Gesso Panels

Using gesso panels for portraits

Gesso panel is traditionally a wooden board or panel coated in several layers of gesso primer. Some art historians will tell you that these panels are not always stable and over time some great works have been damaged by the wood panel splitting. This has obviously damaged the masterpiece which has been painted on the surface. This a problem if you use natural wood, as it has a grain and is constantly drying or taking in moisture and is liable to cracking along the grain.

In modern times we are very fortunate we do not have to rely on such basic materials. The technology of manufacture for wood products has given the artist a great supply of very stable wood based boards to work with. There are different grades of material to choose from and if carefully selected, the artist can rely on the basic material to never change. Modern boards are made from processed wood with no grain and are not liable to any splitting.

Most artists use a panel from 3 – 6mm thick to ensure the material is substantial. The larger the panel, the thicker the material has to be. The only issue with very large panels is the weight, although no glass is required when framing such panels so the weight is balanced out. They can be heavier than other materials for painting, but they are incredibly strong and resilient. Overall the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages for using wood-based panels.

Preparation for the gesso panels is fairly straight forward.

The first step is to seal the surface with a ‘size’. This is best done with a coat of builders glue thinned down to enable it to penetrate into the wood and seal it. The second stage is to paint on the gesso primer which should not be thinned at all. This can either be done with a large brush for a rougher texture or a small roller for a smoother finish. Three coats are usually enough and each can be sanded lightly to take out any unnecessary rough texture. The panels are then ready for the artists to begin painting.