Preparing Paper for Oil Painting

Living abroad forced me to scale down the size of my paintings. I had very little storage space and my production level rose to the point that I was creating paintings faster than I was selling them. I started using paper for experimental works, but after developing a suitable prep method with what I had available to me, paper quickly became a viable option for smaller works.

I first needed to find a paper that wouldn't buckle or warp. I chose some high end papers, including some pre-primed, but found that many of them still buckled after paint was applied even when taped down and re-primed with quality gesso. The paper that responded the best was a standard 300gsm watercolor paper. It was a less expensive and accepted primer well, but it still showed signs of warping. To solve this problem I turned to oil primer. The only type readily available and for a reasonable price was a wood primer from the local hardware store.

The wood oil primer soaked into the paper well without causing any buckling. I found I had to prime both sides to keep the paper from curling slightly. I initially used a small roller to apply the primer but found that a brush allowed me to work the primer into the paper more thoroughly. To clean the brush thoroughly you need to use turpentine (use mineral turp, not your good distilled artist's grade). It's a messy process, overall, so I  have a priming day where I lay out sheets of the watercolor paper and small panels and get a bunch done at once.

I found that the wood oil primer worked well on many paper types. I started recycling thicker paper from cereal boxes and other products that used unwaxed paper around 300gsm. Some of these papers are so sturdy I can apply the primer to one side with no buckling or curling. After priming with oil I apply gesso and cut the paper down to whatever size I need. I use the product boxes with one unprimed side for my plain air paintings which allows me to paint without a concern for wasting valuable substrate.

After oil priming, applying gesso, and painting I varnish the painted area, apply a stamp signature to the back, and hang to dry. Once dry I lightly coat the stamp with a clear spray varnish and then add the date of creation.