Liquitex BASICS Gesso Surface Prep Medium, 473ml (16-oz) Bottle, White

Gesso is used to prep a surface to receive acrylic paint. It has tiny bits of marble sand in an acrylic base so it adds texture to whatever surface the colored paint is applied to. That makes the paint stick better and on porous surfaces it keeps the paint on the surface instead of soaking into the canvas, wood, or paper. Liquitex is one of the top companies and first American company to make artist quality acrylic paints.

I just got this today, and for the price its pretty good! Thicker than acrylic, Im not sure why some reviews say its super runny. My only complaint is that you can still faintly see pencil marks through it, but mixed with another color or with a second layer it should cover nicely. It does its job though which is to prep your canvas, and is thick enough to glob on and add some texture which I like.

This was my first time trying out this product (a Youtuber mentioned gesso does wonders). This stuff dried insanely fast! By the time I was halfway through one swipe on an 8 page, it was completely dry, which then created a lot of clumps/bumps on the page. Will probably never buy again.

This white gesso is a cheap and easy way to prep paper for painting on. It should work for all paint types, and on any suitable paper. I would recommend it for anyone wanting to paint in a sketchbook... since thats what I use it for. I primarily use gesso in sketchbooks for either of two purposes: First, brushing on one or two coats of white gesso will leave an under-drawing mostly visible but not too prominent, and provide a good, waterproof surface to paint over. Second, painting over unwanted drawings with three or four coats of gesso layers will mask them almost entirely and let you reuse the page. A couple of other points worth noting: watercolor and gouache will stay active longer (and watercolor will pool with hard edges more easily) over a gessoed surface. This can be advantageous in warmer environments, but it also may require that youre more sparing with the water than you might otherwise be used to. Gesso leaves a rather rough and toothy surface, almost like a sandpaper, and can show streaky brushstrokes. I found that this matters particularly when using solid media (for instance watercolor pencils) over the gesso as you see more texture than with even a toothy paper. Im going to try putting it on with a small paint roller next time to get a more uniform surface... And Ive read that you can sand the gesso to a flatter texture.

I use it to prime my canvas for acrylic painting. Helps the paint grab the canvas better.

This is a smooth finish. Great price!

This was a very good deal and I got exactly what I wanted for a great price.

Never disappointment with this brand

Used on my paper crafts

Took quite a few coats to smooth out, thinner than I thought it would be. But I made it work...