Choosing the right medium is as important as learning more about the canvasses. What use is a set of great mediums if you could not have the proper surface to paint on? Or you might be able to find the right medium, but because you haven’t prepared the surface, the quality will be affected too. Whether we like it or not, the canvass is an important thing to consider too before starting oil painting.

The first you’d need to do is prime your canvass. Before priming it, you would have to stretch it out first. After, apply the gesso that is suitable for acrylic and oil painting.  Doing this task is not that hard, it is really an easy task that won’t take up much of your time. 

Here’s how you prime your canvass:
1. Make sure that the gesso you buy is suitable to the acrylic or paint you will use. It is painted directly on the starched canvass because it dries very fast.
2. Do not forget to shake the bottle very well before using it.
3. Giving only one coat to the canvass gives a rougher finish. If you decide to use only one coating, you can directly pour the gesso as it comes out of the bottle.
4. If you’re going to use more than 1 coat, use half a glass of water and half acrylic gloss to dilute the gesso.
5. Apply the gesso directly on the canvass using a wide, old brush. Apply in even strokes, work from the top to bottom and parallel strokes from one edge to the other.
6. Wash the brush immediately after you are done, because when the gesso dries on the brush it is irremovable.
7. If you want a smoother finish, you can sand down the canvass between the canvass instead of diluting it.
8. Gesso tends to crack when thinned with water, use the gloss medium and water.
9. Gesso is also used to prime hardboards.
10. A cheap decorating brush can be used to apply gesso; however do remember to wash it very well because the hairs might fall out. To make the brush thinner, cut some of the hair off.

By being able to prime your canvass, you can now be able to make sure that the quality of your painting will not suffer. It will also help out that by priming your canvass it will prevent any cracks or damages when the paint dries out. Just make it a point to always prime your canvass before you paint, you would not want  your hard work to be wasted because the canvass was not properly prepared.