Reusing Canvas Panels painted with WSOs

When practicing my painting with acrylics, I can put a couple coats of gesso on the canvas panel and reuse it easily. I want to practice my new WSOs on canvas panels, but don't want to waste them on practice unless there is a way to reuse them. How do I do that? Is there something special I need to do to the panels in between paintings since I don't believe I can put gesso over the top of them?

Thanks,

It definitely is not as easy or quick as you can with acrylics so what I do for practice is use canvas pads to paint on. Walmart carries an inexpensive brand from Canson that I use. It says acrylics on it, but I put 2 layers of gesso on it, let it dry over night and then I can use the WS oils.

I usually have several pads going at a time so I can leave the painting right on the pad so it stays flat. The other way is to tape it with painter's tape to a firm surface.

There is a complete discussion in the forum at:

https://watersolubleoils.forumotion.com/t135-canvas-paper?highlight=canvas+pads

Are these actual canvases or is it canvas paper? I think I saw some acrylic pads at WalMart yesterday by Daler-Rowney.

The ones I have had in the past were only attached at one end (or top, depending on your orientation) and would start to curl up when they got wet. You are able to keep them flat?

The paint also didn't seem to flow quite the same on them, even with a layer of gesso on it, as they did on the panels. Maybe I need to be doing at least 2 layers of gesso? I'll take another look at them.

Thanks,

The biggest problem with reusing oil paintings is related to the fat over lean principle. All layers on top still have to be as fat or fatter than the last layer of paint. If the paintings are several years old that's likely not such a big deal. Another thing you may need to do is sand or scrap them down if they have any texture to them. That can be an issue with how toxic the paint is you're removing. It's often more trouble than it's worth.

Cindy, the Canson ones I use are all the way around. Others that are not, just take them off the pad and tape them securely to a rigid surface you don't mind getting paint on.

After the two layers of gesso are dried, you should apply a very thin film of oil (I use walnut oil) over then entire canvas. This helps the wso flow more easily over the gesso and helps it to bond to it. This is something you should do pretty routinely even on stretched canvas or any other gesso surface you paint on. This also holds true if you do an acrylic painting of a scene and then add wso's over it to highlight specific areas.

As David said, there is a lot to consider when painting over used oil canvases. For the sake of learning and experimenting, the canvas pads solve a lot of problems.

Thank you, David and Judy. I think I will stick with the canvas paper pads, like you said. I like the idea of using removable double-sided tape to secure them on my scrap boards while painting (for those pads that are not secured all of the way around). I have been using masking tape to hold the paper that I use for acrylic practice, but I tend to be a bit OCD in regards to how the taped area looks and I want it all even all the way around. It slows me down and is kind of a pain for just practice. I shouldn't care since it IS just practice, but it bugs me anyway.

The Wal-Mart I was in yesterday didn't have the Canson acrylic pads, so I may have to purchase them online. I'll keep an eye out for them, though. We do have a couple other Wal-Marts in town, too. I have never seen pads secured all of the way around for anything other than watercolor blocks. Now that I know they exist, I can look for them.

Thanks, again!

Phooey! I bought removable double-sided tape for the papers, and it won't stick! I put it on each of the 4 corners and stuck it to my board and as soon as I started trying to put a coat of gesso and it pulled away and curled up!

I guess I am back to using masking tape to secure it to the board!

The blue painters tape works really well, but you do have to put it on the front edges. Maybe you can fold it in half lengthwise so it becomes a two sided tape.

I have a double-sided tape that I use when I work on a wood lathe for certain things, and it is real good. It is expensive, though, and I'm not sure what it would do to the paper on the back when you try to remove it. Maybe some else has some suggestions for double-sided tape that works.