Modelling

What's so great about Gesso?

Posted by davbenbak1 on 08 Jul 2016, 16:05

I generally paint soft and hard plastic figures but do have some metals using acrylic paint. I see numerous posts about priming with Gesso. Hell, even Bob Ross (think happy trees) primes his canvases with the stuff. I have been using Rustoleum prime+paint for my plastics and it works OK. I have to be careful not to spray too heavily or it covers the detail on the figures and will flake off. I've seen it at the local craft store and wondered if it was worth a try except it seems a pain to have to paint with primers since it is so easy to spray from the can. So, what's good about it and what are the best uses?
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Posted by Paul on 08 Jul 2016, 18:21

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Posted by Bluefalchion on 08 Jul 2016, 20:25

I have used gesso to prime plastic figures. It is advisable to water down the gesso with a 1:1 ratio (50% gesso, 50% water) so it will not be so goopy that it obscures your fine details. If applied correctly, the gesso acts as a sort of a liquid chalk. It dries very quickly and gives the paint a medium to lie on when applied.

I first tried it when my testors enamels were taking months to dry when painted on to the Caesar soft plastic. Now I use Vallejo acrylics, so I just spray prime, but the gesso mixture functioned very well as a primer for the enamel paint.
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Posted by MikeRC97 on 09 Jul 2016, 02:20

I tried gesso with 1/72 WWII figures and I found that it filled in creases and folds on uniforms. Since I use washes for shading this made it a no-go for me. I use rustoleum sandable (auto) primer on all my figures and it works great, just a light dusting, not so much that you lose details.
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Posted by davbenbak1 on 10 Jul 2016, 16:20

Apparently Hobby Lobby has spray on gesso by Krylon. I think I'll give it a try and let y'all know how it works out,
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Posted by davbenbak1 on 02 Feb 2017, 18:27

I've used the spray gesso on my latest batch of Hat soft plastic figures. I'll let you all know how it goes.
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Posted by Bluefalchion on 02 Feb 2017, 19:05

Pics or it didn't happen!
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Posted by davbenbak1 on 07 Feb 2017, 17:47

Sorry no pics, but it did happen. Well great is not the word I would use. Better, a bit. Not quite as flakey as the regular Krylon so I think I will use Gesso from now on. Please remember I am priming the Hat soft plastic figures so I figured if I got good results with them maybe it would be great results on other plastics.

I wish AMD, The Admiral himself, would weight in. He is working with a variety of figures from different manufactures made with different materials. Anyone who has seen his huge 1812 project would understand that he would be an expert in the subject.
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Posted by Fredericus-Rex on 08 Feb 2017, 08:26

Gesso has an open and rough surface, which leads to that because the color adheres well to the surface and also the advantage that the color shines less. A glossy surface is usually created by using a primer that has a very smooth surface.
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Posted by davbenbak on 31 Mar 2017, 17:06

Update. I'm now sold on this stuff. I've been painting some Bolt Action figures from Warlord Games. They are 28mm made of hard polystyrene plastic. My usual painting method is to prime, paint, ink wash then go back and highlight. Good enough for the wargame table. The gesso really grabs the acrylic paint so my latest trick is to REALLY thin down the paint with water (but not to the point of being a wash) and let the gesso do it's magic. I can tell if I've done it right if the color comes out too light but settles darker in the cracks to give some contour. This is accentuated when a wash is applied and the base color darkens to the color I was originally wanting. Then it's just a matter of going back and highlighting. This should work for those who use "The Dip" as a final application as well.
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Posted by Bluefalchion on 31 Mar 2017, 21:48

davbenbak--

Are you using grey gesso? And are you watering it down to about 50:50? That's what I did a few times, with decent results.
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Posted by Beano Boy on 01 Apr 2017, 04:18

Image

Image

Image

Image

:coffee: " Having no clear idea what the stuff is,i _______________id`ed it here for others to understand the real foundation of what it is."

So Gess what GESSO,is no longer!

I myself do not use it I seal mine with paint and a prayer.
My very own formulated top secret stuff. :-D BB
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Posted by davbenbak on 01 Apr 2017, 14:56

@bluefalchion, No I'm using white Krylon spray gesso. No need to thin and I can quickly spray the whole sprew. Sorry but I'm not as good as BB with the pictures but I get it at Hobby Lobby in the canvas section.
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Posted by Emperor on 01 Apr 2017, 17:59

The funny part about gesso is that you can make funny puns from it like this:
Gesso what?
or
Gesso who?
or
Gesso what is on TV tonight?
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Posted by Beano Boy on 01 Apr 2017, 20:46

Davbenbak,hi there.
Just Google anything you wish!
Or any product, and you will get picture galleries up.
Copy any items and re-post those pictures here on the Forum,if there is a point in doing so.
That was how i put a face to GESSO!
Clear identity is the key to communication skills.

On the subject of GESSO,here in Gt Britain, we pronounce it JESSO,which sort of confused me,because it was not spelt that way. ;-) _____ :mrgreen: "BB,ain`t that bright on early Sat mornings!"

I soon realised that it was the stuff artist`s seal their picture boards with before painting begins. :-D BB
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Posted by davbenbak on 02 Apr 2017, 13:20

Bob Ross calls it "Jesso" as well and he can do no wrong. Just keep thinking happy trees.
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Posted by Emperor on 05 Apr 2017, 14:38

@davebenbak- Now I am in dilemma since same letters in English are pronounced different for other words...Is it Gesso like G in George, or is it Gesso like G in guest ?
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Posted by Beano Boy on 08 Apr 2017, 10:02

Image

Through my own actions my pictures were lost so here they are to help others understand what product this topic is leaning towards in some kind of understanding.

Image

Image

Void spaces like that tend to kill any interest with viewers. So they have been reinstated again. BB
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Posted by David O'Brien on 08 Apr 2017, 23:10

Comes from Gypsum hence the soft G= George . Acrylic gesso is a different composition to the traditional form which used chalk or gypsum and a binder. Actually the squeaky blackboard chalk is often gypsum not chalk the rock. Plaster is made when the Gypsum rock (Calcium sulfate dihydrate) is cooked and the water is released.
or
"In a process called calcining, the powder ( crushed & ground gypsum) is heated to approximately 350 degrees F, driving off three fourths of the chemically combined water. The calcined gypsum, or hemihydrate, becomes the base for gypsum plaster, gypsum board and other gypsum products."
I would add when water is added (to the hemihydrate) it becomes the stuff we know as plaster which plasterers put on walls and when we try it we get it everywhere but the walls.
I used to work for British Gypsum in the research plant (at a gypsum mine) where we use to test full scale processes. Most people don't know where plaster comes from other than the pack.
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Posted by Beano Boy on 09 Apr 2017, 00:00

Thanks for that information David,now I am really glad I replaced those pictures. It is good to learn a little something new. BB
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