need more Gesso

[Steelhorse]

Hey everyone! Well, moving off the Bristol to Canvas....3 coats Gesso, sanding in between. I knew it wasn't enough. I had smooth area's and the texture showing still in areas.....not uniform. But, I went with it...learning curve. Well, right off I could tell that the prep should have been more. When scratching and using the erasers...too much grain from the canvas. I fought it and all was going OK until I hit nose section....lack of skill with the fade on the side of the nose....tried to blend it out with the erasers. Well, all I am left with is the canvas texture when I attempt to fade out my mistakes. LOL

It doesn't show up as bad in the pic as it does in real life. I guess it is for the best because if I did it well and then tried the hair and F'ed it up I would have been heart broken.....Now, I have a practise piece to scratch and burn!!! LOL

Well here it is....I won't tell ya who she is! Maybe next time I'll hit it right!

Steel

p.s. Hey Josie!!!! I did go back to the Driscoll's hehehehee. my lips have improved a tad! LOL

[Clinton]

Good start on Uma, you got the lips right. You might want to go ahead and finish it you might be suprised how it turns out. ;)

[Clem]

Steel, looking at it from here, (only a couple thousand miles and I have my glasses on), looks like it can be touched up. I'm like Clinton, go ahead and finish it up. Who knows, there may be more come up with the learning curve on canvas.

Like I said before, looks like a good start from here.

Clem

[Steelhorse]

Good start on Uma, you got the lips right. You might want to go ahead and finish it you might be suprised how it turns out. ;)

Damn Clinton!!!! I wanted it too be a surprise!!!! LOL:wink2: The eyes reveal the person....LOL

Yes, I will finish it. Like I said...it is probably better that it happen this way. Now when I try the hair for the first time, I won't cry so much. I watched Driscoll 2 times last night!!!

[josie]

Wpw great job on those lips Len....love em....i was gonna say Uma therman myself but someone beat me to it:wink2:

[Whit]

Finish it Len,,,
Lookin Good !!!
You'll find you tend to be more
critical of you'r own work !!!

[josie]

you better finish it:beat_deadhorse:

[Steelhorse]

Hey Clem! I will finish it my friend...like I said I am glad that this happened in a way; learning this new stuff and to have something go wrong, can send ya spinning. Kinda, like adding fingers to a hand.:wink2:

Thanks Josie...if you could see the canvas texture I am talking about, you would just cry!!!!

D!!! Yes Ma'am!!!! LOL I will finish it.....can't waste an attempt to learn!

[josie]

Len do you let the gesso dry naturally or can we use a heat gun or is this not good?

[blinddog 99]

Nice job thus far Len, you're gettin this down man! I could also tell it was Uma by the noseline and the lips. This has every chance of turning our awesome, keep it up!

[Steelhorse]

Len do you let the gesso dry naturally or can we use a heat gun or is this not good?

Josie, I let it dry naturally. Luc said that you can use a hair dryer, but I thought for my first time in thinning the Gesso out, that I would let it dry on it's own in case of brush marks.....Ah'natural:wink2:lol would allow them to lay down more if I had it too thick. Oh, the learning curve eh?!!!

[Steelhorse]

Nice job thus far Len, you're gettin this down man! I could also tell it was Uma by the noseline and the lips. This has every chance of turning our awesome, keep it up!


Thanks Dog! I keep trying and learning everyday. So many area's to deal with....PSI, paint reduction, and now canvas texture!!! hehehehee

[AirTodd]

Looking nice so far.Is that your own mix of grey?

[colourshift]

Steel... I've used a gessoing technique that I got from AD Cook... he uses a vinyl application tool (one of those two sided squeegee's that's about 3 1/2 inches) to lay on the gesso as smooth as possible..builds up 3-4 coats before he even starts to sand (320 wet dry, with a sanding block, and yeah...wet). Then sands every so often between coats to get any ridges out. I've done about 8 canvas' this way, and it's worked out fab. He does the edges too (gallery wrap), so you end up with this precise smooth shallow 'box' by the time you're done.

Also, I've been reading the threads on erasing?scraping techniques... I've found it's not effective for heavier applications of paint, works great for lighter. The more paint, the more the eraser wants to get hung up, or starts to create goo. The latter being especially true if your paint has 'glazed', meaning you've layed it on heavier than you should have...(uh, I still do this occasionally, apparently I'm impatient).

Back to topic... AD swears by Golden Gesso...it does have a good white pigment...however, had equally good results with Jerry's Ultimate? Gesso.
www.jerrysartarama.com

And your portrait looks like it's coming along nicely.

[josie]

Thanks for that tip color......so we dont need to sand between each coat is what u are saying?

[colourshift]

Thanks for that tip color......so we dont need to sand between each coat is what u are saying?

nope, not until you build up a certain amount of gesso, or else you start hitting canvas...and it's fuzz city. Using the vinyl appl. tool, it fills in the recesses on the canvas quicker than with a brush...not to mention smoother, etc. 2-3 coats min before you start sanding.

Here's the article I'm talking about... I got to attend a workshop with AD a few years ago, and got taught this in the process.

http://adcookfineart.com/article-aa-canvasprep.html

[josie]

Thanks for this article Colour it helps me to understand better

Thanks

[Steelhorse]

Thanks Colourshift, for the info! Makes sense.

AirTodd....I just used Createx opaque black...reduced 400% with 50/50 Fantastik/H2O

Steel

[Steelhorse]

Things got crazy today!!!!!:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: Well I fixed the nose somewhat, but ruined the proportions..... So I started the eyes...ROLFLMFAO!!!!! Messed them up too! I then proceeded to turn her into "Gothic-Uma"....then it went into Uma....Starring in "Cat's" LOL!!!!

Well, at least I had some fun with it..ya right:wink2: But I do have something that I can play with when it comes to doing hair and such. I'll post the "gothic Uma in Cats" on the weekly Sunday thread!

Len

[LucBoivin]

Hey Len!

Glad to see you are still at it! Hang in there bud!! Keep watching those Driscoll tapes...its all going to come together soon!

Remember to save your work and put dates to it. You will be surprised with your improvements.

Sorry for late reply. Have been very busy this past week.

Luc

[Steelhorse]

Hey Len!

Glad to see you are still at it! Hang in there bud!! Keep watching those Driscoll tapes...its all going to come together soon!

Remember to save your work and put dates to it. You will be surprised with your improvements.

Sorry for late reply. Have been very busy this past week.

Luc

Back to work eh?:wink2: LOL Ya, I'll keep pushing and banging my head against the wall. I learn something each time I turn the air on...

Len

[josie]

And sometimes i dont ,,,i just mess up..........lol


I learn something each time I turn the air on...

Len[/QUOTE]

[Steelhorse]

Hey Josie!!! Frustrating isn't it! LOL I have learned some though from the last time that I posted pic's....but the photography was so bad that I just backed out of posting them....Back to the Driscoll's!!!!!:wink2:

Lenny

[josie]

yup i tell you to finish your paintings and i put my messed up ones away........lol


Hey Josie!!! Frustrating isn't it! LOL I have learned some though from the last time that I posted pic's....but the photography was so bad that I just backed out of posting them....Back to the Driscoll's!!!!!:wink2:

Lenny

[Pepe Custom]

Looking good Lenny.

[xtremekolor]

hahahaha a a a... u guys r the funniest on this planet...still can't wait who 's that gonna be..finish it bro...:flushed:

[Clem]

Hang in there Steel, You may paint a character for her a new part in something.

Clem