Hello, I'm Ana. I live in Brazil so I'm sorry for my english, this is not my first language and the autocorrect Just keep messing with me.
I have a begginers question for you guys, since I'm new to this world of painting and I'm trying to find the same materials here where I live.
Can someone explain what is in fact Black gesso? I know it is some kind of primer...
Does Bob primer all the canvas with gesso before painting?
Can someone help me?
Thank you!
anabutrico Hello Ana, yes Black Gesso is a type of primer applied to the canvas ahead of time and allowed to dry completely. Typically Gesso, and many other primers, are white, but Bob Ross sometimes uses a Black Gesso, which creates different effects and a more mysterious mood.
If you find that you do not have Black Gesso on-hand, you can consider using Black Acrylic Paint as a subsitute.
I hope that helps!
Yes! It helped a lot... I didn't find Black gesso here, only white.
One more question, when he uses this Black gesso thing, he often says to use liquid clear on top of It, to blend the colors I guess. Do you know what liquid clear consists of? I've read that tou can use linseed oil instead, is that true?
anabutrico Yes, the liquid clear is an oily, sticky medium that helps make the first layer of oil color go on easier. Thinning those base colors with Linseed Oil would be a reasonable substitute. I think there are a number of other mediums that would work as well.
Black gesso is an acrylic primer, which, despite the name, contains no gypsum (gesso is Italian for gypsum). You can use a matte acrylic paint, or they sell already black-primed canvases at most art supply stores.
I would be interested to know what's in liquid clear, because it seems more gelatinous? than just linseed oil.
Ian_Adkins Yes, there's definitely some weird stuff in the Liquid Clear. It smells different than any medium I've used. It's SO sensitive to paint thinner than I suspect it's some kind of polymerized solvent or something like that. I wish I knew!
The first time I used liquid clear to cover the whole canvas beneath an oil paint glaze I used way too much and my painting ran directly south! The next one wasn't much better, it was still sticky a year later. The next one I brushed it on and wiped it off with paper towel and it was just right. Like baby bear's porridge.
Yep.. lightly painting it on and then wipe with paper towel. I like using liquid clear and black gesso. I just saw a show where Bob used yellow gesso.. mix white with some yellow acrylic paint.. Thats next 
