Painting on board

[emkay]

I decided to give painting on board a go.

Did some googly research, went to the hardware shop, chose a piece of 6mm mdf and a piece of 6mm plywood and asked them to cut them down to size.

So now I have all this wood.......

Anyone have any tips for painting on wood before I crack out the gesso and go crazy?

[ingridr]

Going crazy with gesso always works for me.

[V-Mak]

You will love the smoothness and the way colour will just glow of the smooth surface, and the clearity of line also... use plenty of thining medium to alow smooth flow of oils as well.. both colour and detail tend to get lost on the rough canvas tread, it breaks the light as it hits the thread...ENJOY Michelle-you will love it !!!

[Simon]

Good one Em. I love painting on ply, hate mdf. The corners puff as soon as you look at them. I do two coats of watered down PVA. Then 4 coats of Acrylic gesso, with a light sand between gesso as seen fit. Then I do a coloured acrylic ground before oil paint. Love boards. Good for scraping and sliding paint around. You can see all the orange ground in this attachment poking through the oil paint after scraping and sliding, etc.

[Bob Abrahams]

I agree with all that has been said about panel so far.

and can add following
6mm MDF can be heavy for larger sizes, specially when framed

3mm MDF board warps over 50cmx40cm

Panels have to be framed to show, stretchers do not

[Simon]

panels can also be stretched (mounted on a cradle of stretcher bars)

These are my 20 x 20cm ones before priming and painting edges.

http://i47.servimg.com/u/f47/12/27/25/85/stoood11.jpg

I use the same hardwood for the larger boards also up to 40x40 and 60x60. But I turn the hardwood so the wider edge creates the thick edge on the painting. Technically these are not framed, but are accepted in comps and my show has 40 or so of them unframed. The opening is this weekend, I'll take some pics of them hanging. And a frame can always be added.

ps. I've been using 3.6-4mm furniture grade ply for up to 40x40, and 6mm for 60x60cm

[emkay]

Good one Em. I love painting on ply, hate mdf. The corners puff as soon as you look at them. I do two coats of watered down PVA. Then 4 coats of Acrylic gesso, with a light sand between gesso as seen fit. Then I do a coloured acrylic ground before oil paint. Love boards. Good for scraping and sliding paint around. You can see all the orange ground in this attachment poking through the oil paint after scraping and sliding, etc.

I love that painting Simon. :001_wub:
All that orange showing through is so gorgeous, and the shine on that car. Mmmmmm.

Thanks for the sage advice, and your mounting on a stretcher bars looks fab! Are those bars bought or made by you? The ones I get use for canvas are pine and not so pretty as yours....

Vesna and Ingrid thank you!

And Bob, thanks for the advice re weight and warping. I was wondering about that. Some of the boards looked a bit warped to start with. The largest I got cut was 60cm ply, the mds was 25cm sq, the rest were ply at 5x7 for the fun of experiments.

Very keen to get stuck in......

[Simon]

Although there is one pine one in that pic (has knots), I now use and like much better tas oak, hardwood. I invested in a drop saw and can do accurate mitre joints, framing techniques. So no, not pre made stretcher bars, but I have seen it done (panel glued to back of bars - flat side)

I've found that any warping on ply that isn't immediately severe will iron out when mounted this way, and it stays very flat. (as Bob mentioned mdf warps easily, and over a distance even if the frame is solid and flat, the mdf can balloon out like a sail)

:biggrin:Ta for the car comment.

[Simon]

ps- I haven't used, but have seen Fitzroy Stretchers beautiful hardwood stretcher bars, they could easily make them up for you I am sure.

[Bob Abrahams]

And Bob, thanks for the advice re weight and warping. I was wondering about that. Some of the boards looked a bit warped to start with. The largest I got cut was 60cm ply, the mds was 25cm sq, the rest were ply at 5x7 for the fun of experiments. Very keen to get stuck in......

Sounds OK to me Michelle. Looking forward to your feed back.

I am focussing on minature studies at the moment, mainly 15x20cm image on 20x25cm sealed mat board. I really like the feel of oil or acrylic paint on this surface when sealed with acrlic medium.

I usually order 30 only 20x25cm mat board painting panels at a time for $1.00 each. This leaves room to tape the painting area edge to 15x20cm with special easy to remove purple tape. I also order 30 mats, (white with black core) $2.00 each the same size as the painting panel but with opening of 15x20cm.

If the painting/study is a goer, both painting panel and mat being the same size fit snugly into a resealable plastic sleeve for viewing or sale as is

I also have the very best of these miniature paintings framed with inner mat and two gold frames $90. I'll put up am image if anyone is interested. Ten of these miniature paintings are currently in galleries and exhibitions priced $400-$475

[Sunday]

Simon, how do you feel about showing my husband what you do with that drop saw if we ever get up your way? He's been saying for ages that he would like to learn how to make frames and cradled panels for me.

[Simon]

For sure.

It's not hard, as long as you can measure. I've gotten a little better at it with practice. Check this site out too. I bought d-rings off them that came very fast, but also came with a catalogue, they do stretcher bar by the m, lots of framing stuff, moulds etc, but also guillotines for ultra perfect cutting.

http://www.clubframeco.com/

But for panels a dropsaw is very good, and cheaper.

[emkay]

Simon - you have me shopping for a drop saw......

I prepared my little boards last night and have been playing today.

I have to say it's completely different to painting on linen. Weirdly slippery yet it holds the brush strokes. I love how sgraffito holds in it so sharply - much stronger than linen.

It's been a difficult day with it. I did 2 very small paintings and one large one just to see if it was the support or the painting tiny that was difficult. I think it's both. LOL. Nothing to show I think......

[Sunday]

Thanks Simon :)
I've exhausted my supply of D-rings so that link is going to be very useful; not to mention all the other goodies they have.

[Helm]

Wow Simon. I used to paint on wood when I was a youngster just for fun, raid dads wood supplies. I would like to now but I don't want to have to frame everything but you have shown me the way what with using stretcher bars. I'm most excited to get myself some wood :D

[ingridr]

What a fab idea! I also love painting on wood - love the smooth surface , different from canvas, but have been using canvas so I didn't have to frame. Can't wait to get myself some timber now. Thanks for the info.

[Bob Abrahams]

panels can also be stretched (mounted on a cradle of stretcher bars)

Simon
This is interesting
I am not sure that I have grasped the process
Are you glueing a ~4mm plywood panel to the backside of a stretcher frame.
Sounds cool

[Simon]

That's not what I am doing, but I have seen that done (handling work in a gallery). I am simply making stretcher type frames out of timber and using that in the same manner, as it works out better $ than buying stretcher bar.

[Bob Abrahams]

That's not what I am doing, but I have seen that done (handling work in a gallery). I am simply making stretcher type frames out of timber and using that in the same manner, as it works out better $ than buying stretcher bar.

Thanks
Isn't it interesting how simple ideas work so well

[Michelle]

I love painting on wood, I prime with acrylic gesso (several layers all, six sides applied with sponge roller brush and dried between layers, top layer art spectrum colourfix primer). Awesome support for detailed work in oils.

The only problem is the framing costs, so in that respect I prefer gallery wrapped canvas, but Simon you have created the best of both worlds!

Can you get furniture grade plywood from Bunnings or is that a specialty item? I don't quite understand how you attach the back stretcher bars to the panel though? Do you glue them and if so, what with?

Michelle