There is a huge difference between factory-primed cotton or linen canvas and the manually applied classic primer which we use on our canvas stretcher frames.
The whole process takes about a week. After the application of each layer we wait until it is dry before applying the next one. Three coats of glue solution are applied. This glue solution seals the canvas. Priming follows, again in three or four layers, this process needs scraping the previous layer so that the primer becomes uniform and the small nodules or fibers of linen are smoothened out.
The primer contains glue solution, precipitated chalk, linseed oil, zinc white, egg emulsion and plasticizers. It provides excellent bonding of the paint with the canvas, creating a sense of control and pleasure during painting. The canvas primed in this way is almost not affected by temperature differences and weather conditions; it does not expand and does not need to be stretched again using wedges in the stretcher frame. Moreover, it acquires the properties of semi-oil primer that provides the best cohesion and coalescence of paint and primer. This is a big advantage over factory-primed canvases with synthetic acrylic primer, where the adhesion between the base and the paint is almost absent. This leads to cracking or peeling of the paint layer.