Gesso time lapse?

[captainspud]

I've been trying to preach the gospel of Gesso to other painters at my store, but I find it's hard to explain what it does without a visual aid. About 6-8 months back, someone posted a time lapse video of gesso drying on a mini on the old forums (where it slowly shrinks and envelops the model). I'd love to show this video to the curious parties at my store, but after about 20 minutes of searching the old boards, I can't seem to find it.

I don't suppose anybody knows where I can find it or another video like it?

[Almightyfoon]

welp, I dug through the forums, found what I thought to be the proper link. It was dead.

Then I did a google search for 'time lapse video of gesso drying on a miniature' and this (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&oi=video_result&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAcQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dyqj a-Z9nfrM&ei=IJoWS5P3NY22swPf3MiMBA&usg=AFQjCNFOXfMWLp2aUCdxmOsEkTtSktLh5w) was the first link. Tell you what though, I may have to try this, I'm not all that good with a spray can and I think this might be my answer. Luckily I have a large shipment of highborne with which to try it out on!

[freedoom]

i don't know what this stuff is but the video is neat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqja-Z9nfrM

can someone explain what gesso is?

[Almightyfoon]

From what I've read its what painters use to prep canvas before painting, it makes it nice and smooth to paint on. But apparently thin it down with some glass and tile medium, add a few drops of water and brush it on in a few thin layers and you get what you see in the video.

There's a good half dozen threads on the old boards saying its good stuff, especially for people who live in climates that aren't the best for spray primers, or want more control over their primer coat.

[saxondog]

I use gesso and thin it 50/50 with mixing medium. OIf your willing to do several coats it can be thinned down even more.

SFK

[Silopolis]

We tried Gesso once, and it rubbed off the model with a firm rub of the thumb. Not even a thumbnail.

Any tricks to getting this stuff to work? I'd LOVE to be able to prime models without spraying them.

[Ghlod]

I've tried Gesso but it doesn't seem to dry flat for me. The surfaces ended up bumpy. I guess that means I should water down the Gesso? I read up on the Dakkadakka tutorial from the guy that did the time lapse thing and he didn't water it down. Is there a particular brand that's recommended?


We tried Gesso once, and it rubbed off the model with a firm rub of the thumb. Not even a thumbnail.


I think that might be the brand you're using. I have a hard time getting the Gesso off with my thumbnail.

[weshmashian]

I've tried Gesso but it doesn't seem to dry flat for me. The surfaces ended up bumpy. I guess that means I should water down the Gesso? I read up on the Dakkadakka tutorial from the guy that did the time lapse thing and he didn't water it down. Is there a particular brand that's recommended?

Don't know about brands, but as I remember he didn't water down the black gesso, but did so with the white one.

I've tried using gesso on couple of models. Never did like the idea to just cover the model in 'pure' gesso, so I watered white gesso down and put one thin coat all over and touched up any spots I missed after it dried completely.

It didn't rub off but it was a pain to get it out from all the fine details when I tried to strip the model. Gesso gets all 'rubbery' when dry (at least mine did) so the large flat areas could just be peeled off.

[Ghlod]

Don't know about brands, but as I remember he didn't water down the black gesso, but did so with the white one.

I've tried using gesso on couple of models. Never did like the idea to just cover the model in 'pure' gesso, so I watered white gesso down and put one thin coat all over and touched up any spots I missed after it dried completely.

It didn't rub off but it was a pain to get it out from all the fine details when I tried to strip the model. Gesso gets all 'rubbery' when dry (at least mine did) so the large flat areas could just be peeled off.

Ok, I'll try to water down the Gesso and se if helps.

[hayguyz]

I tried Gesso once and won't do it again. Even when thinned down with a lot of water, some detail was lessened or even obscured in my models after drying.

[Valander]

I just started trying Gesso after reading a few threads like this here, and in other forums. I saw someone mention that they also used it for terrain prep, and said, "DUH! That would be good...", so I went out and bought both some black and white.

I used both straight from the jar, and the black gave me very, very nice results on a plastic mini. I did some white on a metal mini, and it gave decent results, but I think it would be better thinned and two coated instead of one straight coat like the black. As for durability, I rubbed on both of them and found they were about as resiliant as most other primers I've used, maybe slightly less than Rustoleum spray. But, since spray priming is a pain in the Pacific Northwest during 9 months of the year, I've been doing brush-on primers for a while now.

I may try the addition of the glass & tile medium, since I have a bunch of that around anyway; it was my primer of choice for quite a while when added to some black ink.

You've made one convert, captainspud, since I remember your other posts here as one of the reasons I decided to try it! ;)

[Almightyfoon]

I may try the addition of the glass & tile medium, since I have a bunch of that around anyway; it was my primer of choice for quite a while when added to some black ink.

You've made one convert, captainspud, since I remember your other posts here as one of the reasons I decided to try it! ;)

What brand glass and tile medium do you use? I tried finding it at my local Micheal's yesterday and the poor store workers had no clue what I was talking about, partially because I had no real information to give them ;p

[aai]

I use black liquitex gesso. It's cheap and works great. I water it down, and it usually covers in one layer, but i don't goop it on in the first place. Don't rub it for like a day or two, because it does come off metal easily. But I came back to my dark elves after a bit and the gesso is solid on them.

DO NOT USE white liquitex gesso. My roommate uses this for painting painting, not our nerd painting, and it is gloopy and glossy, and paint doesn't stick. The black is a great matte, and adheres colors and inks perfectly (for me, at least).

[Hangedman]

I use black liquitex gesso. It's cheap and works great. I water it down, and it usually covers in one layer, but i don't goop it on in the first place. Don't rub it for like a day or two, because it does come off metal easily. But I came back to my dark elves after a bit and the gesso is solid on them.

DO NOT USE white liquitex gesso. My roommate uses this for painting painting, not our nerd painting, and it is gloopy and glossy, and paint doesn't stick. The black is a great matte, and adheres colors and inks perfectly (for me, at least).

How much do you thin it down by? a one to one ratio?

[aai]

Sometimes 2 to 1. I find it to be extremely forgiving. On highly detailed areas, water it down more. Don't just gob it on. It should lightly cover everything and then it draws back.

I know I am using the right amount that when it dries, some places are gesso'ed because the metal or plastic isn't showing (didn't adhere). Then it is real easy to take watered down gesso and fix anything. So I use usually just one watered down layer, with touchups in a couple of days. Models paint up great, paint adheres great. Remember primer is there to grip paint better, and this does it.

It is a newbie mistake methinks to over prime models; I use to do 2 or 3 light coats of black to get every nook and cranny (no bare metal). This is wrong! Not only does it make you liable to mess up and overprime, but paints and inks and washes do not adhere properly to that well primered of a surface. Primers should not be basecoats! So a light primer coat of black can then be washed all over with a black is appropriate.

Of course, you need to clean your models well, but that is a whole other issue.

These are things I have picked up from the OZ painters forum. Google it, and read the tutorials if you want to be a great painter. That forum absolutely made it impossible for me to finish an army. Cleaning, and priming, and painting to their standards is just insane.

Gesso is good. Don't believe other people when they say it sucks, because I have had some of my best results with it. Well, I'd say it is comparable to when I learned to go light on spray primers.

[Valander]

What brand glass and tile medium do you use? I tried finding it at my local Micheal's yesterday and the poor store workers had no clue what I was talking about, partially because I had no real information to give them ;p

I picked up a dozen or so bottles of Fok Art G&T Medium at a Joann Fabrics/Craft store. I've seen them at Michaels, too; they should be over in the craft paints section. If you can find a Folk Art display rack, it should be on there.