This is a 4oz tub of Sinopia Absorbent Chalk Gesso and Silverpoint Ground, made in the US by Sinopia. It is ideal for preparing paper and panels for a range of painting and drawing techniques, but is especially suited to silverpoint or metalpoint drawing.

The basic recipe is that of the Sinopia Casein Gesso, which includes Water, Calcium Carbonate (Whiting), Cold Pressed Linseed Oil, Milk Protein (Casein), Natural Tree Resins, Fossilized Sea Shells, Saponified Olive Oil and Salt. However, unlike the Casein Gesso, Sinopia Silverpoint Ground is coloured with a mixture of Zinc and Titanium White pigments. It dries to a chalkier surface with more 'tooth', which is very well suited to metalpoint drawing.

This ground is also slightly more absorbent than the Sinopia Casein Gesso, which makes it a suitable ground for Egg Tempera, Watercolour and Casein paints when applied onto paper or panels. For this reason it is less suitable as a ground for encaustic or oil paints.

Apply with a brush or roller and allow to dry overnight before sanding to the required smoothness or burnishing with a soft cloth. If you are using more than two coats of gesso, remember to apply them over a longer timeframe; no more than two coats a day. Because the recipe includes a linseed oil emulsion, it may be advisable to wait four or five days for the surface to cure before proceeding with the artwork.

You can read a post about using Sinopia Chalk Ground Casein Gesso for Silverpoint and Sinopia Casein Gesso for Egg Tempera on our blog here.

You can read Lauren Amalia Redding's review of Sinopia Chalk Ground, on our blog, by clicking here.