Monday, April 23, 2007

Getting Gesso out of clothing?

Stokes, have you had any experience with extracting gesso from clothing? I dropped a figure while coating them, which naturally landed on my best pair of pants. :P

3 comments:

Bluebear Jeff said...

I have no idea (since I don't use gesso) . . . but I do have a few suggestions.

One is to check out the Yahoo Groups for artist-type painter groups . . . and ask on those (they should have some experience in the matter).

Another idea is to call a good "dry cleaner" and ask them.

Finally try calling an "artists supplies store" and ask them.

I hope that these ideas help you out.


-- Jeff of Saxe-Bearstein

Bluebear Jeff said...

PS,

Whenever I paint, I wear an old "shop apron". You know the type often sold to Bar-B-Q'ers . . . hangs around the neck, ties at the waist and has a couple of big pockets.

I'd hate to tell you how many times it has protected my clothes . . . and it has become quite colorful with its many "battle scars".

I heartily endorse getting (and using) something similar.


-- Jeff

WSTKS-FM Worldwide said...

Hi Jonathan,

Gesso is hard to remove once it's dry. Jeff's suggestions are good ones though.

Alternately, take the pants to a dry cleaner's ASAP and ask for a special spot treatment. Make sure you show the person exactly where the spot is, and then cross your fingers. They can usually work minor miracles at the cleaners, so it's money well spent.

While I've never had a gesso mishap (yet), I once dropped a big brush full of black acrylic paint in my lap while wearing my prized red University of Wisconsin sweatpants. UNforuntaely, I didn't notice the blob of paint at the time, and it dried. Repeated washings have not helped. The spot is just as apparent today as the evening it happened. Sigh. I have had to deal with my wife's snide commentsand rye observations about the swaetpants SHE gave me a couple of Christmases ago ever since.

Hope you have better luck,

Stokes