How to Stretch a Linen Canvas for Painting

Prepare the canvas for your artwork.

Painters prefer to stretch their own canvases rather than buying canvases that are already on a frame. Building a frame and stretching the canvas gives the artist more control over the size and style of canvas that she is working with. Making a frame for the canvas is easy. Stretching bars may be purchased at the local art supply store or at the local home supply store. Assemble the frame and you are ready to attach the canvas. The primary difficulty is ensuring that the canvas is free of wrinkles.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic
• Pliers
• Stretching bars
• Hammer
• Linen canvas
• Scissors
• Right angle
• Staples/stapler
• Tacks

Instructions

1. Lay a piece of plastic on a smooth surface or hardwood floor.

2. Assemble the stretching bars. The four stretching bars fit together to make the frame. Begin by assembling them with your hands. They fit together tongue and groove fashion. Once the frame is assembled, tap the corners with a small hammer to make the frame tighter and more secure.

3. Lay the frame on the plastic. Place a right angle on the outside of the frame next to the inside corner of the frame. If the side is square it will line up with the right angle. If it is not square there will be a gap between the right angle and the side of the frame. If a side is not square, twist it and finagle it until it lines up. Repeat the process until all four sides are square.

4. Lay the canvas, primed side facing down, on the plastic. Place the frame on top of the canvas. Cut the canvas to size leaving a I-1/2 inch to 2 inch excess for gripping and stretching on all four sides.

5. Attach the canvas to the two short sides of the frame. Hold the frame upright. Fold the canvas and place a tack or staple in the middle of the wood. Repeat the process on the opposite side. Hold the canvas taut with a pair of pliers in your left hand. Place a tack or staple in the wood.

6. Repeat the process with the two longer sides of the frame. Keep the canvas taut with pliers as you tack or staple the middle of the frame.

7. Secure the canvas on all four sides. Fold the edge of the canvas and make a smooth and even crease. Keep the canvas taut with the pliers and attach staples or tacks in one inch increments along the frame starting with the middle tack. Don't attach the two inches along the inside corners.

8. Fold the corners. Secure one corner at a time with a staple or tack. Align the tack or staple so that it is not in the tongue and groove section of the frame. Hold the canvas taut and make sure that there are no creases or wrinkles in the canvas.

References

• N Doyle Fine Art: Stretching And Painting A Canvas
• Rex Art: How To Stretch Artists' Canvas