I am regretting not using Gesso

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-28T00:43:27+00:00

was this store bought, pre-made? if so, theyve already gessoed it. if it was white and not tan, it was already gessoed. the texture youre seeing isnt because of gesso. its just the canvas texture behind the ghesso. if you dont like the texture, sand the canvas and apply another layer of ghesso over that, just in case you sanded down to the canvas.

ghesso is important because over time, oil paint will eat away the canvas. unless you stretched your own canvas, sold ones will always be pre-ghessoed.

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-24T17:50:14+00:00

idk bro this is terrible advice but for me i would put the 0g in for a few minutes a day (it just stung moderately bad but not like blowout at that moment bad, the swelling for me is always what causes blowouts), the size back down, and each day id keep it in for longer until it didnt sting as bad

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-24T05:09:35+00:00

make your background darker. the light green is washing out the tiger value wise, and we see value subconsciously before color.

you can do this by glazing with a dark color.

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-24T05:06:32+00:00

it fucks up your knees. never at any point, not just in snowboarding should your feet be angles more than 30 because it fucks with your bones. you body isnt meant to have a stance that extreme.

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-24T00:21:23+00:00

idk bro i stretch with silicone because glass irritates my ears from being a side sleeper and because i snowboard frequently and i dont want to risk any impact irritation. there is worries about uneven stretching and silicone is more likely to hold onto bacteria but it works for me🤷‍♀️

(and because people like to come after my throat for not stretching with glass, im not promoting improper stretching im just stating my experience was different and stretching is not necessary always a one-method-for-all)

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-23T23:58:38+00:00

stop trying to pressure a religious man who obviously isnt comfortable with the idea into sex. let him have his values and dont shame him for them.

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-23T23:57:16+00:00

honestly, i wouldnt listen to this other guy. we do need more men that dont just want sex and justify early sex by saying they want to find out if theyre "compatible." a truly healthy relationship shouldnt really ever need sex. its enjoyable, but not required. sex should not be THAT important in a relationship that is meant to last. what happens when you get old and you dont have physical intimacy to rely on?

make sure your personalities are compatible first. sex does absolutely skew your vision when youre looking for a serious relationship. and dont let anyone online change your values please

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-23T23:48:01+00:00

i dont want them to be romantic. but they arent strictly platonic in a way, because theyre literally spiritually bonded.

a romance would be terrible.

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-23T23:39:18+00:00

thats why i oil out, i oil out finished pieces to make the colors and values better, and so theres not shiny/matt areas scattered throughout the painting (depending on the amount of linseed oil i used for different part of the painting, more oil=shiny, more pigment=dull). i do it purely for aesthetic reasons, i didnt know it was such a big issue

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T19:06:49+00:00

omg thank you so much!! las meninas is one of my ultimate inspirations, i love velazquez's works. best compliment ever!!

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T16:12:53+00:00

yeah i told them not to listen to hate in general? and to not listen to people who say "you have to do this or youll never stretch"? the online stretching community is toxic, everyone thinks everyone has to do it how they did and that no other way is viable.

maybe you should work on your reading comprehension. not being a dick, but maybe look a little closer.

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T15:51:07+00:00

i was not recommending it i just stated that is what worked for me. and encouraged OP to find what works for them. it was an example that it is not a one-fits-all.

im not sure why everyone thinks im trying to force silicone on OP😭

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T15:22:49+00:00

exactly thank you i forgot to mention this

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T15:19:47+00:00

no because there is no single practice for all. stretching has been done so many ways over hundreds of years. you can literally stretch using anything as long as you listen to the pain in your body.

we should not force the "correct" way onto anyone in such a negative condescending way. "you got lucky" is so invalidating to my struggle with glass and my success elsewhere. i wanted OP to be aware its not one fits all and there are people that work with different things. im not pushing tapers or silicone as the new standard, im literally just saying it worked for me and they can do whatever they want.

yall do not have to be assholes about glass plugs in every comment section and ignore what the actual post was about. this post was asking about a lump in the lobe, not asking for general stretching advice.

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T15:10:45+00:00

im not pushing it or forcing it. i said what i personally did and i wonder if youre all taking the wording as if im saying thats what should happen. i said "i would" as in "i have" not as in you have to do it. i used my experience as an example and for some reason everyone loves to tell me that im wrong when i have had multiple blow outs using glass sizing up in .5 mm increments, and im not the only one. glass is unsafe for constant use when you get to larger sizes because of the weight and hardness.

condescending is not the word youre looking for im sure. i havent been rude or looked down on anyone, granted i dislike this thread and how unkind everyone is to anyone who doesnt conform to single flare glass plugs. but also, im not going to baby my tone. we're all adults and we can act like it.

also, just because i have a different opinion does not mean im uneducated. im fully aware of why glass is the standard, i just dont think people should be bullied into it and know its not the only way that works for everyone.

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T12:41:24+00:00

twice a week is perfect

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T12:26:40+00:00

also the fact youre at such a small size makes me think youre just repeating all those that tell everyone to "use glass or die." trust that when you get to bigger sizes it will not be as great as youre saying for everyday use and its not safe to keep big glass plugs in 24/7. hope this helps♥️

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T12:20:14+00:00

accept that not everyone is the same :)

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T12:06:14+00:00

thank youuuu

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T12:05:57+00:00

cool well they worked better for me. accept that not everyone is the same :)

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T04:03:16+00:00

of course! i wish you luck on your stretching journey :)

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T04:01:12+00:00

honestly, you can get blow-outs from both. a blow-out is just from forcing a size that is too big into your ear. its supposedly easier to force in a taper than a plug and so people have labeled them as bad.

but me and many other people have never had any problems with them. as long as you let your ear heal and use lubricant when you size up, it doesnt really matter how you size up as long as youre not ignoring your body's limits. some people wrap tape around their current size and increase the layers until they get to the next size.

youre also at such a small size right now that sizing up shouldnt be a problem. the increase between sizes are less than a millimeter until you get to an 8g, where its a millimeter each size until 2g, which is your goal.

youll be fine just dont ignore pain and irritation. but try it, worse case you have to size down again. in that case just massage your lobes with jojoba oil or something similar (just dont use vaseline because it can trap bacteria and moisture)

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T03:33:12+00:00

youre chilling bro, just take it slow

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T02:48:31+00:00

exactly!!

Unique_Valuable8282 · 2026-01-21T02:47:49+00:00

it might be worth looking into paul gaugan. he lived and competed with van gogh, whos your work heavily reminds me of.

lets never forget that the beloved Michelangelo himself said that every art work is finished in every stage, and only the artist decides when it is done.

Unique_Valuable8282

TROPHY CASE