Sinopia : Casein Gesso

Made in the US by Sinopia, this range of Casein Gessoes is suitable for preparing paper, canvas, plaster, metal, and wooden panels for a wide range of painting and drawing techniques. The gesso can be used directly from the jar at room temperature and may be thinned and cleaned up with water.

Apply with a brush or roller in at least two coats, allowing each application to dry overnight before sanding to the desired smoothness or burnishing with a soft cloth. If applying more than two coats, limit application to no more than two coats per day. As the formulation includes a linseed oil emulsion, it is advisable to allow four to five days for full curing before beginning artwork.

The recipe includes water, calcium carbonate, cold pressed linseed oil, milk protein, natural tree resins, fossilised sea shells, saponified olive oil, and salt. The resulting ground is suitable for laying bole for water gilding and for use with absorbent media such as encaustic, egg tempera, borax casein, and watercolour or gouache. Once cured, the casein gesso forms a permanent, water-insoluble working surface.

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