Golden Absorbent Ground

GOLDEN Absorbent Ground allows artists to create a porous, paper-like surface on a variety of surfaces, ready for watercolour and acrylic painting! Ready to use right from the jar, this Absorbent Ground from GOLDEN is lightfast, stable, and flexible. Though the ground has a gesso-like consistency, it is not an alternative to gesso.

Suitable for gessoed canvas, hardboard, and wood, GOLDEN Absorbent Ground prepares surfaces for stains and washes with watercolour and acrylic paints. When watercolour paints are applied over GOLDEN Ground they retain their attributes such as water solubility, allowing artists to achieve watercolour painting effects on canvas surfaces and more.

Apply GOLDEN Absorbent Ground with a brush, roller, or squeegee over GOLDEN Gesso or another gesso. You can apply the ground straight from the pot, or thin up to 25% with water. For best results apply two even coats, the first coat undiluted and the second coat thinned with 20% water. The drying time of GOLDEN Absorbent Ground is approximately 8-12 hours.

After staining is complete, the surface must be sealed with a water-based acrylic polymer to prevent dirt, dust, oils, or grease from becoming permanently embedded in the surface. This sealing coat is also recommended before applying thicker paints. Sealing the surface first will ensure that subsequent paint layers form strong films with adequate adhesion.

Do not paint impasto style or with full-bodied oil paints over GOLDEN Absorbent Ground.