Dear Moderator
I am trying to find a way of working that produces the best possible combination of characteristics for my way of working I currently have a thin linen which I want to adhere to panel once I do a decent painting on it Because it’s fairly thin it’s not taking the acrylic size well despite using a good acrylic matte medium in two coats which I’ve previously tested and used without problems With this linen however I’m getting strikethrough of oil paint on tests I’ve made Consequently I thought I’d try sizing it with the same medium then applying a couple of layers of good quality acrylic primer to prevent this strikethrough and then a final coat or two of my preferred lead oil primer Does this seem a reasonably sound given that ultimately it will be adhered to a panel? PS sorry most of my punctuation keys are refusing to work!
Thanks Sarah–very helpful!
In terms of our own testing this would be than fine. You also might try simply applying a third coat of Matte Medium since – in general – a medium will be less porous than an Acrylic Gesso and so should block oil better. But then, we have not tested multiple brands along these lines, and certainly there are variations among different manufacturers.
You might also want to see how tight or loose the linen is. If it is very open, and you can see a lot of light coming through spaces between the weave, what you are sensing as strike-though might simply be a function of very open textile. At that point you are relying on the size to bridge and fill in these open spaces, and that can mean needing additional layers. If this is true, then going forward you should try to find as tight a weave as possible as that will give you the strongest structure.
Hope this helps.
Sarah Sands
Senior Technical Specialist
Golden Artist Colors
I agree with Sarah, it’s not a good idea to rely heavily on sizing to fill spaces in the weave. You might get better coverage, however, if you pumice the fabric before sizing. The openings in canvas weave hold air pockets that repel liquid- this is why a canvas tent can keep out the rain, until you touch it and break the bubbles. By pumicing, you may be able to comb out some fibers that will help bridge the openings and get better results with the sizing.
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