Liquitex White Gesso
Liquitex - Professional Gesso Surface Prep Medium (White)
(image from Amazon)
Quick Specs 🏷️
Type: White Gesso Surface Prep Medium (Acrylic primer)
Size: 8 fl oz (237 ml) bottle
Finish: Matte, opaque white
Purchase Info: Amazon | Purchased: Mar 2026 | Price: $12.74 USD
Official Product Highlights
- Premium acrylic gesso - used to prepare painting surfaces for acrylic and oil paint.
- Dries to a water-resistant, non-yellowing, matte white surface - provides excellent tooth for paint adhesion.
- Lightweight and non-toxic - conforms to ASTM D4236, safe for educational use.
- Intermixable - can be mixed with Liquitex Professional Acrylic Paint Colors and Mediums to create custom tints or textures.
- Typically requires only one coat - though multiple coats can be applied and sanded for ultra-smooth surfaces.
- Versatile application - works on canvas, paper, wood, and other porous surfaces.
Additional Specs
| Property | Details |
|---|---|
| Consistency | Thick, creamy (can be thinned with water or acrylic medium) |
| Drying Time | Fast-drying (minutes to touch; recoat in 1-2 hours) |
| Opacity | Opaque white |
| Water Resistance | Water-resistant when dry |
| Application Tools | Brush, palette knife, roller |
| Compatible Surfaces | Canvas, paper, wood, plaster, unprimed surfaces |
| Compatible Media | Acrylic paint, oil paint (must be fully dry before oil application) |
| Texture | Matte with subtle tooth (can be sanded between coats for smoothness) |
Best Uses
- Priming stretched canvas, canvas panels, or paper for acrylic or oil painting
- Creating a bright, uniform white base that enhances paint vibrancy
- Sealing and preparing porous surfaces (wood, cardboard, unprimed surfaces)
- Tinting with acrylic color for custom-colored grounds
- Building texture with multiple coats or by applying thickly with a palette knife
Overall Strengths & Weaknesses
Rating: 4.5 ★★★★★
What works well
- Doesn’t warp paper once dry.
- Ivory color is nice.
What doesn't
- Hard to make smooth. Tends to dry textured.
- Ivory color doesn’t match Canson Graduate Mixed Media Paper so stands out pretty well.
Tips
- Add white acrylic paint or light blue paint to make the ivory color less pronounced.