How to Select the Proper Canvas for Painting

Canvas is a form of cotton that is commonly used as a surface for oil, watercolor and acrylic painting. You will most likely be working with an easel, but canvas is also sold in pads. Canvas needs to be stretched and attached onto a wooden frame for proper use. Nowadays, you can also buy canvas sold in large rolls at an art supply store.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Acid-free canvas
• Pre-stretched canvas
• Rolls of canvas
• Pad of canvas
• Gesso

Select the Proper Canvas for Painting

1. Use a canvas that is good for the size of the painting you want to work on. Many artist supply stores sell various shapes and sizes of canvas already stretched and mounted on wood (just be sure it's made of acid-free canvas). If you do a lot of painting, consider buying your own rolls of canvas.
2. Prime the canvas before painting on it. A proper technique for priming canvas is to use a standard gesso or a synthetic latex paint. Canvases that are sold already primed usually come in limited amounts of sizes.
3. Look into purchasing a studio canvas popularly used by students. This type of canvas is cotton, already hand-stretched and stapled around solid wood stretchers. It is coated with acid-free titanium gesso, so you can skip the time-consuming priming. This is a quality option that will afford you ease of use.
4. Purchase a high quality canvas if your goal is to create gallery-caliber art. You should have a good starting base for your paint medium. A better canvas will do a better job holding the paint.
5. Enlist a warp-resistant frame for your canvas. This should have heavy-duty pine or wood stretcher bars and well-made corners.
6. Select the proper canvas materials for your studio. Get a variety of sizes and textures to add creativity to your designs. Purchase a wide range of canvas, boards, clips and primers at Pearlpaint.com (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• For a professional style painting select a good quality canvas that is made with 100 percent cotton. You want to be sure that the canvas is stretched appropriately before you begin painting. This will prevent uneven textures and shoddy results.
• Good canvas materials and boards can be pricey. For a beginner, get practical painting boards for practice sessions. Many suppliers carry oil painting boards that have a textured surface similar to canvas. They come pre-stretched to give you a good base for applications.

Who Can Help:

• Find Decorators & Designers Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.