The Artist’s Foundation Lab: Professional Techniques for Supports, Sizing, and Grounding

This course offers a comprehensive and scientifically grounded introduction to preparing professional art supports, including paper, canvas, wood, metals, and recycled materials. Participants will learn how different surfaces interact physically and chemically with various media, and how proper sizing, priming, and grounding influence adhesion, absorbency, texture, and long-term stability. Through technical demonstrations, the course clarifies how to evaluate materials, select appropriate grounds, and control the visual and structural performance of the surface before applying color.

In parallel, the program emphasizes professional standards for stretching canvas, preparing frames, applying gesso and specialized primers, and preventing common surface failures such as cracking, flaking, or paint delamination. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with the foundational knowledge required to create durable, archival-quality surfaces suitable for advanced painting practices.

Course Objectives:

• Acquire foundational knowledge of supports: paper, canvas, wood, metal and recycled surfaces.

• Master proper sizing and sealing techniques to prevent paint-induced deterioration.

• Apply professional grounding (gesso/primer) methods suitable for different supports.

• Ensure structural and surface stability for long-term archival quality.

• Recognize and avoid common mistakes in material selection and surface preparation.

Main Topics:

1. Types of supports and criteria for choosing each (paper, canvas, wood, metal, recycled).

2. Sizing the support: purpose, materials (glues, polymer size), and sealing techniques.

3. Grounding and priming: gesso, primers, absorbency control, texture preparation.

4. Surface preparation workflow: stretching canvas, frame preparation, leveling, and surface corrections.

5. Preservation-aware support preparation: mitigating risks of acidity, discoloration, fabric weakening, and environmental effects.

6. Special cases: mixed media supports, recycled materials, non-traditional substrates — adaptations in sizing and grounding.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate and select appropriate support materials for different artistic needs.

• Properly size and seal fabrics or panels to protect them from paint-induced damage.

• Apply grounding and priming techniques to prepare a stable, paint-ready surface.

• Stretch canvas and construct frames according to professional standards.

• Identify and correct structural or surface flaws before painting begins.

• Produce art supports with long-term stability and archival integrity.

Target Audience:

This advanced program is specifically designed for:

Professional Artists.

Graduate Students & Postgraduate Students (Fine Arts/Art Education/Archaeological Conservation).

Experimental Media Professionals.

Art college students.

Conservation and restoration specialists

Gallery staff.

Duration details:

Duration: (4 Weeks) 24 training hours.

Format: Practical workshops + simple laboratory experiments.

Certification: Accredited certificate of attendance.

Location: Hossam El-Kady Studio – Cairo.

Ready to elevate your art practice? Enroll today, share this course with a fellow artist, and join our community!