Which material is a white paint mixture used to prime a canvas?

Which material is a white paint mixture used to prime a canvas?

• A. Primer
• B. Whitewash
• C. Ground
• D. Gesso

Answer: (D)

Priming a canvas uses a white, paint-like mixture called gesso. It acts as a ground that seals the fibers, provides a consistent surface with the right tooth for brush strokes, and helps paint adhere without soaking into the canvas. Modern acrylic gesso is a binder with chalk or calcium carbonate, drying to a flexible, sandable layer that can be built up for different textures. While whitewash is a wall coating and primer/ground are broader terms for prep layers, gesso is the specific material used to prime a canvas.

Priming a canvas uses a white, paint-like mixture called gesso. It acts as a ground that seals the fibers, provides a consistent surface with the right tooth for brush strokes, and helps paint adhere without soaking into the canvas. Modern acrylic gesso is a binder with chalk or calcium carbonate, drying to a flexible, sandable layer that can be built up for different textures. While whitewash is a wall coating and primer/ground are broader terms for prep layers, gesso is the specific material used to prime a canvas.