A Note Regarding Art Alternatives Canvas back to Canvas & Gesso
We at Art Alternatives are experts in pre-primed stretched canvas. We have been working with canvas, with painters, and with manufacturers for a great number of years.
While we applaud Golden Artist Color’s initiative in testing the tools of our trade, what we really need to evaluate is whether the stretched canvas marketed in the U.S. satisfactorily serves amateur and professional artists. Golden's methods for testing paint adhesion on primed canvas are reminiscent of the EPA's gas mileage testing that were done in a laboratory setting and failed to match how cars are actually driven in the USA. The premise that applying a strip of paint directly from a tube and then prying it off with a painting knife will properly test adhesion is similarly questionable. It does not reflect the manner in which the vast majority of artists apply paint to canvas. Nor does it allow for the tremendous variety of acrylic paints used by artists, which have widely varying formulations.
Out of respect to the artists who use Art Alternatives canvas and because we are committed to supplying the artist community with dependable, reliable products we have performed the adhesion tests as outlined by Golden. We performed these tests on every major brand of canvas on the market and our tests have demonstrated that Art Alternatives canvas has excellent adhesion compared to all other brands currently on the market. We tested a variety of acrylic and oil paints, too, different brands and different consistencies. All the paints we tested came off all the canvases when pried with a palette knife after 24 hours. After 2 weeks of dry time, all the paints we tested adhered to Art Alternatives canvas so well that they could not be removed except by extremely destructive measures. And all major brands tested performed similarly between 2 to 8 weeks of dry time.
Definition of Acrylic Gesso from Wikipedia
Modern acrylic “gesso” is actually a combination of calcium carbonate with an acrylic polymer medium and a pigment. It is sold premixed for both sizing and priming a canvas for painting. While it does contain calcium carbonate to increase the absorbency of the primer coat, Titanium dioxide or titanium white is often added as the whitening agent.
Our Art Alternatives gesso formulation fits Wikipedia’s definition perfectly, but a list of contents does not fully express the complete range of characteristics needed for the prescribed purpose.
The article that Golden published on the subject shows why getting an expert’s opinion on the quality and bona fides of the gesso used on our canvas would be nearly impossible. What the article does describe are characteristics that Golden believes an Acrylic Dispersion Ground a.k.a. Gesso, needs to have in order to satisfy the typical uses of a primed canvas. We at Art Alternatives have tested using their criteria and we are comfortable that the needs of the mainstream acrylic and oil painter are well served with our canvas and its primer. If you read the article you will get a clearer idea of why this can be such a subjective discussion.
We have full confidence in the performance and reliability of our Art Alternatives canvas. If you experienced no adhesion issues prior to learning of Golden's testing, we don’t think you will experience adhesion issues now. Keep doing what you are doing - painting, expressing your creativity, and having fun.
While we applaud Golden Artist Color’s initiative in testing the tools of our trade, what we really need to evaluate is whether the stretched canvas marketed in the U.S. satisfactorily serves amateur and professional artists. Golden's methods for testing paint adhesion on primed canvas are reminiscent of the EPA's gas mileage testing that were done in a laboratory setting and failed to match how cars are actually driven in the USA. The premise that applying a strip of paint directly from a tube and then prying it off with a painting knife will properly test adhesion is similarly questionable. It does not reflect the manner in which the vast majority of artists apply paint to canvas. Nor does it allow for the tremendous variety of acrylic paints used by artists, which have widely varying formulations.
Out of respect to the artists who use Art Alternatives canvas and because we are committed to supplying the artist community with dependable, reliable products we have performed the adhesion tests as outlined by Golden. We performed these tests on every major brand of canvas on the market and our tests have demonstrated that Art Alternatives canvas has excellent adhesion compared to all other brands currently on the market. We tested a variety of acrylic and oil paints, too, different brands and different consistencies. All the paints we tested came off all the canvases when pried with a palette knife after 24 hours. After 2 weeks of dry time, all the paints we tested adhered to Art Alternatives canvas so well that they could not be removed except by extremely destructive measures. And all major brands tested performed similarly between 2 to 8 weeks of dry time.
Definition of Acrylic Gesso from Wikipedia
Modern acrylic “gesso” is actually a combination of calcium carbonate with an acrylic polymer medium and a pigment. It is sold premixed for both sizing and priming a canvas for painting. While it does contain calcium carbonate to increase the absorbency of the primer coat, Titanium dioxide or titanium white is often added as the whitening agent.
Our Art Alternatives gesso formulation fits Wikipedia’s definition perfectly, but a list of contents does not fully express the complete range of characteristics needed for the prescribed purpose.
The article that Golden published on the subject shows why getting an expert’s opinion on the quality and bona fides of the gesso used on our canvas would be nearly impossible. What the article does describe are characteristics that Golden believes an Acrylic Dispersion Ground a.k.a. Gesso, needs to have in order to satisfy the typical uses of a primed canvas. We at Art Alternatives have tested using their criteria and we are comfortable that the needs of the mainstream acrylic and oil painter are well served with our canvas and its primer. If you read the article you will get a clearer idea of why this can be such a subjective discussion.
We have full confidence in the performance and reliability of our Art Alternatives canvas. If you experienced no adhesion issues prior to learning of Golden's testing, we don’t think you will experience adhesion issues now. Keep doing what you are doing - painting, expressing your creativity, and having fun.
