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The Artists' Studio - Working On Canvas
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Many artists rely on Glass Coat as a medium to create a wonderful ultra gloss finish to oil paintings, acrylics, collage, works on paper and mixed media. GLASS COAT provides dramatic effects to all these surfaces. When done well, the image looks like it's floating in a sea of liquid and glows with an extra dimension that ordinary gloss finish can't come near to achieving.
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Some useful tips for those working on canvas or linen:
- Remember that canvas and linen are each very flexible surfaces on which to work. If you pour
Glass Coat over the surface,
particularly if the canvas is mounted on a perimeter frame, with no supports in the centre, the canvas is likely to bow in the middle.
It is wise to provide extra timber supports beneath the canvas to minimize the bowing effect.
- You can never be completely sure of the chemical composition of the medium you're using. So always seal the surface of your
finished art with a good quality fixative such as the product from MICADOR. You can also use a number of other sealers depending
on the clarity needed. Craftsmart Glaze Paste is a water-based PVA/Starch blend that can
be thinned easily and will also
provide suitable sealing for some surfaces. Or you can use an acrylic sealer such as Cabot's Crystal Coat (available from hardware
stores). Any number of sealers may be suitable. The important thing is to remember to seal the surface before
applying Glass Coat.
- Sometimes air bubbles will appear on the surface. Air can be pulled through the canvas by the resin. While air bubbles can be
removed through the application of heat (namely a butane torch such as described in the general instructions), it is best to minimize
their occurrence. We have found it useful to seal the reverse of the canvas with either a thin PVA or a coating of gesso or similar.
- If you're working on big canvasses, remember that you'll need to create as dust free an environment as possible for your painting
to cure in. Tell everyone to keep away from the curing room for at least 24 hours. Nothing will spoil the surface more than specks of
dust (not to mention flies) that will land on the still sticky finish!
- You can add pigments directly to the Glass Coat at the time of mixing. Pure pigment will provide the best results and is available from leading art suppliers. You can also experiment with a few drops of acrylic or oil paint. You can create wonderful effects by swirling different substances through the gloss.
- Sand, pebbles and other natural grainy substances can add some interesting textural features to your project.
- Working on a large canvas? Then it's a good idea to have an assistant at hand. When working with Glass Coat, I recommend working in small quantities of around 200-250ml. If your canvas size requires several of these smaller quantities in order to achieve coverage, remember that you have only around 20 minutes of "open" time in which to complete your project.
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