Sinopia Absorbent Chalk Gesso and Silverpoint Ground is a 4oz ground made in the US for preparing paper and panels for a range of painting and drawing techniques, particularly silverpoint and metalpoint. Based on the Sinopia Casein Gesso recipe, it contains water, calcium carbonate (whiting), cold-pressed linseed oil, milk protein (casein), natural tree resins, fossilized seashells, saponified olive oil, salt, and a mixture of zinc and titanium white pigments. It dries to a chalky, absorbent surface with the tooth required for metalpoint drawing, and is also suitable as a ground for egg tempera, watercolor, and casein paints. Its greater absorbency makes it less suitable as a ground for encaustic or oil painting.
Apply with a brush or roller and allow to dry overnight before sanding to the required smoothness or burnishing with a soft cloth. When applying more than two coats, spread the application over a longer period and apply no more than two coats per day. As the formula contains a linseed oil emulsion, allowing four to five days for the surface to cure before beginning the artwork may be advisable. Natural separation can occur in the jar due to the traditional formulation and natural ingredients, so thoroughly stir from the bottom of the container before application to reincorporate settled chalk and pigment and achieve an even surface and consistent tooth.
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.
