White Base

I’m a little worried about my little bearded man. His skin is rather pitted. I blame it on the dodgy batch of pulp Sapphire and I made a few episodes ago.

Both papîer maché masks have had two layers of gesso applied already, but I think they need a few more before I get the face paint out.

Gesso is a viscous white paint made from a binder mixed with chalk, gypsum or pigment, or a combination of these. It’s used as a primer on canvas, wood panels and sculpture. Modern gesso is made from an acrylic base, but traditionally it was made from an animal glue binder (usually rabbit-skin glue – which stinks to high heaven when you cook it up!), chalk, and white pigment.

Everyone’s heard the joke about women who plaster on their make-up base with a trowel – in the case of my pockmarked masks, I think it would really help!