Over the years, we've collected a lot of almost finished tins of latex acrylic house paint...as one does if one lives in a house long enough. Some of them are really pretty colours and would make a nice ground (base) colour for oil painting.
Can I use house paint for priming my surfaces for oil painting?
here are some good reasons not to.
But also... I wonder if those objections could be overcome?
1. Short life expectancy of house paint.
House paint as we know it today is made to last, at most, 20 years. 4 years is a more reasonable expectation. Traditional artiat materials are designed to last at least 100 years before starting to show defects. 400 years would be the expectation for a good oil painting.
2. Paint that lasts.
this argument is less strong as most 21st century art supplies, like acrylic gesso, haven't existed long enough to prove they last. And acrylic paint is like the margarine of paint- the ingredients and method for making change with the trends. What we use now as acrylic gesso didn't really start until the late 1970s, and went through several changes since.
3. Inflexible house paint.
I suspect most people don't understand just how much a house moves in a year. The author mentions a flat, which implies multiple stories. Even wind storms can cause a 4 story building to flex (because flex is stronger. Think willow over oak.). In an earthquake zone, even more flex is included in the building. The way the paint bonds and the size of the wall/surface factor into it.
The pictures shown are his building cracking. Not just the paint. So i think the objection is a good one, but the example is oversimplified and conclusion over generalized (the author does sell the expencive art supplies)
That said, canvas has more flex, so too would a small bit of normal wood. But perhaps plywood would have less, especially made of stable wood and on a cradle (more wood bracing the back).
4. What gesso/primer does
Canvas Primers
Primer/gesso for fine art painting is designed to have the right amount of:
1. Absorbency for painting on.
2. Tooth.
3. To be opaque white for canvas coverage.
I bet there are ways to change how house paint behaves to match this.
5. Art is art
The last paragraph is a good point, I'm not yet creating art worthy of lasting 100 years. Now is a good time to experiment.
...
My biggest objection to his objection. A gallon of house paint costs less than 250ml of good gesso. Less when the paint is leftover and waiting for repairs that are never needed or to go to the recycling depot. We could call it upcycling.
Of course, I could try colour matching with acrylic paint to tint artist gesso.. could be a fun challenge, but it would take time away from painting.
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