Gamblin Oil Painting Ground

Gamblin Oil Painting Ground makes a strong, bright, non-absorbent foundation for oil paintings. Gamblin Ground is formulated from alkyd resin, titanium dioxide, and calcium carbonate – titanium dioxide gives opacity, while calcium carbonate gives tooth for strong adhesion. 

Gamblin Ground makes a brighter and less-absorbent ground layer compared to acrylic gesso primers, meaning that the oil paint layers on top will better retain their color saturation. The lower absorbency also allows for reductive painting techniques when painters need to wipe back into the white of their Ground. 

Uses

Due to a higher pigment load, Gamblin Ground is thicker than acrylic gesso, and requires less coats and different application techniques.

Gamblin Ground may be used to cover an old painting. This is an economical way to reuse your canvases or panels when the painting doesn’t turn out the way you hoped. 

Gamblin Ground may be applied directly over an acrylic primed canvas or panel to provide a bright white surface, reduce absorbency and improve color saturation.

Oil colors may be mixed into Gamblin Ground to create a tinted ground. There are numerous expressions out there about “blank, white canvases”. Unfortunately, the phrase doesn’t actually apply to all forms painting. Starting with a tinted ground can help you explore more possibilities in your work.