What is Gesso? How To Use Gesso + Why It's Important For Sketchbooks & Paintings!

What is Gesso?! That is a great question! In the video, I answer all of the highly requested questions about gesso and why it is important! It is a great base layer for your paintings and I always use it in my creative process! I show examples of acrylic paintings, oil paintings, some illustrations, and my sketchbook! I hope you find it satisfying and helpful.

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[fangirlfangirl]

TIP: Gesso is also great to mix with acrylic paints! It makes the paint look thicker and not as streaky! Great to make cheap paints look more expensive :)

[williardbillmore]

When I was in art school in the 70s I discovered that flat white acrylic house paint has all the same properties of Liquitex gesso at a fraction of the cost. I could buy a gallon of house paint at the hardware store for less than what a quart of Gesso cost at the art supply store
The oil paintings I did back then, 50 years ago, using flat white acrylic house paint as gesso, still hold up today.

[williardbillmore]

The white pigment in gesso, titanium oxide, allows you to draw with a pure silver point instead of a graphite pencil. Unlike graphite silver point drawings will not smear and the fine crisp lines will oxidize to a beautiful sepia tone over time giving your drawings the look of Leonardo's sketchbooks.
A small piece of silver wire held in a mechanical pencil does the job and will not wear down for years.
It is a very different discipline from drawing with graphite because no matter how hard you press down the line will not become darker. Variation in density and tone is achieved by the spacing of crosshatching and fineness of line.

[justinmorgan]

mix fine talc (baby powder) with white glue and you've got all the gesso you'll ever need for a tenth of the price of shop bought stuff.

[Christodophilus]

I was taught to always gesso a canvas or board before painting, but never knew exactly why. Now I do! Oh, and never would have thought to gesso a sketch book, to prevent materials seeping through to the other side. Great advice, and thanks for sharing.

[ericswain]

While this may be a good practice generally I would think that 4-8 coats under the finished painting may be prone to craquelure and flaking over time as paintings that endure for many many years may be exposed to many more ambient conditions such as Heat, Cold, Humidity, Etc... I am an Art collector and a few of my paintings have suffered such a fate which I believe from too many base layers though thin. Yes some of them are quite old and may have inferior paint and Gesso materials. The more coats the more prone to mechanical movement especially canvas and paper or any flexible substrate. Another thing to consider is the surface itself such as masonite, solid wood panels, and laminated woods, and their thicknesses that expand and contract sometimes quite a bit so there may be additional coating steps and preps if one wants their artwork to stand the long test of time. Yes, materials are much better today but I fear with the advent of so many paints and techniques and heavy impastos etc.. that there will be many works lost to inadequate forethought of materials and substrates in combination leading up to disaster. Side note Jess Karp nice artwrk.

[michaeljohnangel]

"Gesso" means "plaster" in Italian. Up until the middle of the 20th century, painters would use a type of gesso made in the studio, using powdered plaster (chalk, calcium carbonate) and an organic glue (usually rabbitskin glue). Acrylic gesso is not a gesso, but it does work well as a primer for one's canvas. The best commecially available gesso is Golden Gesso; it is, in fact, a gesso made with calcium carbonate and a synthetic glue (which is better than the traditional rabbitskin glue, since it doesn't yellow with time and remains flexible).

[hiddentidesgaming]

It's also good to gesso the back of your wrap canvases, as this will seal the raw wood and raw canvas backs, making them last longer and less chance of getting ruined.

[AlssadaryaM]

This is such an amazing video! As a self taught artist of many mediums I often learn by trying things blind or from wonderful videos like this. I wouldn't have thought about using Gesso before because I honestly had no idea what it is but now I want to try it out immediately in my sketchbooks. Thank you so much for sharing :)

[hannahnfvideos]

Can you post a video of an “old” sketchbook tour? Like when you first started drawing? Or even your oldest artwork?

[thelilyfactor]

The timing of this video couldn’t be better. I just started using varnish from that brand for acrylic painting, and I couldn’t find very many videos showcasing all of its uses as well as how to use it. This is so helpful! Thank you!

[rtsartmania]

Your channel has been a major source of inspiration for me to be more creative on my Channel! Thank you jess❤️

[davidnicolas]

I’m not an artist but I was looking to prepare my 7 year olds daughters canvases properly. I must say I think your “sketch” book is beautiful.

[toobad]

nice tip jess, FYI -I use a small hardware or paint store roller. much less sanding, no streaks, drips or errors.

[BLTV_Photoshop]

You're such a wonderful artist, Jess!

[BetaGolchin]

I gessoed my Sketchpad paper as an experiment many months ago and immediately saw the difference. I use it within the tape edge markings and not outside it. Once the painting is finished and I peel the tape, the painting looks almost 3D. It’s remarkable how awesome Gesso is for the finished result

[VisualMind]

I've seen a lot of people use Gesso but never really knew that much about it. Thank you so much for this informative video! Also your artwork is absolutely breathtaking!

[lynx_the_artist]

Can we just take a moment to appricate her beautiful nails

[ptaylor]

I use sponge brushes. Comes out nice and smooth. I also go for the large size so I don't have as many "stroke lanes" (which is a term I made up out of the blue because brush strokes made me think of bowling alley lanes. 🙄 Yes, I can be a weird person. 😏)

[PixiePrincess]

Ooh, I didn't know Gesso helps with gouache on sketchbooks! I usually treat gouache as I do watercolor when it's in a sketchbook, so I'm gonna give this a try! ;3
I had a question regarding using oils in sketchbooks: Do you have any issues with the lighter colors yellowing over time? No one seems to want explain this one to me, and I really want to give it a try...