• Components of the Eco Gesso Kit including the box, Gesso Mix, Methyl Cellulose and instruction booklet
  • Eco Gesso Kit
  • Eco Gesso Kit
  • How to Prime Your Canvases with the Natural, Non-Toxic Eco Gesso Kit
    How to Prime Your Canvases with the Natural, Non-Toxic Eco Gesso Kit
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Eco Gesso Kit

Our Eco Gesso Kit is the world’s first eco-friendly, petroleum-free and vegan gesso for artists - made with earth and mineral ingredients and plant-based binders. This gesso is professional-grade, archival and based on time-tested Renaissance recipes.

$49.95
$49.95
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Natural Earth Paint
Natural Earth Paint
Description

Eco Gesso Kit includes: 

  • 2 - 0.75 oz Methyl Cellulose packets
  • 1.5 lb. bag of Gesso Mix
  • Instruction pamphlet

    Makes 112 fl. oz. of gesso (enough to prime about 10-15 medium-sized canvases).

Learn about the History of Gesso HERE

Learn how to Prime & Stretch an Eco-friendly Canvas HERE
Technical Data

Packaging:
This kit is packaged in a 100% post-consumer recycled paper box. Post-consumer recycled paper eliminates the need to cut down new trees to create paper as it utilizes pre-existing material, and it can be recycled again for use in other products. Gesso mix comes in home-compostable bioplastic.

Directions:
For our tutorial on how to mix our Eco Gesso, see the Video Tab.

Safety & Quality:
Made in the USA. Free of nuts, dairy, and gluten. Cruelty-free. Not intended for consumption.
Shipping & returns

Eco-Friendly Practices

We are a small, woman-owned and run business operating out of a solar-powered facility in Southern Oregon. We also double as a used packaging drop-off site for local residents and businesses. Our products are packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, home compostable pouches and recyclable glass and aluminum bottles.

We give back by donating to "One Tree Planted" and "Rogue Climate" every month and continue to donate to various humanitarian and environmental causes throughout the year.

Generally, all orders are shipped using zero-waste packaging and materials. Our shipping department uses paper stuffing and biodegradable paper tape, with the exception of shipping glass, as noted in the product descriptions for products made of glass.

 

Shipping Policies and Information

We offer free standard shipping on orders above $150 for U.S. customers. If you qualify for free shipping, we will not honor requests for Priority or Expedited shipping unless a request is submitted through email and additional postage is paid. If you need expedited shipping, email us.

Our shipping room runs Monday through Friday, and is closed on federal holidays. With the exception of orders placed on Friday and Saturday, we typically pack and ship orders within 24 hours. During peak/high volume periods it may take us 1-3 days to pack and ship an order.

If you email us over the weekend with a shipping need, we will respond to you on Monday morning, Pacific time. The best way to reach us is by filling out our contact form on this website.

Please double check your shipping address. We are not responsible for issues caused by incorrect addresses. 

Shipping rates and available services are calculated at checkout based on your order’s weight and destination. Delivery estimates are estimates provided by the carrier and are not guaranteed. You are always welcome to email us if you need extra help with shipping or delivery.

 

How We Handle Shipping Issues

Once an order leaves our facility, delivery is handled by the selected shipping carrier. Any delivery issues must be addressed directly with the carrier, as they are responsible for transporting the package to its destination. For USPS shipments, we’ve found that contacting your local post office is often the most effective first step.

You may track your shipment or submit a missing mail claim through the carrier used for your order—either the U.S. Postal Service or UPS.

While we make every effort to process and ship orders promptly, we are not able to retrieve or locate packages once they are in transit. In the event of a delay or loss, we ask for your patience while the carrier completes its investigation. Replacement items or refunds can only be issued after the carrier has made a formal determination.

After an order leaves our facility, responsibility transfers to the carrier, but we’re glad to offer support and direction should any delivery issues occur.

If your order arrives damaged, please contact us within 10 days of delivery. Include your order number and photos of the damaged product and packaging. 

If an order is marked “delivered” by the carrier but you have not received it, please let us know, but do note that we will insist you make every effort to find the package on your end, including checking with neighbors and waiting at least 2 more days for delivery. If the package does not show up, we will assist you in starting a trace with the carrier or make another determination about how to handle the issue.

 

Return Policies

We offer full refunds on any defective or damaged products. We also offer full refunds (less shipping costs) on elective returns if the product is in re-sellable condition (including the packaging) and the return has been made within 3 months of the purchase.

Please send all returns to us at:

Natural Earth Paint

℅ Returns

330 E Hersey St. Ste 7

Ashland, OR 97520


International Shipping

If you’re ordering from Europe, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, please click the appropriate link to visit the international website for your region - these are operated by third parties but all products were made in the USA . We normally ship with either FedEx or UPS for international orders, and the order typically takes 2-3 weeks for delivery. Due to global constraints, shipping times may vary, and additional delays can occur due to customs inspections. Since we never know if a package will be held at customs, any import fees or taxes applied to the delivery must be paid by the recipient.
PRODUCT FAQs

After the first coat of methyl cellulose, why is my canvas wrinkly / wavey? 
It's normal for the canvas to look loose at this step, this next step of applying the "Gesso Mix" will tighten up the canvas. If it's not as tight as you want after the second step has dried, spritz water on the back of the canvas and it will tighten further.

Can I skip the first coat of methyl cellulose? 
The first coat of methyl cellulose is really just designed to seep into the fibers of the raw canvas to give another layer of protection since if oil paint touched raw canvas it would eventually rot/mold. If you’re painting on wood or a pre-primed surface, then you don’t need the first coat of methyl cellulose.

How much coverage does the gesso kit have?
The full kit is about enough for 10-15 medium sized canvases, so you can half or quarter the recipe for smaller applications.

After it dries, it is chalky, why?
That's a sign that there's not enough Methyl Cellulose glue in the mix. That's the glue that keeps it all together. For the ones you've already gessoed, you can brush on one more layer of the clear methyl cellulose on top and let dry overnight. For any new canvases or panels, be sure to brush on a layer of the glue first, let dry, then when you mix up the gesso mix, add one or two more tablespoons of the Methyl cellulose glue to the mix then it calls for. This recipe is based on a Renaissance recipe when they preferred a more absorbent surface because the paint would bond to the top layer of gesso rather than sitting on top which is what we’re now used to with acrylic gessos. 

Is it archival? 
The gesso has incredible longevity and is very archival and non-yellowing.

What is the shelf life? 
The mixed Methyl cellulose in a glass jar has a 1 year shelf life if uncontaminated and kept at room temperature. The mixed gesso has a 6 month - 1 year shelf life once mixed.

Is the gesso absorbent? 
Our gesso is a replica of gesso made during the renaissance. They preferred that the surface was slightly absorbent so the first layers of oil paint would seep into it a bit and fully bond instead of just sitting on top which is what we’re used to these days with Acrylic Gesso (plastic). If you’d like it less absorbent you can add another layer of methyl cellulose on top OR you can add more methyl cellulose into the gesso mix, for example 6 or 8 Tbsp. 


Components of the Eco Gesso Kit including the box, Gesso Mix, Methyl Cellulose and instruction booklet
Eco Gesso Kit
Eco Gesso Kit
How to Prime Your Canvases with the Natural, Non-Toxic Eco Gesso Kit

Why Natural Earth Paint

  • SAFE
    &
    SUSTAINABLE

    Free of heavy metals, solvents, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, additives, petroleum-based dyes and nano-particles.

  • ZERO WASTE
    &
    ZERO WORRY

    100% solar powered facility, 100% recycled and biodegradable packaging, and zero-waste shipping option available.

  • INNOVATIVE
    &
    UNMATCHED

    Proud to be the most innovative eco-business in art supplies. We have a whole line of products that you can’t find anywhere else.

  • PROFESSIONAL
    &
    HIGH QUALITY

    The highest quality pigments, organic ingredients, and hand-crafted in small batches. Pure earth pigments make the most luminous paint available anywhere.