What is the best receipt of gesso for painting in oil on wooden panels ?

I would like to make my own gesso for panel or plywood. What and how to do best ?What is the best receipt of gesso for painting in oil on wooden panels ?
I recommend you to find a book from Cennino Cennini written ini1445 or something like that, you will find all the receipts old masters used at that time, I think nobody invented any better.


http://culturexy.blogspot.comWhat is the best receipt of gesso for painting in oil on wooden panels ?
I am trying to do the same thing. Since acrylic gesso is for flexible supports and the hide/rabbit glue and chalk is too smelly and time consuming, there must be something else. What about Plaster of Paris. Does anyone know if it would crack? Report Abuse

I wouldn't bother: the process is pretty complicated and tedious (and stinky!). I had to do it once in art school for a specific course (on canvas, in that case; we also had to hand-grind some oil paints). I would use store-bought acrylic gesso, but the panel should be sized first (see second link).





';The basic ingredients of traditional gesso are rabbit skin glue and white chalk (whiting). Gesso is not a flexible ground and should not be used on a flexible support such as stretched canvas. It was used by the Flemish on wood panels, for which it is still very much useful, especially for creating a pure white ground. To make the gesso ground more white, Titanium White pigment can be added in proportions of 1:9 with the whiting or precipitated chalk. For a very smooth finish surface, clay can be added. (red or white bole, China clay, or kaolin). For a rough surface with tooth, add powdered pumice, sand, silica or silex (powdered quartz), marble grit or limestone dust. Marble dust is commonly available from art supply dealers for this purpose and some premixed gesso powders have marble in the ingredients.





Gesso Recipe


Soak 3 ounces of rabbitskin glue in 28 fluid ounces of cold water overnight, or until it has swollen and absorbed its full capacity of water. It whould then be of a uniform pale color and of soft consistency throughout, without any dark or tough spots. Heat in a double boiler until dissolved, stirring occasionally. Do not boil, scorch, or overheat! Add more water to bring the total to 1 quart, heat through, and stir in 1 pound of chalk. It is then ready to be brushed onto your panel in thin liquid coatings. For complete instructions on preparing gessoed boards, see Ralph Mayer's book, The Painter's Craft.';


http://www.sanders-studios.com/instructi鈥?/a>





Here is a discussion on the preparation of wood panels for oil painting:


http://www.amien.org/forums/showthread.p鈥?/a>





Also, on Supports %26amp; Grounds for Painting:


http://www.artcellar.net/supportgroundsp鈥?/a>