What would make a good rough base for pastels as a primer?

Question

I don't want to buy expensive primers but have tried mixing PVA with very fine sand that i have graded myself but it's not ideal does anyone know of something i could use instead, or does anyone know of a very cheap primer maybe it was designed for another purpose that would do.

Answer 1

if add pva to any mix you will ruin the surface for primer. I use a satin or silk emulsion white paint mixed with plaster of paris or moulding plaster because its finer. i dip rather than brush peices of any board or wood i can find, if its a hard board i use the non shiny side to draw upon i then finish with a spray of clear varnish to seal the work. it is very similar to the shop bought gesso. LF

Answer 2

You can use gesso mixed with sand . Gesso straight on paper also gives a bit of tooth that I like real well. You can also get some interesting effects by Combing the wet gesso with combs of different tooth. You can even comb both ways for a cross hatching effect. You can apply the gesso with a palette knife to give a painterly surface.

Of course, you can buy pastel papers that have the rough surface built in.

Answer 3

First choice is gesso.For improvising try texture paint with the sand already mixed in.

Answer 4

try a primer made for texture paints.

Answer 5

have you tried mixing your sand mixture to KILZ? i think kilz is cheaper

Answer 6

Have you tried flour?