, clay or chalk. The absorbency can be adjusted by the addition of oil into the gesso. Traditional gesso is used for water-based paints like egg tempera, casein or India ink. Less absorbent is acrylic gesso. Acrylics become chemically inert once they dry to a film and it is also tough and durable. It is a suitable surface for acrylic paints, acrylic inks and oil paint. The least absorbent surface is the oil ground. It is unsuitable for acrylic paints but is the proper surface for oil paints, though the few times I’ve used it I found it difficult to work on. Another function of gesso is to provide a brilliant white surface to reflect light through the paint and this is particularly a strong feature when using oil paint in glazes.

Working as an egg tempera painter I found that I not only needed to make my own paint, but also a traditional gesso ground to work on. There are many variations of the traditional gesso. Gelatin, and casein glue can be substituted for hide glue. Lead white, titanium white or other white pigments can be used and there are many substances such as marble dust and slacked plaster that have been used for the body of the gesso.

A panel begins by rubbing the board down with alcohol after it has been sanded. When dry it is given a coat of hide glue.

The gesso is applied with a brush, foam roller, or spatula. When dry it can be sanded between coats. I usually apply 4-5 coats.

When I glue canvas to the board I soak the canvas with hide glue and when dry use a spatula to force the gesso into the weave of the canvas.

Boards should be gessoed front and back to minimize cupping. To prevent warping of large panels, Boards need to be 'Cradled' with strips of wood glued to the back. With so many pregessoed boards and canvases available why would anyone go to the trouble of making their own. The answer is to produce a board that is right for you and the media you plan to work with. Prepareing a surface that takes paint readily can be well worth the trouble. Anyone interested in trying different materials to work with I recommend Robert Massey's book Formulas for Painters