How to prepare the MDF board ( bearer of the painting )
- First, choose a good-quality MDF board (7 to 8 mm) without too many raised fibers on the surface. Also make sure there is no damage to the corners and that the MDF panel is cut precisely to size. (If you don’t have a table saw, have it cut to size at the home improvement store.)
- Sand the top (paint side) and sides with fine-grit sandpaper. Wipe off the dust with a cloth.
- Now mix the acrylic paint in the paint roller tray using white and black (Talens acrylic paint: “Amsterdam” quality, in large tubes or small cans). The shade should preferably be a medium gray. If the painting as a whole will be light or feature many bright or pastel colors, the base shade can be a light gray. If you intend to create a heavy, dark painting with muted colors, a darker shade of gray may be better as a base. Prepare enough mixture for three layers. Mix the mixture thoroughly with a few drops of water.
- Now use a paint roller and roll the panel with the gray paint. First, apply fairly firm pressure to the panel while rolling, and then apply very light pressure to remove any air bubbles. Once the first coat is applied, place a damp cloth over the paint tray and the roller. This will prevent the paint from drying out.
- Use a hair dryer to speed up the drying of the painted surface (hold it 10 cm above the surface). (It dries in just a few minutes with a hair dryer)
- Next, lightly sand the surface with fine-grit sandpaper. The fibers may have puffed up slightly due to the acrylic paint. Sanding will make some of the fibers paintless again. But that is fine . Ultimately, the fibers shouldn't really be visible anymore after 3 layers of paint
- Wipe away the dust from sanding with a cloth, and roll the paint mixture from the tray over the surface and edges again.
- Repeat this process until there are at least three coats of paint on the top layer.
- Be sure to sand it lightly after applying the final coat. The surface on which the painting will come is now ready.
- The back of the panel can be rolled at least twice with the remaining paint, or you can make a different mixture. (The shade isn't important right now.) Sanding isn't really necessary.
- The panel is now ready for sketching the composition's outlines in pencil (2B pencil)
