The South African Artist – July 2019

TECHNICAL

Got a technical question? Ask The Guru. Send your questions to: [email protected] or post to: The

SA Artist, Suite 10233, Private Bag X7005, Hillcrest 3650 KZN

questions &

answers

FOURWAYS Upper Level, Fourways Crossing,

William Nicol Dr. Tel: (011) 465-8989

ROSEBANK Shop F14, First Floor, The Zone @ Rosebank Phase 2,

Oxford Road Tel: (011) 447-3262

MABONENG Arts on Main, 264 Fox Street, Cnr Berea,

Maboneng, Johannesburg Tel: 083 633 4430

Our stores have a huge range of products for artists, hobbyists, schools, crafters, architects,

designers, budding artists, students and creative activities for kids.

Whether it's a sketch pad or a long list of supplies, the chances are we'll have what you need,

it will cost less, and we'll find it quickly with a smile!

Herbert Evans is THE complete art supply store catering to the needs of all creative pursuits.

We’ve had a few queries about Masonite and Supawood panels,

and whether glueing canvas onto these supports is a good thing

and acceptable. There have also been some questions about

priming.

Artist and writer John Smith answers this question for us:

I think one of the real problems we are faced with is that there

are so many people who have recently come aboard as producers

of stretched canvases and panels without any real background

knowledge of these things that it is causing widespread confusion.

Also so many new commercial products have been introduced, and

have been accepted as art quality by artists without any tests being

carried out on them. Where tests and the results of these tests are

available they are not being studied or used by the artists. Most of the

large artists-materials manufacturers have help-lines and are more

than willing to answer questions when approached. They have the

laboratories and trained personnel to carry out on-going tests and

answer questions but few of the artists I know bother to contact them.

Once again I also implore artists to invest in good Artists Handbooks

e.g. “Artists Materials - The Complete Sourcebook of Methods and

Media” by Emma Pearce, and published by Winsor and Newton, and

the best of them all is the amazing ‘The Artists’ Handbook of Materials

and Techniques’ by Ralph Meyer.

Artists have been painting on surfaces other than canvas for hundreds

of years. The very first painters in fact painted on cave walls, and

many are still there and in fair condition. A pity so many paintings

being made now will not last as long as the people that painted them.

That must give us pause for thought. Those ancients seem to know a

whole lot more than we do now.

Painting on panels is not a problem if the paint (oil paint) is isolated

from the support by a really good primer. Acrylic does not really require

a primer other than for aesthetic reasons. As far as my understanding

goes PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate) is quite the ‘worst’ thing one can use as

a primer. It is quite porous and the surface tends to break down after

a few years leaving your painting lying on a layer of chalk-filler and a

suggestion of what in most cases is fairly low quality Titanium Oxide

pigment. The painting will eventually flake off (often in a very few

years) and there is little one can do to restore it.

As I said above, there is much confusion about primers and gessoes

and people do not take the trouble to source information but rather

rely on rumour. This can be fatal for their paintings and in some cases

their careers as artists.

Masonite or Supawood panels (never treated or tempered Masonite

which is impregnated with oil) are innocent enough if properly primed.