"Mingus View" 8x10, oil/paper - contact Michael
"Courthouse Butte Glow" 8x10, oil/paper - contact Michael
We artists are always searching for cheaper materials. One option for oil painters, especially if you're looking for a good surface to sketch on, is acid-free matboard with a couple of layers of acrylic gesso.
While unpacking my new studio, I found a stack of matboard scraps that had been in storage for nearly four years. I decided I'd have some fun, so I took some 8x10 pieces and brushed on two layers of Golden Acrylic Gesso. I asked on the WetCanvas forum about the advisability of first sizing the boards with something like Golden's GAC-100, but the responses were mixed. (If any of you in BlogLand have an opinion, please let me know!) I let the brush create some neat texture, and once the boards were dry, I went out. The results are above. Although the surface isn't as absorbent as Ampersand Claybord, it is fairly absorbent. I like the way the paint "sets up" pretty fast because of it.
By the way, I used an Art Cocoon I to hold my 8x10 matboard while painting. Although I could have taped the matboard to an 8x10 foamboard sheet and then put it in a wet panel box to carry it home in, I don't have any 8x10 boxes. The Art Cocoon was perfect! (www.myartcocoon.com)
