Check out my recent vids on surface prep👩‍🎨 Caption for more details.

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I always size first because I want to create the most permanent, archival painting surface as possible. Also, it means I can be less rigid about the type/depth of primer I use, knowing that the paint & surface are protected from each other with a good sealing layer. But after my video on sizing a few people asked if it’s really necessary to size first before acrylic gesso & the answer is no, as long as you apply enough layers!

(by surface I mean anything you paint on from the traditional wood panel or unprimed canvas to paper, metal or other.)

Gesso is actually absorbent (to varying degrees based on brand and type) & depending on brand it won’t properly seal unless you build it up.

For those who missed my video a size is a couple layers of a sealer (usually PH neutral PVA, acrylic gloss medium, GAC 100, rabbit skin glue, or other acrylic polymer medium) that stops a surface from discolouring acrylics (Support Induced Discolouration or SID) or stops oil paints from corroding the surface. It can also add tension to a stretched canvas. A primer’s job is simply to grip the paint you put on top & make sure it stays bonded to the surface over time. A size & primer serve 2 different purposes but in this case one product can be both if applied properly.