How to Gesso an Oil Painting

Before you start painting you have to gesso your canvas. Although it might seem pointless with all the ready made canvases available, if done correctly these will last far longer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• wooden frames
• canvas
• gesso
• brush
• staple gun
• nails

1. Get four same sized pieces of wood and nail them together, forming a square. Make sure the nails are properly placed on all sides. This will be the frame of your picture

2. Take your canvas and stretch it as far as possible. Evenly smooth the canvas over the outer edges of the frame. With a staple gun staple over the edge of the canvas. Do the same thing with all four sides of the frame smoothing the edges of the canvas over every side and making sure the canvas is as tight as possible before you staple each part.

3. Take out your gesso paint and with a flattened brush start to paint evenly over the canvas. Make sure the coat is distributed evenly through the painting let dry for a couple hours.

4. Once the canvas is dry, add another coat of gesso repeating the same procedure.

5. If necessary, add another coat. If not begin painting your masterpiece!

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the canvas is smoothed out before stapling or it causes wrinkling
• Avoid clumps by continously thinning out the gesso
• Do not point the staple gun or hammer towards your fingers