DIY Surface Prep with Gamblin

Learn how to prep your panels so you get the most out of these versatile surfaces!

Panel Preparation

Seal the panel for oil painting with 1-2 coats of a 1:1 Galkyd/Gamsol mixture. For a bright white ground, follow up with two thin coats of Oil Ground. (Gamblin PVA Size should be reserved for sealing stretched fabric and water media paper.)

Sealing Directions:

1. Brush on the Galkyd/Gamsol mixture liberally.
2. Allow to soak in 2-4 minutes.
3. Wipe away excess medium that is not absorbed and allow the panel to dry overnight.
4. If painting directly on the panel without Oil Ground, apply a second sealing coat to further reduce absorbency.
5. For a bright white surface, finish with two thin coats of Gamblin Oil Ground. Allow for thorough drying between coats.

Oil Ground Application

Oil Ground is thick due to its high pigment load. Because of this, a surface skin may form in the can over time. Separate the skin from the edge of the can with a knife and peel back. Scrape any usable ground from the bottom of the skin and return it to the can before discarding the dry layer. Oil Ground may be thinned with up to 1oz Gamsol for every 32oz of Ground to improve the ease of application and encourage thin layers. Make sure any added Gamsol is very thoroughly stirred into the ground.

Application Directions:

1. Spread the ground on the panel initially using a plastic squeegee (a hotel room key card or an old credit card works too). Don’t worry if the coat is not perfectly even.
2. Holding the squeegee nearly perpendicular to the surface, go back and scrape over the entire panel to remove any excess ground. (Excess ground may be put back in the can and reused.)
3. Follow up with a 4 ½” wide x ¼” low nap paint roller to even out the ground.

A thin application will allow the Oil Ground to dry with an adequate amount of pigment tooth at the surface. If you desire an especially smooth surface, Oil Ground may be sanded with 180-220 grit sandpaper.

Oil Ground requires no more than two coats. The first coat should be touch dry in 2-4 days. A second coat takes 3-5 days to dry in warm weather and 5-7 days in cool and/or humid weather. Especially cool temperatures and high humidity may add several days’ dry time. Generally, allow 7-10 days from start to finish before painting on an Oil Ground-primed canvas. The thinner the layers, the faster Oil Ground will dry.

Want to see more? Check out Gamblin's Ground Application Demo!

Ground Application from Gamblin Artists Colors on Vimeo.

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