Liquid gesso is a good choice for art journals.

As we continue our Art Journaling Adventure, we’ll step back a minute and look at gesso, before we move ahead into discussing some adhesives.  While we used gesso in turning a book into an art journal, you may be wondering why we didn’t just use white acrylic paint, instead of the gesso. So, we’ll talk about that now.

Although white acrylic paint and white gesso may look a lot alike, they are different.  Gesso is made to actually seal a surface and still provide a very slightly textured surface, also known as “tooth.” This gives paint something to grab onto. That means that you can use gesso on all kinds of surfaces and be able to paint on it. Without the gesso, many surfaces would absorb too much of what you are using, such as paints, ink mists, and adhesives. Gesso also has more of an adhesive property than acrylic paint. You can use it and then work an artful creation on many surfaces which your paint or other mediums would not normally stay on very well!

Different brands of gesso have varying degrees of a textured surface when they are dry. In our art journals, we can just use one that does not really have a lot of noticeable texture. A liquid gesso is easy to use and will work well in an art journal.

As we move forward, you’ll also find that mixing a little white gesso into a paint will change a paint color in a different way than white paint will change it.

So, don’t be afraid to grab some gesso at some point, even if you have decided to purchase your art journal instead of using our recycled book idea! I promise that as we move through different Artful Adventures, you will have a use for it.

See you on our next stop on the Art Journaling Adventure,