Gessoes and Grounds Gesso & Black Gesso Golden Gesso is a flexible, ready-to-use ground that prepares the surface of a substrate to accept paints and provides tooth to promote paint adhesion. Golden Gesso is a flexible liquid ground that seals, protects, and gives "tooth" to substrates, which promotes paint adhesion. It is formulated to accept a wide variety of media on many commonly used painting surfaces. It comes ready-to-use, but can be mixed with water for thinner applications.

When applied in thin layers, Golden Gesso will conform to a variety of textured surfaces.
Golden Gesso is available in Black or White, and can be mixed with Golden Acrylics to produce a range of coloured grounds

•   Application Methods
Golden Gesso can be brush, roller, trowel or spray-applied. Dilution of the Gesso is only necessary for spray application, but may be desired for brush or roller applications as well. When diluting with water, we recommend a maximum dilution of 25%. Any mixture within this range offers little risk of cracking or other adverse effects.

•   Flexibility
Generally, canvas coated with Golden Gesso may be rolled up without cracking.
Cracking may occur if a canvas is overly flexed or stretched.

•   Multiple Coats
Although one coat of gesso will provide good adhesion, it may sometimes leave pinholes or uncovered areas. It is recommended to apply at least two coats of gesso to any surface, but especially when painting on canvas or linen. The first coat will penetrate the support and reduce the likelihood of paint delamination. The second coat bonds with the first layer and begins to even out the surface. Subsequent layers of gesso will produce an even smoother surface. For spray-application, you may have to apply more than 2 coats to achieve a film similar to that achievable by brush application.

•   Sanding
Sanding Golden Gesso is possible; however, due to the flexible acrylic emulsion, the sandpaper will "gum" up rather quickly from the heat generated by sanding. For optimal sanding, use Golden Sandable Hard Gesso (This product should only be used on rigid supports since it tends to crack when flexed).

•   Use with Oil Paints
Oil Paints can be applied over acrylic gesso. There is adequate adhesion due to the porosity of the acrylic. To control the penetration of linseed oil into support fibres, a two coat-application of GAC 100 or GAC 700 is recommended before applying Gesso. This seals the substrate and greatly lessens the amount of oil penetration.
GAC 400 can be applied to canvas to stiffen the support before Gesso application. The GAC 400 will provide a stiffness similar to rabbit-skin glue while remaining insoluble in water.

Formulated with 100% acrylic polymer emulsion with high levels of titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate and talc to produce an easily sanded, smooth and even surface. Note: This product is designed for rigid substrates only and is NOT to be used on flexible materials, as cracking may occur.

Golden Absorbent Ground is an acrylic liquid surfacing medium that can be used to create a porous, paper-like surface on many different substrates. It is uniquely formulated for unsurpassed absorbent action when dry. Applied over gessoed canvas, the Absorbent Ground allows for raw canvas-like staining on a protected substrate. It also allows watercolours to be used on a stable prepared canvas.
Golden Absorbent Ground, designed for stain and watercolour-type applications, is lightfast, permanent and flexible. It is not intended as a gesso alternative. It must be applied over a pre-primed surface due to its fragile, paper-like nature. Once properly sealed, it is a permanent acrylic film that does not need to be kept under glass. Golden Varnishes (Polymer & MSA) will protect the artwork from environmental factors such as sunlight and dust.
Painting in an impasto style over Golden Absorbent Ground is not recommended, unless the surface is properly sealed.

Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels is a 100% acrylic medium designed to prepare surfaces for the application of pastels, charcoal and other art media where a coarse tooth is desired. It contains finely ground silica in a pure acrylic emulsion.
Acrylic Ground for Pastels can be applied to paper, canvas, wood or any primed support.
This allows almost limitless applications for media typically confined to standard papers.