Painting surfaces:
Masonite, MDF and Hardboard
Masonite
Masonite is a trademark brand name of a type of dark brown fiberboard which is made
from sawdust fibers and glue. It is mainly manufactured
as wallboard for use in insulation and paneling, but can also be used as a surface for oil and acrylic painting.
Masonite is also cheap to buy and can be purchased from must hardware and DIY shops.(US)
There are two types of Masonite boards, tempered and untempered.
The untempered is the preferred board for painting as the surface is not oily
and is therefore more suitable for the application of gesso/primer.
The Masonite boards are easy to cut to the desired size using a saw.
When used as a painting surface, it is recommended to use some sandpaper on the smooth side of the board before priming.
This to make sure the primer adhere to the masonite surface.
The board should always be primed before painting.
Three coats should be sufficient, and sanding between layers is also recommended for a smooth finish.
A canvas board can be created by gluing a piece of linen to the masonite using gesso or primer.
To save time, Masonite boards can also be purchased pre-coated with gesso from the art supplier.
MDF
MDF stands for "Medium Density Fiberboard"
and can be used as an alternative to masonite and hardboard.
It is created from wooden fibers which has been compressed with adhesive under high pressure.
The boards are available from most D.I.Y and hardware stores in numerous thicknesses, and can easily be
sawed and shaped to whatever size and shape required.
MDF should always be primed (and sanded) with a good quality gesso before painting, and it is also
recommended to use some sandpaper on the edges if the board has been cut or sawed.
An MDF board can also be covered with canvas using a gesso or primer to create a canvas board.
Hardboard
Hardboard is made from oak, birch, walnut or mahogany.
Even though the hardboard is quite rigid, the surface need to be primed before use.
Two or three layers is often recommended to avoid yellowing, cracking and leaking of oli from the board.
Many artists prefer to paint on Hardboard. This is because as it is inexpensive and the the surface is more rigid than canvas
so there is less cracking in the paint.
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