Acrylic Ground For Oil Painting

Oil gesso this is a traditional primer and allows an oil ground and oil paint on top of it.

Acrylic ground for oil painting. You can also use acrylic as an under painting for oils just make sure you add a touch of water to the acrylics so the oil in the oil paint will have a surface to adhere to if i put this next to my face that doesnt look very good that really bright yellow ochre if you try to judge skin tones it will all go awry. Acrylic gesso this is a modern alternative primer and allows you to paint an acrylic ground and a thin acrylic under painting before moving onto an oil paint layer. Chapter five of the art of impressionism by anthea callen published yale university press 2001 is a 24 page detailed investigation of ground colors and paint layers that looks at colored grounds vs white browns palettes vs white tinted grounds and pictorial luminositycoloristic effects and plein air painting. Acrylic gesso can be used as a ground for both acrylic painting and oil painting although when used with oil paint on canvas it should be used thinly since it is more flexible than oil and may cause the paint to eventually crack.

An acrylic ground can also be used over the top of gesso or to under paint specific areas as in the example by linda mann below. If the ground youre using is simply acrylic paint theres no way that would happen. Three stages in the completion of a painting of this accomplished still life by artist linda mann. Simple painting a ground on a canvas wont make the painting separate as its no different than any other layer of paint.

Acrylic paints really come in three types. The book is. Acrylic gesso is ideal for acrylic paints and can also be used when oil painting on a board or on canvas adhered to a rigid support. The only time a problem could occur is if youre watering down the paint so much that it ruins its chemical composition.

Allow acrylic layers to dry fully before painting on top with oils. The two of course do not mix but acrylic paint is the ideal underpainting medium for an oil painting. This also includes acrylic gesso or acrylic sizing. The ground is the foundation of an oil painting.

The lower absorbency of the ground compared to acrylic gesso is important for painters working in reductive underpainting techniques wiping away to the white of the ground layer. Acrylic paints can be used in an oil painting if applied properly. We recommend waiting this amount of time after your final layer of acrylic before beginning your oil painting and even longer if the layers are thickly applied. Even thin layers of acrylic can take up to 3 days to fully dry.

The heavy body acrylic paint will provide high coverage. You cannot apply an acrylic ground to this surface. Gamblin oil painting ground makes a strong bright non absorbent foundation for oil paintings. The runnier type will cover large.