Ever Used Blocking Combs?

[Shayla]

I'm watching videos on needlepoint blocking, and one uses these blocking combs.
If you've used them, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thanks, and here's a link.

Amazon product ASIN B08WHQ1FC5
They're used with the sort of foam rubber blocking mats that come from fabric stores and have puzzle-piece looking sides.

 

[auntiesarahjayne]

for blocking knitting and crochet.

 

[Mary Beth van der Horst]

Yeah, a lot of the blocking materials these days are best suited for yarn, as mentioned. They don't make them like they used to, but are easily DIYable. I think the best blocking boards for needlepoint were on a masonite type board with a 1" grid of holes drilled into it. Use with aluminum nails sized to the holes, you can tame the most skewed of needlepoints to square, upside down with a few mistings and repositionings. That is what a few of my most experienced needlepoint customers use. I'm praying that one of them will bequeath me their blocking board before I have to make my own, but in the meantime I'll leave blocking up to them. I can tame them a little bit by squaring them to a cut piece of 8 ply with binder clips as I lace it.

 

[Shayla]

Yeah, a lot of the blocking materials these days are best suited for yarn, as mentioned. They don't make them like they used to, but are easily DIYable. I think the best blocking boards for needlepoint were on a masonite type board with a 1" grid of holes drilled into it. Use with aluminum nails sized to the holes, you can tame the most skewed of needlepoints to square, upside down with a few mistings and repositionings. That is what a few of my most experienced needlepoint customers use. I'm praying that one of them will bequeath me their blocking board before I have to make my own, but in the meantime I'll leave blocking up to them. I can tame them a little bit by squaring them to a cut piece of 8 ply with binder clips as I lace it.

I saw them in a video about needlepoint blocking, so she must have just been experimenting. In another video, a woman was using waterproof MDF, which I didn't know existed. (Yes, I have the PPFA book on doing it, but it's always fun to look around). And that brings us to another thing. I follow an amazing painter who does oils, and when I asked about substrate, he said he paints on MDF. I was surprised, because it seems like a poor choice of substrate. (Granted, I'm not a painter, so what do I know....but still, lignins?). I wondered if he seals them with that Golden acrylic sealant. Now, I'm wondering if he does something like that, plus using waterproof MDF.

 

[Mary Beth van der Horst]

I saw them in a video about needlepoint blocking, so she must have just been experimenting. In another video, a woman was using waterproof MDF, which I didn't know existed. (Yes, I have the PPFA book on doing it, but it's always fun to look around). And that brings us to another thing. I follow an amazing painter who does oils, and when I asked about substrate, he said he paints on MDF. I was surprised, because it seems like a poor choice of substrate. (Granted, I'm not a painter, so what do I know....but still, lignins?). I wondered if he seals them with that Golden acrylic sealant. Now, I'm wondering if he does something like that, plus using waterproof MDF.

Almost any oil painter is going to gesso their board before painting, which will also help seal it. Oils last much longer and are less prone to cracking/flaking over time when done on a wooden panel versus canvas, since the paint has much less flexibility when cured than acrylics. I loved the look and feel of painting on panel, back when I did have time to be an artist. And if I missed the "tooth" of a canvas, I would crosshatch layers of gesso without sanding.

 

[alacrity8]

Almost any oil painter is going to gesso their board before painting, which will also help seal it. Oils last much longer and are less prone to cracking/flaking over time when done on a wooden panel versus canvas, since the paint has much less flexibility when cured than acrylics. I loved the look and feel of painting on panel, back when I did have time to be an artist. And if I missed the "tooth" of a canvas, I would crosshatch layers of gesso without sanding.

I want to believe that painters will prepare their surface properly, but I've seen way to many bad executions.
Earlier this week I framed an Oil on Cardboard. The cardboard wasn't cut square. Purchased from a mid-high end gallery.