I’ve started prepping my own canvases, but it is expensive! So I now buy the cheap cotton with 2 to 3 layers of gesso…BUT I add 2 layers of oil ground over it. Reductive painting I can get back to bright white canvas for highlights where I can’t with acrylic gesso as it holds the paint just a bit. When I prep bare linen I use either rabbit skin glue or pva size from gamblin, let dry then add a few layers of oil ground. Extremely time consuming and expensive for beginners but worth it if that’s something you really want to do. I don’t think I will be doing it again for some time…it wears me out haha

@@KrstnaSchroeder Kristina, based on what you wrote, you have a very good understanding of preparation, and yes this format is well worth the effort. The truth about pre made cotton canvases is that they can be modified, and are exceptionally useful, when extra layers of acrylic primer and subsequent oil ground are added. The concept of the "best canvas" to paint on, is so very subjective, that it is very unproductive to try to coral any other artists into a particular method. Even artists who are trying to copy Odd Nerdrum's style, and use only linen, could benefit from other materials. For example, in building up layers, any particular weave present in linen, quickly disappears, or only telegraphs through, in a minor way. In some ways, burlap/jute could be considered as useful, or perhaps more useful, based on proper preparation, of course. I would point out that some of the present day fabrics, sch as polyester linen, are superior in every way. There are just so many methods, and if someone asks for suggestions, all we can do is provide a few helpful ideas, but certainly not convey the best for them, or their technique. I think that many if not most artists do what you have done. Make canvases, make paint, make mediums, make easels, etc. Eventually, when we realize how much time this takes, and how it cuts into actually making art, we head to the art supply store, and buy a tube of paint, or a canvas.

And mix some chalk into the gesso!

@@afh553 No, of course not. Good quality gesso already has all the ingredients you need in the right proportion, and adding more chalk would only weaken the proportion of binder. Bad idea.

Correct. The linen I use and have linked in the description is glued

@@NicThurman good to mention in future videos, since people will probably just go to the market, buy cheap linen and slap an oil ground on it.

@@NicThurman What glue are you using to prepare the canvas? Is this your own company?