GOLDEN Gesso is a flexible liquid ground that seals, protects, and gives "tooth" to substrates, which promotes paint adhesion. It is formulated to accept a wide variety of media on many commonly used painting surfaces. It comes ready-to-use, but can be mixed with water for thinner applications. When applied in thin layers, GOLDEN Gesso will conform to a variety of textured surfaces without cracking. For oil painting, Golden recommends at least three layers of gesso. Gesso can be mixed with acrylic colors to produce a range of colored grounds. Gesso can be thought of as the bridge between the support and the paint. GOLDEN Gesso is designed to penetrate supports and provide a surface to which paint can adhere. Proper preparation with GOLDEN Gesso increases the life span of artwork. This Gesso is formulated to be flexible and is highly pigmented for greater opacity.