Belle Arti Cradled Gesso panels are handmade in Italy, and suitable for a wide variety of techniques including oil, acrylic, pencil, watercolour and ink.
The extremely stable poplar 6mm plywood base is finished with a very smooth, absorbent acrylic gesso surface. The fine surface is ideal for detailed work. The unprimed cradled frame behind the panel makes a work feel more modern, as well as allowing a 3-D effect. It also means a work can be hung professionally without the addition of a frame, if you so desire. The external depth of the cradle is 38mm, with the frame measuring 12mm in width.
They are very absorbent, so you may wish to use extra oil if using oil paint. May not be absorbent enough for use with egg tempera, which usually needs genuine gesso (made with rabbit skin glue and whiting). If the surface isn't absorbent enough, the egg tempera paint may lift off the first layer when you apply a second glaze.
Belle Arti’s poplar wood multi-ply is ecologically friendly since all the products come from renewable sources and well-maintained plantations that minimise the company's carbon footprint.
This panel measures 50cm x 70cm.
Please note, these gesso panels work best with heavy body acrylic. Fluid acrylics and thinner, watercolour-style applications may bead up as the surface is a non-absorbent preparation. The surface can be customised with a more absorbent, toothy gesso to remedy this.
