Hi Brenda,

This should take you to a discussion of cradling with a photo:

http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=5720

I forgot to finish that thread, Guerilla Glue is the the winner. It will hold forever.

Jean

I have read that oil paint gets more transparent over time, so if we don

Thanks, Jean for the link to that thread. I'll check it out...as long as it doesn't involve boiling any guerillas...

I had to look up MDF because I'd never heard of it. As appropriate as it may seem to an artist's forum, I rejected the "Manic Depression Fellowship" definition.

But according to the link below, Medium Density Fiberboard seems as dicey as other hardboard products. It mentions a continual gas-out of formaldehyde!

http://www.design-technology.org/mdf.htm

[QUOTE=Jen Reinstadler] I would say even more dicey. It absorbs water like a sponge, and is not nearly as durable as tempered hardboard. MDF uses resins which do in most cases contain formalehyde, whereas quality hardboard relies on the lignen present in the wood for adhesion.

This may be of interest to some.
http://www.true-gesso-panels.com/2003_stp_article.htm

Mr. Harding is a well respected maker of oil paints. I do not think he would suggest using MDF board if he did not consider it stable. His answer came as the result of my query as to what he thought was the most stable surface to work on today. I was decrying thje lack of properly prepared lead canvas on the market. He had no reason monetary or otherwise to suggest it to me other than he thought it was the most archival.

Here is another point of view on the subject: http://www.hudsonhighland.com/hardboardMDF.htm

Hi, folks.


Since I started this thread, I thought I'd two more cents wortth.

First, it gladdens me that some "biggies" think "masonite" is okay to paint on. I realize other don't think so, and that's okay, too.

I got started using this kind of thing because I paint every day of the week, and I turn out a lot of stuff -- literally. Much of it is just that -- STUFF. I do lots of projects to try out this or that idea. Not always something I think will hang in a museum someday. So, I reason, why spend so much for canvas when I can find out it the "idea" is sound on a cheap surface.

My question about sizing concerns using the "rough" side of the panel. I've always felt that I should sand, or roughen the smooth side, which is the side on which I normally paint. I got to thinking that if I gessoed the back side, I'd have some built in texture. But, when I started putting on the gesso, the board drank like a thirsty sailor home on leave. Yikes. So, the thought occurred to me that perhaps I could cut off the board's thirst by sizing with rabbit sking glue before applying gesso.

However, I've been happy to learn all this other stuff, too.

I just read in the technical section of the current issue (November/Decenber I believe) of American Artist Magazine that IF you're using acrylic gesso, there is no need to size at all. In fact, the article seems to warn against it.

Further, I can tell you that it does not seem to lessen the absorption rate/problem with masonite-like boards. I've now tried it both ways, and it takes as much acrylic gesso with, or without sizing, which, to my mind, makes sizing just another step that is unnecessary in the first place.

Applied Linen to Board
 

This thread has been a wealth of information for a portrait mural I am planning. I would happily purchase pre-mounted linen found on one of the links mentioned if it were not for the fact that the wall is actually a niche with a curved top and the board will have to be shaped accordingly. So here are four questions for this learned forum:

1.) Any suggestions on how best to mount and linen on hardboard? I will need to wrap the edges over as well.

2.) Has anyone ever painted on a stretched linen then mounted it on board? I will miss the spring back into my brushes if I painted on the mounted surface.

3.) Cradles are not advisable for this application as I'd like to keep it as thin as possible. How serious an issue is warping on a board 24" x 18?"

4.) Wallpaper hangers can attach linen murals to walls using a liner they claim is removable (another valuable feature I would like to attain). I prefer the linen on board approach and wonder, "Would the old master muralist have considered using Velcro as a means of attaching to the wall?"

Replies are much appreciated.
Jeanine