A guide to priming canvas

What is priming in painting and why should I do it?

Priming your canvas protects your canvas from rotting. It also means your paint will sit better on the surface and not sink into the canvas. When it comes to oil colour, priming can help avoid dull patches in your finished work and make the colours stand out.

Priming gives you an even ground to work on. A smoother surface means your brush strokes will flow more easily, and the paint will sit on the surface. As the primer dries, it will stretch and tighten the canvas and make it taut.

What is oil painting primer?

For oil paints, you can use an oil painting primer, a thixotropic or an oil-modified alkyd resin medium instead of gesso. Winsor & Newton’s ready-to-use oil painting primer doesn’t need thinning or stirring, and can be used on porous surfaces (glue-sized canvas, untreated wood, hardwood, plywood or paper) with virtually no sinking in. You can also mix a small amount of oil colour into it to make a tinted primer. But canvas needs to be sized before applying an oil painting primer.