Project preparation

 In week 7 I prepared my canvases for the final project outcomes. I used the wood workshop as well as the workshop technician’s help with cutting out the wood pieces. 

I started with taking 12 A5 wood boards and primed them by using the gesso white primer. I made two base layers and left the last one to the end, to keep it neat and allow mistakes with the glueing process.

In the meantime, while I waited for the primer to dry I cut out border pieces to glue to the board later. I learned that the canvas borders must be cut in a diagonal shape exactly at 45 degrees in order to make a perfect rectangle shape when glued together. I used a 1” by 1” wood piece and cut them at the size of A5 (14.85 x 21cm). 

The wood glue was perfect for glueing my pieces together, I used one provided in the wood workshop. Then I was advised by the technician to use weights to hold the pieces down and glue them tightly.  

After waiting a day my canvases were ready for the final primer layer and painting on them.

After the third layer of primer, I waited another day and started sanding them when they’re completely dry. Now the surface is perfect for painting my portraits on them.

With the advise from my tutor, I taped the sides of the canvas to have clean and sharp white sides that I could paint or decorate or leave clean and white.