When preparing your canvas, a coloured background can completely change the way your painting looks and feels. Instead of starting on a stark white canvas, adding colour gives your composition depth and balance from the very first stroke.
Gesso is key
Why not simply use acrylic paint for the background? The answer is adhesion.
Mixing colour pigments with gesso ensures your paint layers bond better with the surface, which is especially important when working with oil colours. Gesso provides a stable, absorbent base, making your artwork last longer and look more vibrant.
How different backgrounds change colour
To illustrate this, we tested three backgrounds:
• White gesso
• White gesso mixed with gold ochre
• Transparent gesso mixed with gold ochre
Even with a simple abstract composition, the differences were clear:
• Pink hues react differently depending on the background, appearing warmer or cooler.
• Blue tones resisted yellow but looked colder against pure white.
• Small spaces and details gained depth and contrast when painted on a coloured base.
The result
When comparing a composition on plain white to one with a soft yellow undertone, the painting on the coloured background instantly felt more cohesive and dynamic
