What's gesso (pronounced "jesso," not "guesso"...I asked for "guesso" at the art supply store and the clerk looked at me funny until he figured out what I was asking for :-) )? Well, according to the bottle (I am using Liquitex gesso), it "seals, stiffens, and provides surface 'tooth' for painting surfaces." It also is "permanent, non-yellowing, flexible, and water resistant when dry." Yeah, whatever.
Basically, you can take something like this piece of wood:
And make it look like this once it has been gessoed and painted:
Notice something? No wood grain marks show through! When you want to paint something and need to have absolutely complete paint coverage, you want gesso. I have used it on cardboard so I could paint it and make it into something arty (I like to recycle stuff when I can and cardboard backs of paper tablets are just begging to be reused!). It is quite handy to have around. It does feel a little chalky and you do need to make sure you let it dry completely before you paint it (also be sure to wash out your brush with water really well after using it), but it really works great.
So, what am I using these painted arrows for? Here's a quick look:
This piece isn't finished yet...I am working on it gradually because it scares me. I see stuff for it in my head (which you see in the above pictures), but because it is much bigger (12" x 16") than I usually mess with, the size throws me off. For now, I'm calling it "Scattered Time"...not sure if the name will stick or not, but it seemed sad without a name. :-)
Until next time...happy days to you!
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