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Differentiating Between Acrylic Gesso and Williamsburg Oil Ground

14 thoughts on “Differentiating Between Acrylic Gesso and Williamsburg Oil Ground”

  1. Thank you for this useful article. I spoke to Greg at Golden a few weeks ago regarding Williamsburg Oil Ground and how to use it. He was so knowledgeable and helpful. I paint in oils and am investigating Old Master techniques. I like the Williamsburg paints for their clarity and tooth.

    Reply
    • Hello again Joanne,
      We also have Pastel Ground and Fine Pumice Gel which both provide a slightly abrasive surface. They can be applied over the Gesso or added to it in any amount. Painting with oils is fine on these products. When adding powdered solids to our Gesso we would recommend keeping the additions below 10%, as the solids level in the gesso is already pretty high. Overloading the solids can lead to a less flexible film.
      Thanks!
      Greg

      Reply
    • Hi Joanne,
      Thanks for the comment. GOLDEN Acrylic Gesso is well balanced with good tooth and absorbency. It is a pleasure to paint on with oils!
      Greg

      Reply
  2. Yo Greg, keep up the good work! Just ordered some lead oil ground. Can’t wait to try it out.
    Hope you are well.

    Max Decker

    Reply
  3. Hi, the paint on acrylic gesso looks nice. How do they compare against sinking in? I have double primed (acrylic) canvas and thinking of adding a layer of Golden gesso on top to reduce potential for sinking in, followed by an imprimatura containing some stand oil

    Reply
    • Hi Bob,
      Sorry for the late reply! Adding a coat of Acrylic Gesso over a pre-primed surface is always a good idea. We recommend wiping down the canvas first with a damp cloth and letting it dry. There can be some sinking in over Acrylic Gesso, but the imprematura with stand should help reduce that potential. Perhaps you can include some faster drying pigments in there. We haven’t really tested drying times for an imprematura before additional layers are added, but would think giving it some time to dry before painting over top would be good, perhaps a week or two after touch dry.
      Hope it goes well!
      Greg

      Reply
  4. Greetings Greg.

    I have a few questions about ‘lead oil ground’.

    Does it contain any solvents, driers/siccatives? Or is it just simply oil and pigment? Does it have more lead pigment or marble dust?

    Could I mix small amount of ‘lead oil ground’ with regular titianium white oil paint and then use it as normal oil paint? Or is this suitable only for priming?

    Thank you very much and best wishes.

    Reply
    • Thank you for your questions Vytas. The Lead Oil Ground does not contain any solvent, but there is a very small amount of cobalt Manganese drier to help it start the drying process. It also has a percentage of marble dust (less than lead) and Titanium Dioxide pigment. The marble dust is to provide tooth and the TiO2 is to help provide a brighter white look. Even with the Titanium, because of the translucency of the lead and marble dust not being able to cover the yellow of the oil completely, this product can take on a yellowish look when dark yellowing settles in. For that reason, it is not recommended as a white alternative in the upper layers of the work. But, it should be structurally stable if a small amount is added to your color. This formulation is ideal as a ground. Flake White is preferable as a brighter white in the upper layers if lead is desired in those layers.
      Thanks
      Greg

      Reply

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