Adapted from Rabbit skin glue and gesso prep - FA15 (Marjolijn Bol)

Field notes - Rabbit Skin Glue Preparation

October 16, 2017 SAS+NJR

Procedure developed by Marjolijn Bol

Now apply a warm animal skin glue (we use a 10% rabbit skin glue).
Apply this with a broad brush, wet but not soaking. Apply over the whole canvas.
The glue dries relatively quickly and will shrink the canvas. It will now be quite tight and will have the ‘drum’ effect.
Repeat this once more when the first layer of glue is dry.

        

RABBIT SKIN GLUE:

Step 1: (prepare previous day - shorten for time): soak 50 grams of RSG in 250 ml of water (1:5 5%)

Step 2: making the size 1:10 rsg to water solution for sizing (10% = add 250 ml of water to 50 grams of rsg that you prepared earlier) (see also, Doerner p. 37 English edition)

Step 3: Heat the solution au bain marie (in balneo mariae) until about 40-60 degrees celsius on a ceramic plate. Do not allow to boil! It will ruin your glue.

Step 4: Apply the size to your canvas (just the front) at least twice

The Making and Knowing Project’s version:

Trial 1: 10g Rabbit Skin Glue and 100ml of water placed in unsealed jar. Jar placed into simmering bain marie at 1:43 pm at 35 C.

1:46 pm, 59 C

Removed from heat at 1:48 pm. Stirred with chopstick to remove lumps. Employment of the supersoak technique.

1:56 pm, 43 C

Trial 2: 10g Rabbit Skin Glue and 100 ml.

1:40 pm: Placed in jar and left to soak

1:56 pm: Placed into bain marie with cold water.

1:59 pm: 47 C

Stirred and heat decreased.

2:02 pm: 43 C

2:08 pm: 49 C

2:14 pm: 55 C

2:19 pm: 60 C and entire bain marie removed from heat. Jar left in water to cool evenly.

2:24 pm: 57 C

2:29 pm: 51 C

2:36 pm: 48 C

2:43 pm: 44 C

2:50 pm: 36 C

Flickr album of FA17 RSG