Seaweed Gesso With Annie Hogg
Live Online Demonstration - May 27th 4-6pm BST
In this online workshop we will look at making gesso using an algae-based glue as opposed to the animal based alternatives. This recipe has been developed by artist Annie Hogg as part of her ongoing research and development within her practice.
This workshop will be delivered in a demonstration style, where we will go through the stages of extracting the mucilage forming substance from carrageen seaweed and combining it with Potassium Chloride to produce a very strong glue. From here, we will add whitener to create a functional gesso or ground, suitable for works on paper.
This Carrageen Gesso, is suitable for use with botanical inks and watercolours, earth minerals and carbons all held in a water based medium, or wax crayons.
Detailed notes will be provided as part of this workshop.
Level: beginner
What is Gesso:
Gesso has been used traditionally to prepare velum and parchment to receive ink. Today, we use it for the same purpose.
It is a layer between a raw surface and ink or paint which serves to allow those inks and paints better adhere to that surface.
When a whitener is added, the white surface will allow the colours to pop and become more vibrant on the eye.
When other pigments are used as tints, their colours and hues will, or course, effect the colours which are applied over them.
Gesso will also:
On paper, make the paper less water absorbent, so avoiding those lumps and bumps of unstretched paper.
On canvas, it will prime and penetrate the surface, giving a good surface on which to apply paint. It may cause a stretched canvas to shrink, so experiment first.
On wood, it will also help ensure that your paint won’t peel, fall or crack away from the surface.
In fact, it will achieve all of the above on all of those surfaces.
This Carrageen Gesso, is suitable for use with botanical inks and watercolours, earth minerals and carbons all held in a water based medium, or wax crayons.
What you’ll learn:
Learn how to make, store and apply gesso, using natural non-animal materials.
Two recipes will be covered, one showing a ‘weak glue’ and one showing a ‘strong glue’ base.
Options of using pigments other than the traditional whiteners, to make tinted grounds will be discussed.
Tools to aid in bringing sustainably to a studio practice.
About Annie Hogg
Annie Hogg is a visual artist, who works working with natural materials, seeking outcomes in multiple directions. She works in installation, sculpture, performance and 2D.
Annie uses gesso as a ground in her charcoal and earth pigment works. After experimenting with several glue alternatives for home-made gesso, she has found this combination to be most reliable, while also ticking the boxes of ease and safety in a small studio.
www.anniehoggstudio.com
Want to Gift this class to someone?
The best way is to buy a gift voucher for her. They can then sign up to the class using the voucher code.
This means that you can surprise them with the gift, and then the recipient can register with their email address to access all the resources.
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