Casein Gesso

Casein Gesso is an all natural painting ground that has all of the same qualities as a traditional chalk ground made with whiting and rabbit skin glue. The big difference lies in the fact, that the Casein Gesso is ready to be used directly out of the jar or bucket. No weighing, measuring, cooking or racing around during the application. Simply dip your brush into this creamy Casein Gesso and apply onto any surface.

Casein Gesso is ideally suited for such traditional mediums as Encaustic and Egg Tempera, but can also be used for such paints as Oils, Acrylics, Watercolors, Gouache and Milk Paints. The creamy primer spreads easily onto any surface, including wooden panels, paper, sculptures (wooden, plaster, etc.) canvas and even metal. If the Casein Gesso is allowed to cure for a week, the artwork can be displayed outdoors.

Once the surface dries, it yields a velvety surface that can be sanded for extra smoothness. The dried surface can be burnished with a soft cloth or serve as a substrate for silver point. Apply a minimum of two coats.

There is no maximum amount of coats that can be applied, one should however only apply two coats per day. Due to the fact that the Casein Gesso contains emulsified oils, the cleaning of brushes is a lot simpler than with acrylic gesso.

The Casein Gesso can be thinned with water, applied with a sprayer or roller and cleans up easily with water. Additionally, the Casein Gesso leaves a small amount of residual oil in the brush, which conditions the bristle beautifully after rinsing.

So what is in the Casein Gesso? The Sinopia Test Kitchen has worked since 2011 on perfecting this proprietary recipe, which includes the following all natural ingredients: Water, Calcium Carbonate, Cold Pressed Linseed Oil, Milk Protein (Casein), Natural Tree Resins, Fossilized Sea Shells, Saponified Olive Oil and Salt. The Casein Gesso is available in white and black. The White Casein Gesso contains a brilliant Titanium White Pigment, while the Black Casein Gesso contains a deep rich Bone Black Pigment.