When I realized paper was not a good background glued to masonite panels because it buckled and curled when wetted or heated, the only other option was to use Gesso. R&F makes a special Gesso for encaustic that is porous enough to accept the wax, but it is very expensive. Evans Encaustic in Atlanta makes one that is cheaper, and has the advantage of coming in several beautiful colors. I also ordered the Absorbent Ground made by Golden.
I primed some panels with both yesterday using a wide soft Goat hair brush. The Evans Holly Grail Gesso seems to cover better with two coats than the Golden, and dries smoother, with less brush marks. It also seems more matte, the Golden has a slight sheen. It is too soft when freshly dry to be sanded between coats, but seems to harden overnight. I will definitely try the colored Holly Grail when I start doing larger pieces.
I still have two panels covered in paper started last week before I had the gesso. For the first one, I wet the watercolor paper and did a yellow ochre background with touches of brown, red and green, and used tooth brushes to speckle it. Then I drew a grid with a Prismacolor sienna pencil, and covered it with two coats of medium which I fused:
The other panel is a test for the projected three dimensional "Trompe l'Oil Window" I did a mockup of a couple of weeks ago:
Before I incorporate the photographs printed on tissue paper, I have to create the illusion of an old stained, scratched and grimy plaster wall with a baseboard and a window frame. I am not sure at this point whether they will be wood molding or Trompe l'Oeil".
I taped out the baseboard and used ochre and black pigments to color the paper. I removed the tape and dirtied the baseboard, then brushed clear medium on from all directions to create a lot of uneven texture, and fused it. That looks like a pretty good start once buffed:
I primed some panels with both yesterday using a wide soft Goat hair brush. The Evans Holly Grail Gesso seems to cover better with two coats than the Golden, and dries smoother, with less brush marks. It also seems more matte, the Golden has a slight sheen. It is too soft when freshly dry to be sanded between coats, but seems to harden overnight. I will definitely try the colored Holly Grail when I start doing larger pieces.
I still have two panels covered in paper started last week before I had the gesso. For the first one, I wet the watercolor paper and did a yellow ochre background with touches of brown, red and green, and used tooth brushes to speckle it. Then I drew a grid with a Prismacolor sienna pencil, and covered it with two coats of medium which I fused:
The other panel is a test for the projected three dimensional "Trompe l'Oil Window" I did a mockup of a couple of weeks ago:
Before I incorporate the photographs printed on tissue paper, I have to create the illusion of an old stained, scratched and grimy plaster wall with a baseboard and a window frame. I am not sure at this point whether they will be wood molding or Trompe l'Oeil".
I taped out the baseboard and used ochre and black pigments to color the paper. I removed the tape and dirtied the baseboard, then brushed clear medium on from all directions to create a lot of uneven texture, and fused it. That looks like a pretty good start once buffed:
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