Post 440: To Gesso or Not to Gesso, That Is the Question

To Gesso or Not to Gesso, That Is the Question

Do you prime your canvas before you begin to paint? Gesso is something that is a personal decision for every artist, encompassing different situations; HIGHLY recommended for raw canvas, gesso is subject to artist likes and dislikes in textures and smoothness, perhaps optional on pre-primed ready-made canvas, but applying a gesso base goes a long way toward priming your surface before you lay down your painting. Let's learn all about gesso in this blog post.

 

Justyn-Warner-VH8w75u3LE0-unsplash

What is Gesso?

According to Wikipedia, gesso is:

"Gesso (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒɛsso]; 'chalk', from the Latin: gypsum, from Greek: γύψος), also known as "glue gesso" or "Italian gesso", is a white paint mixture used to coat rigid surfaces such as wooden painting panels or masonite as a permanent absorbent primer substrate for painting. Gesso is used in painting as a preparation for any number of substrates such as wood panels, canvas, and sculpture as a base for paint and other materials that are applied over it." - Wikipedia Gesso

 

Here's Emmy from Jerry's Artarama, Jerry's Live Episode #JL307: All About Gesso

By the way, subscribe to the Tuesday afternoon Jerry's Live shows - always good, endless topics, and occasionally you can win something! This video is well worth your time to learn more about the what, why, hows and choices available about gesso.

Usually you will find gesso in Titanium White when you purchase it, but you may find it in Black as well. But, good to know, you can color your own gesso too, which I think can make a great base to begin on for many purposes.

How to Gesso

There isn't necessarily a right or wrong - its up to you and what you want to achieve on your surface. This is where applying gesso goes "off the edge of the canvas" (as opposed to "off the rails"). And it is interesting to understand that there are as many ways of applying gesso as there is in brands of gesso. Again, its all in the artist preferences and you don't know that until you give it a go one way or another. Here are a few suggestions.

• You can apply gesso with a soft brush, palette knife, or trowel
• On an acrylic-based gesso, you can apply with a wet brush or you may admire the texture of the non-watered down application. 
• Acrylic based gesso has very easy cleanup of your brush or tools with water.
• You can use an acrylic-based gesso UNDER an oil painting but you cannot use an oil-based gesso UNDER an acrylic painting. 
• If doing an acrylic painting, you can start painting gesso as soon as the gesso is dry to the touch, which is fairly quickly. 
• If your doing an oil painting, wait at least 24 hours before applying the paint over the gesso.
  

Do You Use Gesso? - From our PWAS Members  

The question about gesso was asked of our Prince William Art Society members and wow, I'm sure glad I asked! I learned even more just by sending the question out there. The PWAS membership consists of artists at every level, from art beginners to VERY experienced professionals. Some members studied art while in school and college while others are self-taught.  

Here is the wonderful feedback that they sent in...

From PWAS Member Patti Durbin

"Sometimes I use one coat of gesso to create texture on the canvas before painting."

From PWAS Member Otis Stanley, PWAS Photographer

Yes, I use gesso, usually one coat . I do not mix it with water.

From Elizabeth Stathis, PWAS President 2024-2025

"I was taught how to build my own canvas from scratch. Raw linen or canvas stretched then gesso'd with water.

Let dry.

Sand it smooth.

Gesso'd thicker.

Let dry.

Sand again.

Gesso full thickness.

Let dry.

Sanded smooth.

One Gesso coat on back of canvas.

Let dry, no sanding needed.

When you no longer see the canvas weave on the front, you are done.

I'm sure there are other versions out there."

From PWAS Member Janice "Cookie" Bell

"I'm sending this to you for Raymond Bell.  It's what he used for preparing his board

for his soft pastel paintings. I believe he originally got this from the Pastel Society.

Hope it's useful for those interested.....  it worked so well for him for years.

 

                           Fill a pint jar one-third of water. Then add one or two

                           tablespoons of Gesso and stir. Next, add another

                           one-third pint of water.  To this, add one tablespoon of

                           white glue, three tablespoons of pumice (powder FF

                           medium at hardware store, usually in paint or furniture

                           refinishing area), and one or two more tablespoons of

                           Gesso and stir well.  Finally, fill the jar almost to the

                           top with water and add three more tablespoons of 

                           pumice and one or two more tablespoons of Gesso.

                           Stir the mixture well.

 

                           Apply the mixture to the board with a brush, using

                           horizontal strokes in one direction, apply to both sides.

                           When dry, apply second coat vertically to both sides.

 

I know this sounds like a never-ending procedure but it worked miracles in getting the pastel to stick to the board, although it does not smell too good!!  The outcome

was worth it all.  You know, Raymond did not like the pastel paper.......never held up as good as the board.

 

Hope this has been a help.  Wish he was here to help more!"

From PWAS Member Mickey Winslow

"In answer to your question about gesso; when I used to stretch my own canvasses I did use several coats of gesso on them & also on purchased canvasses. It just made for an interesting surface to work on.  If the gesso was too thick, I would use water to thin it down.  Hope this helps."

From Bettie Sperty, PWAS Co-Secretary

"I have used Gesso on occasion, but since most of my canvases and surfaces are pre- gessoed, I don’t use it on a regular basis. Where I have used it is when preparing naked wooden panels. Or, if a canvas is unusually coarse, I will apply a layer of gesso and once it is dry, I’ll sand it a bit and wipe with a damp cloth. Repeat if necessary."

From PWAS Member Mark Clifton

I paint with oil and use acrylic gesso. 3 or 4 coats on canvas straight out of the container, undiluted, lightly sanded. Store bought pre-gessoed canvas gets the same 3 or 4 extra coats. Sides are also gessoed so they don't rot. Hardboard panels get 3 or 4 coats front, back, and edges.

From PWAS Member Kacy Egan

"Thanks for the Question. This prompted me to research what is Gesso. 

I’ve always use pre-primed canvas. I had no idea that this could improve my art work. Is it possible to add color to the Gesso?"

From Donna Liguria, PWAS Blog Admin

"I didn't use it at first...as a self-taught artist I had to learn to use it and why. Since then, all of my canvases have at least 2 layers of gesso, sometimes 3 (except for the mini canvases). At 3 or more coats, the acrylics start acting weird, so I have found that I like the 2 coats better. Occasionally, I use sandpaper on it for more smoothness, and I apply the gesso with a plastic straight-edged trowel. Next time, after this blog post, I'd like to try it with a brush - this has been enlightening!" 

A big thank you to all the PWAS Members that sent in their gesso notes.

And so do we, Cookie. 

And Kacy, I asked the same questions when I began taking ART more seriously a few years back. I've actually learned even MORE about gesso just asking our PWAS members!

Do you gesso? What can you share about your process? What brand do you like and how do you apply it? Drop a comment below.

For Further Exploration on the Topic

What is Gesso?

Oil Over Acrylic Application Guidelines

How to Prime a Canvas using Gesso for Acrylic Painting

 

How to Gesso from Siso Art 

Note that a few more responses are coming in from PWAS Members, I'll add them in as they arrive!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 438: Managing an Art Show for an Art Group

Managing an Art Show for an Art Group

This is a guide will help the nonprofit art group member artists that volunteer to manage the art shows and popup art displays for their group, wherever they are. Indoor, outdoor, under a tent or under a pavilion. All of which gives the artist membership a way to sell their artwork, build camaraderie and networking relationships with each other, builds confidence and introduces your artwork to the world. Artists can learn a TON by leading AND by being a part of these group shows.

 

The Prince William Art Society at the Occoquan Arts and Crafts Show, September 2022

Art Show Coordinator 

Managing the art show shouldn't or doesn't have to be a one-person chore. Recruit your art group friends and/or family to help manage the various tasks. Assign who will do what including getting the group's equipment needed to and from the show as well as your own artwork there and back again. And hopefully, the load is lighter on the way home.

Its great when you have a solo artist show and you are your own show coordinator, but you still need a family member or friend to help you work that show. From vehicle to setup, working the show, to take down, and back to vehicle. Your art group show may give you less space to show your art, but the work load, the lower cost to enter, and the generated publicity really help! 

About 1 - 3 Months in Advance (or as soon as practical)

CONTACTS – Identify the primary Point of Contact (POC) for the show / event venue and make sure that arrangements are made for your group's participation. Is there a fee to be paid to enter? A due date? Obtain as much info as you can on the event, including promotion materials and flyers, postcards, digital info and links. Disperse that info to your marketing team.

• Do you need electricity or WiFi?
• How much space are you allowed? Do you need a one space or double space for your group? Typically, a single space is 10'x10' or 8'x8'.
  
• Do you have a choice of an end of row or corner booth? (Usually more space, and 2-sided.)
  
• Where is your space located at the show?
• Where do you park? Drop-off, pickup?
• Where are the bathrooms?!!
  

ADVERTISING - Obtain as much info as you can on the event and make sure that the basic info is being shared with members. Dates and exact times for setup and the actual start times are imperative. Is there a rain-date?

• Have your advertising / marketing / social media members promote the art show well in advance - and NOT just once. 
• Post on all of your website, blog, personal website(s), social media options.
• ALL of your members and especially those participating should help promote the show. (Think 3 Musketeers - "All for one and one for all!")
  
•  Look for other opportunities, different ways and angles to advertise your art group’s participation in the event.  Get creative.

FORMS - Update the basic inventory form with show information (e.g., date, time, location). Each artist should create a basic inventory form of all the artwork and prints they are displaying at the show. This protects the both the artist and art group in many ways. As sales are made, the sales persons marks on the artist's inventory sheets.

FINANCES - Decide if your group's artists will be charged a fee to participate. Some art groups base this decision on what the venue charges per space. Also, ensure your participating artists know your commission structure and when to expect their checks. 

Newer members and artists don't always know how things work so managing expectations is always a good idea.

ANNOUNCEMENT - Invite interested artists to contact you.  Start an email list and send a registration form and an inventory form to those interested. First come (or paid), first served (or spot reserved). 

• Art group shows will probably have limited space, depending on the venue, presentation methods, etc. Managing expectations to the potential artists gives them an idea on how much art they might pack, perhaps the "what has sold in the past", or other info / suggestions.
  
• Know how many artists you can accommodate and the maximum amount of space they have for their artwork. I recommend letting your membership know when you have reached maximum capacity - but its also good to have a plan B. A backup artist or two might be good to have in case something comes up for an artist.
• How much space and how many gridwalls and tables your art group have will determine how much art and how many members can be included.
  

ART GROUP BRANDED SIGNAGE - Review your art group's signage and branding needs, to know if you need to order additional printed materials. 

• Branded Banners, flags, signs, bags, etc.
  
• Printed materials from business cards to flyers and brochures. Do you need to give your membership flyers to handout prior to the show date? Allow time to update any of these deliveries and schedules.
• At one art show, we created an artist flyer of artists on display and if that artist took commissions. This generated work for several artists!
  

About One Month to 2 Weeks in Advance

Send a reminder email about the show to all group members to see if anyone else is interested in signing up. Remind members to contact you if they need a registration form or blank inventory.

ADVERTISING - Let your marketing people know to post online reminders and updates. Post up to day before reminders.

ART STANDS - Arrange for pickup and delivery of art show equipment, including donated / borrowed items. Identify someone to pick up display stands from the storage unit (or wherever they are stored) and deliver them to the show.

How many display stands does your art group have? Gridwall panels can hang art front and back.  Some members may have their own stands that they may be willing to bring or lend.  Depending on how many artists want to display, count how many gridwall areas you have and divide that by the number of signed up artists. 

• The size of gridwall panels will vary according to manufacturer but 37"x37" and about 72" tall stacked is average. The bases should accommodate single, double and triple holders and the top should be pinned together.
• Remember to bring the weights that rest on the bases too!
  
• Artworks cannot be larger than the gridwall panel. 
•  The brackets and hangers can vary as well, but the below shows a common style bracket for wired artwork.
  

PRINT RACKS - Will there be space for the use of print racks? How many? Many artists have print racks and table-sized racks and are willing to bring those and share. Space should be designated on where they will be placed.

Beware of print racks placed in sunny areas. The way that fine art prints are packaged, if in direct sun, moisture build up can occur.

TABLES - Decide how many tables you need. Some venues may provide tables and chairs or your artist members may have options as well. How much space do you have to accommodate your needs? 

At least ONE table is needed for art sales, wrapping and information.

CANOPIES / TENTS - Determine if you will be using canopies.  A typical tent for an outdoor art show space accommodates 10’x10’ canopies. AND typically, art festivals require that the tents must be white.  If you need more, ask your members willing to bring one.

• If rain is in the forecast, be prepared. Does your canopy or tent have tent walls? The gridwall panels may need to be moved in some for the protection of the art.
  
• Design a basic layout in the space allowed. Traffic flow within that layout is critical. Pass along the designed layout to your participants.
  
• Designate the Sales Area and needs. Two person minimum - one to manage the payment transaction with their full attention, and one to bag, wrap, chat with the person to make the purchase. 
• Give the buyer the business card of the artist.
• More info about your art group needed? Give them brochures or flyers about upcoming events. Promote the next show!
  

 

The Prince William Art Society at the Occoquan Arts and Crafts Show, 2023

About 1 Week in Advance

Coordinate with the art group's Treasurer to get:

• Square terminal, or however your art group manages credit card payments
• iPhones with plug in Square, or alternative
  
• Cash box
• Paper receipts - invoice books
  
• Additionally needed: Bags, Brochures and other printed handout materials, Bubblewrap (ALWAYS wrap artwork BUBBLES OUT!), wrapping paper, tape, etc.
  

Collect registration forms and inventories.  Be prepared; some people may not submit these documents until the morning of the show. 

Pay attention to the weather forecast for the day(s) of your art show as that can change not only the date, but how you show.

• A clipboard or 3-ring binder is a good way to manage these forms for an outdoor show.
• Bungee cords and tent weights are imperative! Tents and gridwalls must be grounded at outdoor events.
  

About 1 Day in Advance

Check your list of to-dos. Ensure equipment pickup and loading.

Finalize list of artists, send out a final reminder with arrival time, setup time, show times, tear down time, and shifts.

Ensure traffic flow for your planned setup allows for people to pass through and see ALL OF THE ART ON DISPLAY as best as it can be for the space allowed. Have your members understand that blocking the traffic flow should not happen - sure, you want to point out your art to interested parties, but allow traffic to pass. Move your discussion outside the traffic flow when possible.

Finalize the layout plan of display stands (group stands plus any personal stands). Deciding in advance how the stands will be arranged can reduce confusion on show day.

Also think about tables, print stands, and any signs, merchandise, and printouts you want to display. Will you be able to extend outside of your exact parameters by setting a print stand out front?

 

Prepare a "Go-Bag". Include all the "just in case" items because someone is always forgetting something. Extra labels, extra tape, pens, markers, scissors, bungee cords, hooks, inventory sheets, toolkit - they borrow it all.

Day of Show

The coordinator should arrive early, connect with the show organizers and get any last minute instructions. You should have all of your artist's contact info in case of any changes that need to be relayed.

• Oversee the setup of canopies (if used), art display stands, print stands, tables, and signs.
• Fairly allocate gridwall stand space (and table space if applicable) to the artists.  Traditionally, we have numbered every stand (or portion of a stand) and selected corresponding numbers from a hat.  Sometimes we have some extra stands that are available for overflow.
• Designate your art group's signage at front of display. An option we have used is to allow artists to hang one small artwork on the same area of the sign, around the art group's sign.
  
• Absolutely - get great pictures. Take pictures of your members in group photos, photos with your group's signage and logos. All of this will help advertise your art group in other ways and SHARE these photos and videos with your marketing, webmaster, social media and blog folks.
  
• Art purchasers LOVE to get their picture taken with the artist! Do that!
  

Of note here is that at outdoor art events, knowing where the sun is coming at your setup is something to be mindful of. The protection of art prints and some artwork may need to be tweaked during the day.

Speaking of tweaking, artists should periodically straighten up the artwork and tidy up the look of the entire show - and fill in empty spaces.

ADVERTISING - Some of your artists are great at taking videos to post to your social media - live, on day of show. Encourage the sharing of the event!

OUTDOOR SHOWS - Watch that weather! Anchor gridwalls and anything that a gust of wind can damage. Masking tape is better to hold labels to the artwork than scotch tape in the wind too.

Often at art shows and festivals, the buyer will ask if you can hold on to their purchase while they see the rest of the booths. Have a spot where everyone knows that this artwork is to be picked up later (with their invoice copy).

Special Circumstances

There are artists that will "Let's Make a Deal" in their discussions with potential buyers. I don't see anything wrong with that, just make sure your person taking care of the sale is aware and marks the sale appropriately. You may want the artist to initial the special pricing as well.

Discuss with your participants IF they want to offer a discount in the last 1/2 to hour of show. If one person is, the rest of the displaying artists should be on board with it too, in my opinion. This may help to prevent misunderstandings for the potential buyer as well - that the discount is on ALL art not just that person's art.

END of Show

Ok, your art group has concluded their day and the show is over. What now? An important item here is to note about "last minute shoppers". It happens, we've all seen it - and had some very good end of show sales! I know, I know, it's been a long day but watch if stragglers are still coming through that can be accommodated. Taking down the sales table should be when you are very sure things are done-done.

Show Coordinator:

• Collect inventory sheets, annotate sales as they occur.
• Inventory cash box.
• Turn over all receipts, annotated inventory sheets, equipment (phone and Square), and cash box to the Treasurer.
  
• Direct your participants of any special directions for the venue's equipment breakdown and placement as well as your art group's.
  

Art Show Participants:

• Take down the art, help the coordinator with their art (if needed/desired) and fellow members - carefully. Many artists are touchy about their art (which I consider a GOOD thing, carefully rewrapping and reloading their work. Be mindful about that.
  
• Take down tables, tents, folding chairs. Help reload everything and help wherever you are able.
  

One rule of thumb that I always liked to use is: No one's work is done until everyone's work is done. Everyone pitches in to help, to get setup and to take down in every way they can.

After the Show

Congratulations, you're done! Hopefully, your sales were good, the artists are happy, the job was well done. Fantastic!

....But maybe you could have done things a little better, or tweaked where this table was or that tent layout, or whatever. Chat with your participants and ASK how things went for them. What did they like, what did they dislike or thought could have been better? These are your Lessons Learned. Share that info with your art group so that at the next art show, the next show coordinator will know how to make the next event run even smoother.

After taking part in a number of shows and listening to other art members tell their art show stories, just know that about anything can happen. From sudden downpours and stuffing artwork in trash bags to a rogue wind gust taking down a gridwall, the potential is there for an "Uh-oh". Still, be prepared for the just-in-cases as much as you can, be flexible, but most of all, have fun.

For Further Reading:

Lessons Learned After the Show

How to Art Show Checklist

Display 

Art Show and Festival Videos

Art Fair - Top 10 Tips for Your First Art Festival or Art Market

What would you add to this story?

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Authors: Mark Murphy and the Prince William Art Society

 

Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits:
Donna Liguria

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!