Eric Alexander Santoli
  • HOME
  • BIO
  • COMMISSIONS
    • PEOPLE
    • PETS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • LIKENESS COMPARISONS
    • PROCESS
  • PORTFOLIO
    • DRAWINGS
    • WATERCOLORS
    • OIL PAINTINGS
  • LINKS
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG

The Absolute Best Lead Primed Oil Ground Linen Canvas: A E Art Canvas Priming

1/5/2021

0 Comments

 
  As a painter who seeks the best materials, I have now found the best quality oil ground linen canvas.  When I first learned about oil grounds, I was immediately fascinated with the material.  There's no comparison between the acrylic "gesso" grounds and the surface of an oil ground.  But even with oil grounds, I have found a startling difference between titanium white grounds and lead white grounds.  For me, titanium grounds have a high absorbency that catches the paint and sucks it in, while lead has a buttery type of surface that allows the paint to glide.  I've tried many varieties of commercially prepared oil ground, but was always disappointed by not being able to order lead and a custom tone of gray (which I prefer).
  I am very familiar with preparing my own grounds and my previous practice was to prepare my own lead primed grounds.  I'm glad I know how to prepare my own grounds, but this process is time consuming, very messy and difficult to get right all the time.  Nevertheless, I am an artist that believes in the importance of materials.  I believe the same philosophy applies to chefs: no matter how good of a chef you are, you can't make a good meal out of bad ingredients.
  So I reached out to Mr. Angel De La Cruz via email to inquire about getting a lead primed, gray toned, oil ground.  Angel wrote back to me very promptly and said he actually had a roll in stock that matched my specifications.  I was very excited, but a little nervous.  Would the gray be the right value?  I didn't want something too dark or too light.  Long story short, the canvas is absolutely perfect.  The tone of gray is spot on, not too dark or too light.  The linen is double primed also which creates a smooth surface, but still has the tooth of the fabric-- perfect for portrait work.  I've included some photos below, but it's difficult to capture the quality of this canvas in photos.  I know the canvas is also very well sized because none of the oil ground has seeped through to the back of the canvas.  For anyone who doesn't know about oil grounds: you need to have a size (a glue) to act as a barrier so that the oil ground won't reach the linen or canvas because that can cause degradation over time.
  It's very important to keep these traditional artistic practices alive which is why I only want to support companies that make great quality materials.  Angel and Ben are wonderful to do business with and I'm so happy that I found them.  I want to thank companies like A E Art Canvas Priming, Natural Pigments and Rosemary and Co for keeping these traditions alive. 
  The roll that I ordered is: #13 Linen, 57"X 6 Yds, DP Gray Lead.  I don't want to list the price in case their prices change, but I can tell you that it was very reasonable considering what most other companies charge for oil grounds.  I don't think that they have a website (which is cooler in my book) but you can contact Angel and his son, Ben, at the address and email below:

A E Art Canvas Priming
605 East 132nd Street
Bronx NY 10454
(718) 665-3814

Email: aeart05@aol.com
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    Academic
    Canvas
    Color
    Colorblindness
    Drawing
    En Plein Air
    Frames
    Motorcycles
    Music
    Oil Painting
    Pet Portraits
    Philosophy
    Portraiture
    Progress
    Reading
    Reviews
    Skateboarding
    Teaching
    Technique
    Varnishing
    Watercolor
    Writing

    RSS Feed

​​© ERIC ALEXANDER SANTOLI 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  • HOME
  • BIO
  • COMMISSIONS
    • PEOPLE
    • PETS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • LIKENESS COMPARISONS
    • PROCESS
  • PORTFOLIO
    • DRAWINGS
    • WATERCOLORS
    • OIL PAINTINGS
  • LINKS
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG