Turpentine diaries 11/26/17

After flavoring my medium with additions for several days, today I used my normal medium.  I worked on this painting during both of today’s sessions.  When the painting surface is right, as with this painting, my normal medium is unbeatable. 

What is a good surface?  I like smooth surfaces.  ‘Smooth’ means the canvas weave is almost invisible.  As with my medium, I’ve tried a lot of different materials and processes.  Here’s my current practice:

A. 1 layer of GAC 100 (glue replacement)

B. 2 layers of extra-fine acrylic gesso. Each layer is sanded smooth.

C. 1 layer of oil-based ground applied with a scrapper. The scraper makes a smoother surface than simply painting it on.

D. 1 layer of middle-tone oil paint thinned with turpentine and containing a smidge of copal varnish. Applied with a brush.

I consistently get good surfaces with this process.  I will most likely drop the first step.  I use the GAC 100 to smooth the canvas tooth and make the application of the gesso faster.  The acrylic gesso does not require a layer of glue to protect the canvas as traditional oil grounds do.  I haven’t decided to replace the first step with another layer of gesso, or just drop it.