This Is Where Things Get Confusing

I am taking awesome notes in my little notebook and also on my laptop when Victor does power point. I really enjoy the laptop note taking as I am a fast typist, and also I didn't have this advantage when I went to school from 99- 01. 


Last Tuesday and Thursday was all about mixing gesso and priming our boards. I am going to try to put this more useful part in the blog so it is permanent: 


There are three boards we have prepared/or are in the process for preparing for the three techniques we are accomplishing: 




#1 board is for the Van Eyck painting


#2 board is for the Titian


#3 board is for the Rubens 




#1 board should only be primed with traditional gesso which is also called "Chalk Gesso"- the mixture for this is:


      1 cup titanium dioxide
      1 cup gypsum cement, and 
      1 part sizing. 
      The sizing being a 1:12 mixture of sizing and water. 




       THEN ADD 1-3 PARTS WATER. (yes...confusing) 


#2 board is a "1/2 absorbent ground": 


This mixture is a combination of 1 part boiled linseed oil to 5 parts traditional gesso- which you have already made as stated above. 




#3 board is a "non-absorbent ground" (and this is done on your board which has the canvas- which was adhered with rabbit skin glue mixture.) 




       1 part boiled linseed oil
       1 part turpenoid (Victor used Weber brand) 




mix these together in a container 


add to: 




       1 part gypsum powder 
       1 part titanium dioxide




this mix starts out as chunky and then you mix first with the mud knife (from Home Depot or similar) and then mix with the grinder or pestle to get all the chunks out. Add more of your boiled linseed oil and turpenoid as necessary to make a not too thin, not too thick paste. 






Board #1 needs at least three coats, maybe four. Boards 2 needs most likely three coats, and Board #3 needs 2, but more likely three coats. 




So far I have one coat on boards 2 and 3- as my mixture for #2 and #3 was too oily (and I knew it was, but the grad assistant told me to add too much boiled linseed oil to the traditional gesso mix- and I did it full well knowing that it was not dissolving properly) This is fine, however, because it will just take a few more weeks to dry and then I will re-mix and prime my #2 and #3 boards. :)