Structure, the beauty behind the painting.

Structure is an important consideration when I begin a new painting. The outcome of my work will be greatly affected by the preparation and choice of materials used. A realistic style of painting such as a still life, single flower, portrait or any painting with lots of detail will require a very smooth surface. A good choice for this would be a board. The piece of board is coated multiple times with a natural gesso and sanded with a fine grain sandpaper between each coating. The result is a glass like surface to support the painting. The natural gesso also absorbs the oil paint creating a beautiful smooth finish that becomes one with the structure. The brush strokes can become invisible with this type of painting. Boards were often used by master artists like Johannes Vermeer for Flemish style paintings. I find that Belgian linen with natural gesso is also a great structure for subjects with a lot of detail and is better suited for larger sized paintings since the boards of the same size become quite heavy. First, the linen is attached to stretcher bars and then coated with several coats of natural gesso, sanding lightly after each coat. Again, the gesso surface will absorb the paints and oils giving the painting lots of richness and depth.

For an abstract or pop art style of painting, I prefer to use commercial cotton canvas with acrylic gesso. I use this type of structure when using thicker coats of oil paint or when using acrylic paint. The paint floats on the surface of this canvas and does not penetrate the gesso. The result can be very different and I am able to get some beautiful effects mixing the oils with the acrylic for unique layers and beauty.