How to Prep Your Canvas for Oil Painting the Northern Lights, by Kat Mugg on YouTube. 1 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes plus drying time
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Check the canvas surface with your fingers. Fill any dents or rough spots with a thin layer of acrylic gesso and let it dry completely.
Sand the dry gesso lightly with 220 grit paper until the weave feels smooth but still slightly textured. Wipe off the dust with a dry rag.
Apply a second thin coat of gesso if the weave still shows through. Keep the coats thin so the canvas stays flexible.
Mix a dark ground using deep blue, purple or black oil paint thinned with a little solvent. Keep it darker than the sky you plan to paint.
Brush the dark ground over the whole canvas in a thin, even layer. Work it into the weave and avoid puddles of paint.
Wipe back areas where the aurora will glow with a rag. Leaving lighter patches there helps the bright greens and pinks stand out later.
Let the ground dry until it is touch dry before you start painting. A thin oil ground can take a day or more to set.
Sketch the main shapes of the lights and horizon lightly with a thin brush or charcoal before you add colour.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep every layer thin. Thick gesso or ground can crack as the canvas flexes.
A dark ground makes the aurora colours look brighter, so do not tone the canvas with white.
Work in a ventilated room when using solvent, and keep it away from flames.
Questions
Do I need to gesso a canvas that is already primed?
Most store-bought canvases are pre-primed, but one extra thin coat gives a smoother surface. Sand it lightly once dry.
Can I use acrylic paint for the dark ground under oil paint?
Yes, as long as the acrylic is fully dry first. Oil paint can go over dry acrylic, but not the other way round.
How long should the ground dry before painting?
Wait until it is touch dry, which can take a day for a thin oil layer. Acrylic grounds dry in under an hour.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
