Jackson Pollock didn't always prime his canvasses and sometimes even used household emulsion when he did. So why do I prime my canvasses at least three times before painting? Simple, because I want a good surface to work on and I want my paintings to last. Like anything in life, quality is built on good foundations.

Almost all commercial canvasses arrive pre-primed and some even claim to be triple-primed and ready for use. However, I've found that all need some preparation before use. Priming the surface means making it ready to take on the acrylic or oil-based paints one intends to use and to also improve the painting's life span. Apparently, some Jackson Pollock paintings were not primed, or were even primed using household emulsion (yes, really!) and are already showing premature ageing.

Why can't I use pre-primed canvas?

So what's wrong with pre-primed canvas, I hear you ask? Put simply, it is not in the economic interests of commercial suppliers to prime canvasses with thick layers of high quality gesso (the primer). They are more likely to apply thin coats of weak primer simply to provide a modest layer over the canvas. This results in a surface, fresh out of the box, that can be inconsistent (rough and smooth in different places) and a lot more porous do you will use more paint. The surface may also be relatively rough (toothy) which may be fine if that's what you want (some artists like and use this effect) but I find a smoother surface much easier to work on and I use less paint.

How I prime my canvasses

I'm sure every artist has their own ways of preparing their canvasses and this is mine. It takes some effort but it is worth it, in my opinion. In summary, here's what I do:

1. Dust off the unpacked canvas with a lint free cloth.

2. Lightly sand the surface with a very fine grade dry sand paper.

3. Dust off the surface again with a lint free cloth.

4. Apply a generous layer of good quality primer with a wide flat brush, brushing in both horizontal and vertical directions.

5. Allow to dry completely.

6. Sand the surface again with very fine grade dry paper and dust off.

7. Repeat the application of gesso primer followed by sanding and dusting.

8. For the final coat, apply the gesso primer with the flat brush but the smooth the surface, before it drys, as follows.

9. Using a wetted mop-head brush with very fine hairs brush straight across the canvass in horizontal strokes in a single movement from left to right. Work down to the bottom of the canvas. This smooths out any lines caused by the flat brush.

10. Allow to dry completely.

11. The canvas should now be ready for use.

This method works for me and I have found that my paints are much easier to apply and work on the canvas. I prefer not too have too much tooth showing in my paintings so this method also serves to reduce this effect. Beyond this, a solid foundation should ensure that my paintings last for as long as possible.

But if it was good enough for Jackson Pollock….

Now, you may wonder why it's not advisable to use household emulsion. After all, it's cheap, has a consistency similar to gesso primer and it was good enough for Jackson Pollock. Well, quite simply, it isn't good enough. Some of Jackson Pollock's works have already started to suffer from premature ageing. Most notably, cracking. One only has to consider how emulsion behaves in the home. Over time, and with exposure to varying temperatures and humidity, it will crack. It's just not designed to cope with movement and one can imagine how much movement a cotton or linen canvas would experience. So, don't skimp on primer. Use high quality gesso and leave the emulsion for your house!