# Can Gesso be substituted for Titanium White



## Lynda Hull (Apr 12, 2020)

Hello from New Zealand, 

Like the rest of the world we are locked down and I'm almost out of Titanium White! Horrors!!! We are not able to buy supplies, even online.

Does anyone know if using white gesso will work as a substitute white in an acrylic painting? Or has anyone ever tried white interior house paint?

Thanks for your help. cheers


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## Mullanphy (Apr 25, 2020)

I use Liquitex gesso and find it to be less opaque than artist quality heavy body acrylic titanium white paint, but better than whites with lower pigment loading. I haven't done a side by side test, but it's more like a zinc white.

I've seen gesso suggested as medium for Bob Ross style painting with acrylics to replace his magic white, but haven't tried it. 

House paint, though an acrylic, has a different carrier as well as different pigments and lower pigment load than heavy body paints, so may not blend or mix well with what is normally used on canvas. If you try, will you come back and let us know how it worked out?


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