Figure Drawing at EvCC: Drawing on Primed Paper

4/1/12

Drawing on Primed Paper

Drawing on a primed surface can be wonderful. You must thin down the gesso with water (to consistency of cream) so that the surface of the paper does not become too plasticity. If it does then the pencil will not stick. I recommend lightly sanding with a very fine sand paper in between layers of gesso. Two- three layers of gesso should be enough.
The paper will buckle. Too flatten it out: gesso the back once the front side has completely dried. You can tell that the gesso is completely dry when the paper is room temperature.

Examples of Drawing done on Primed Paper with Graphite:

Vija Celmins

Antonio Lopez Garcia