How to prepare wooden boards for oil painting

 

Being abroad away from your favourite ‘go-to’ art shop can be challenging so being resourceful is key.   

I am so fussy when it comes to what I paint on. If it's canvas, it has to be medium grain, Belgium linen for that moderate toothy grain and smell. But I also love painting on wooden panels, (the original medium before canvas was commonly used in the 16th/17th century).

 

The smooth surface of the wooden panel reminds me of pencil on paper, and I love that feeling.

Freny Green | Artist | Bogota |Preparing art materials when abroad

MDF Boards

I am resourceful and buy my panels from a carpenter here in Bogotá, before taking them home to prime for painting.

 Here is a quick guide on how I prep wooden boards for oil painting:

1.     Cut MDF to desired size (for me it’s 30cm x 20cm (A4))

2.     Apply gesso to boards, (let layer dry before each application)

3.     Option to sand down each layer to smooth the surface

4. Add gesso to the sides of the panel (again optional)

5.     Leave to dry and paint!

(Some paintings will definitely have puppy DNA on it).

Remember, the painting rule is thin to fat, (oil applied thinly, with less medium, in my case stand oil, building up to thicker layers).

Other tips when travelling:

Take your favourite things that you can’t live without i.e. a favourite oil paint colour or a particular brand of stand oil for example. Other things, like gesso and odourless spirit can be more easily found abroad and might not be worth packing.

If you have any questions about what I chose to bring with me, please feel free to contact me here.

Finally, you can watch the video I made about the process here.

Art processFreny GreenBlog postComment