Comparing Clear and Heavy Gesso for Crafting
This comparison is part of Part 4 of the Playing with Gels & Pastes series, where I compare similar products and explore when I would choose one over another.
At first glance, Clear Gesso and Heavy Gesso may seem very similar. Both are designed to prepare a surface so that it accepts inks, paints and other mediums more successfully.
But once I put Prima Marketing Finnabair Clear Gesso and Heavy Gesso through the same Getting to Know Your Gels & Pastes experiments as part of my Playing with Gels & Pastes series, some important differences became clear.
The question isn’t really which gesso is better. It is which one makes more sense for the project you are working on.
What Do Clear and Heavy Gesso Have in Common?
Both products performed very well in many of the same tests.
They both:
- remain flexible once dry
- work beautifully through stencils
- accept inks and paints
- can be tinted to create custom colours
- work surprisingly well as adhesives
- can be used for heat embossing and foiling
- can even be used in silicone moulds to create strong, durable embellishments
One thing neither product does is create an ink resist.
This makes perfect sense when you consider what gesso is designed to do. Its purpose is to prepare a surface to accept paint and ink, rather than create a surface that repels them.
When Should You Use Clear Gesso?
Clear Gesso dries with a matte, translucent finish. It isn’t completely invisible and will slightly dull the surface underneath, particularly if you apply several layers.
This makes it my favourite choice when I want to prepare a surface without completely covering what is already there.
I use Clear Gesso particularly for book and journal pages before adding wet media. It prepares the porous paper so that inks, paints and other wet mediums don’t immediately soak into the page.
It is also a useful choice for patterned paper when I still want the original pattern to remain visible.
I would choose Clear Gesso for:
- book and journal pages
- patterned paper
- surfaces where I want the original colour or design to remain visible
- creating a prepared surface for wet media
- projects where I want a translucent rather than opaque layer over the background
When Should You Use Heavy Gesso?
Heavy Gesso dries opaque white and has a thicker consistency than Clear Gesso.
Rather than allowing the original surface to remain visible, it provides a fresh white base to work on. This makes it particularly useful when I want to cover an existing colour or design before adding something new.
I especially like Heavy Gesso for changing the colour of embellishments. The opaque white gesso covers the original colour and creates a prepared surface that I can then paint or ink.
Its thicker consistency also makes it my preferred choice when I want to build a little more texture.
I would choose Heavy Gesso for:
- covering an existing colour or surface
- priming dark surfaces
- changing the colour of embellishments
- creating texture
- stencilling with more dimension
- creating an opaque white background for paints and inks
Clear Gesso vs Heavy Gesso at a Glance
| Properties | Clear Gesso | Heavy Gesso |
| Finish | Matte | Matte |
| Opacity | Translucent | Opaque white |
| Consistency | Medium | Thicker |
| Flexible when dry | Yes | Yes |
| Accepts paint & ink | Yes | Yes |
| Ink resist | No | No |
| Works through stencils | Yes | Yes |
| Best when… | You want to see what’s underneath | You want to cover what’s underneath |
So, Which Gesso Should You Reach For?
For me, the easiest way to choose is to ask one question:
Do I want to see what is underneath?
If the answer is yes, I reach for Clear Gesso.
If the answer is no, and I want a fresh opaque base or a little more texture, I reach for Heavy Gesso.
Both products proved much more versatile during my experiments than simply being primers. They worked as adhesives, through stencils, with heat embossing and foil, and even in silicone moulds.
Understanding those properties doesn’t mean you need to use gesso for every one of those techniques. It simply means that when you already have gesso out on your craft desk, you know what else it is capable of doing.
And that is one of my favourite things about experimenting with the products already in my stash!
Explore More
- Getting to Know Your Gels & Pastes
See how I tested the different gels and pastes in my stash and what I wanted to discover. - Finnabair Clear Gesso
- Finnabair Heavy Gesso
PLEASE NOTE: All the opinions are my own. None of the products have been sponsored.