In previous videos I often used a Sharpie marker to draw my underpainting on canvas. Since it is a waterproof marker I assumed it would be safe to use with acrylics and oils. I eventually noticed that the Sharpie was bleeding through the underpainting of both my oils as well as my acrylics.
I am not sure of the chemistry that causes this to happen but is easily avoidable by switching over to an acrylic marker. In this video I demonstrate using a Montana brand marker. I was really impressed with how well the marker covered the canvas. I used it to paint the edges of the gallery wrap black and it worked perfectly.
The acrylic goes on smooth and thick. I could quite easily fill in the white gaps in the canvas.
From now on I will use an acrylic marker for all of my drawings on canvas. Let me know how it works for you.
Brad Teare–September 2014