Making Absorbant Gesso With Marble Dust

I m currently making the pastel ground primer using a mixture of gesso pumice powder and water.

Making absorbant gesso with marble dust.

Traditional gesso is not flexible and so is not suitable to paint onto canvas. I ve gotten a bag of marble dust to try but it just comes out like really thick gesso. I ve been looking for a diy recipe of gesso using marble dust and pva glue. In addition to creating a painting primer you can also mix marble dust directly into your paints to create interesting textures and to fill your paints with body.

Marble dust is calcium carbonate dust used in painting. There are lots on youtube but generally so gagingly goofy i can t finish them. Add 1 teaspoon glycerin or honey and stir. However i d like something a little less abrasive.

Here s the recipe to make your own clear gesso. 10 pigment 90 whiting calcium carbonate gypsum and or marble dust the easiest way to get the percentage is to use 1 ounce pigment to 9 ounces whiting. I m planning to play with hairy brushes and acrylic paints starting a painting class soon. This will help make the gesso spread more easily and reduce causing air bubbles.

1 cup cheap white glue 1 4 cup water 4 to 5 heaping tablespoons of powdered marble or marble dust or marble. Traditional artist s gesso is made by mixing whiting which is powdered chalk or marble dust with rabbit skin glue to form a base to paint onto. The flexing of the material will make the traditional gesso crack and flake. Is there a good recipe to make a pastel ground using marble dust.