Basics Gesso
Prepare your surface to receive paint

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An opaque white gesso to create the ideal absorbency, stiffness and adhesion for paint.
Sizes
16oz/473ml
16oz/473ml
Use with
Acrylic & oil paints/mediums | check |
Chalk & oil pastels | check |
Graphite, pencil & charcoal | check |
Use on
Raw canvas | check |
Hardboard & paper | check |
Wood & non-oily, porous supports | check |
Character
Lightfast & archival | check |
Permanent | check |
Non-yellowing | check |
Flexible & non-cracking | check |
Water-resistant when dry | check |
Intermixable with all Liquitex materials | check |
What it does
- Gives a matte white, opaque finish which provides a long-lasting base
- Primes surfaces and adds a high level of tooth for good color adhesion and stability
- Stiffens your canvases and creates the right absorbency for paint application
- Establishes a good surface for acrylics, oils, charcoal, pastels or pencil drawings
How to use it
- Fully intermixable with all Liquitex products
- Use undiluted or thin with up to 25% water
- Sand hard or shiny surfaces first, apply a thin coat with a wide, flat brush and leave to dry for at least 24 hours before starting to paint
- To create a smoother base, sand the surface and reapply gesso
- If using as a base for oils, apply 2-4 coats and sand between applications
- Add acrylic color to make a tinted gesso
How not to use
- You can use this as a dry base for oil paints, but do not mix with oils
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Tips & Techniques
Useful guides for working with mediums
Surface prep FAQs
Other artists have asked us...
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It's a classic titanium white opaque color - the perfect base for acrylic colors. -
Our acrylics will adhere to most surfaces but for a truly long-term bond, we recommend prepping some surfaces with gesso. Gesso will create the correct absorbency and tooth for your paint. -
You can use Basics Gesso as a base for oils when dry, but the rest of the range is for use with acrylics only.