Which Surfaces are Suitable in Acrylic Painting
Artists Guide to Preparing Canvasses, Boards and Paper for Acrylics Acrylics are pigment bound with a polymer medium. It is water-soluble when wet, but water resistant when dry. It is a great base on which to complete oil paintings if conducting the under-painting and glazes. However, the acrylic painting surface must be properly prepared. Any surface onto which a painting is applied is known as a “support.” Stretched canvas is the first type of support to spring to mind when one thinks of the artist’s practice. However, wood, card and even paper can be used if they have been properly sized with a gesso or primer. Such a sealant is known as a “ground.” Acrylic Painting on a suitable surface Sizing the Support Ready for Acrylic Painting Applying the ground is known as “sizing.” The surface must be sized before the acrylic paint can be applied, otherwise the absorbent nature of the surface will retard the flow of the acrylic paint and cause it to sink, making the vi...