Wood has been used as a support for painting since the earliest portable paintings of ancient times. To use wood for painting in ancient times, painters first coat the surface with size (a glutinous material) and apply gesso (a mixture of glue and gypsum or chalk). Today, wood panels for painting consist of a range of derivative wood products called “engineered wood,” manufactured by binding fibers, veneers, or wood boards together with adhesives to form a composite.
In this course, Wood as a Painting Support, we show you how wood and engineered wood products are manufactured, the disadvantages and advantages of each type, and how to protect and care for paintings on wood panels properly.