Gesso review

I have been playing with a pot of Dinah Wakley Medium White Gesso and Pretty Gets Gritty Transparent Gesso. Both paints are reasonably soft and have a low odour.

The white covered well with one coat on various surfaces - glass, mdf, card, fabric - but for a solid white colour you need 2 coats. The brush strokes stay visible if you use a firm brush but you can make them virtually invisible with a softer brush or sponge. The paint stayed flexible on fabric when it was dry and took different inks and paints well. Just be aware that the painted surface is fairly water resistant meaning some inks took a long time to dry and were easily smudged. It is quite a soft texture and didn't hold its shape too well if you are wanting a rough texture. It worked ok through a stencil.

The transparent is going to be used a lot by me. Again it is really water resistant so great for sealing projects. I also experimented by placing a hot mug on a piece of card covered with the gesso and it didn't affect the surface so this could be very good for sealing artwork on coasters. It also stiffens fabric beautifully so great for making fabric or paper flowers long lasting. It can make the colours look darker - it will look the same colour as if the fabric was wet. It works through a stencil and usually dries clear. It reacted with Distress Oxides to give a milky finish. It dries with a matt finish.

Both paints were a good quality and I would certainly recommend them for use.