| have you ever gone to an art museum? every famous artist with a beautiful work of art had to start somewhere... ... once you learn the basics of putting paint on canvas... you can do anything you want with your artwork... *** Cotton canvas is desirable because of its affordable price and its ease of stretching. Cotton duck: Much less expensive than linen, it has become the most popular support for oil and acrylic painting, especially for students. A properly prepared cotton canvas has longevity similar to linen, and is more flexible and easier to stretch properly. However, cotton is considered too flexible for very large paintings. It is possible to stretch cotton canvas tighter than linen canvas, without straining the wooden support, because cotton fibers stretch more easily than linen fibers. Although not as strong as linen, a heavy grade cotton can make up for its lack of strength with its weight. Linen canvas is by far the better-quality because of its strength and resistance to decay. Woven from flax, the weave can show throughout many layers of paint. Linen is difficult to prime and stretch properly, but it offers the smoothest and stiffest painting surface, one with proven longevity. Linen, while expensive, is the traditional choice for artists' canvas. Some of the qualities linen has that makes it so attractive to painters are: Linen is the most durable fabric to put paint on. Linen's warp and weft threads are equal in weight so less susceptible to the expanding/contracting problems created by moisture. Linen retains its natural oils which preserve the fiber's flexibility and keeps the canvas from becoming brittle. Linen has a more natural weaved finish than cotton and is available in a variety of textures, weights and smooth or rough finish. Linen is very receptive to sizing and priming applications. ------------------------------------------ Stretched cotton canvas has been the most common support for oils since the 17th century. The weave of the cloth combined with the spring of the stretched material are the features which maintain its popularity. ------------------------------------------ Artists use pieces of canvas as a medium for their works of art. The canvas is stretched across a stretcher, and coated with gesso before it is to be used. With a properly prepared canvas, the painter will find that each subsequent layer of color glides onto the canvas and that with the proper consistency of application, a painting entirely devoid of brushstrokes can be readily achieved. Art Canvas Quality art canvas and canvas techniques are an integral part of the success of your art piece or painting. There are many techniques for preparing and stretching your canvas and techniques for using canvas with different paints including oil paints, water color paints and acrylic paints. If your canvas is improperly prepared your painting may not last and ultimately be damaged so do your homework and learn how to use canvas and create your art canvas properly. The Different Grades of Primed Canvas When shopping at an art supply store or through an online catalog, you'll notice that artists canvas comes in single, double and universal primed. Single primed canvas simply means that gesso has been applied only once. A single primed canvas is flexible and shows more of the fabric's texture. Double primed canvas is smoother and stiffer because it has an additional layer of gesso. Universal primed canvas is triple acrylic primed to accept oil, acrylics or alkyds. Acrylic Paint On Canvas Looking for canvas tips? It is easy to prepare a canvas for acrylic paint. Simply by applying gesso in thin coats over the canvas, one coat of straight gesso will give a rough finish. When applying several coats, dilute the gesso with a mixture of half acrylic gloss medium and half water. Use a wide brush to apply gesso directly to the canvas in even strokes going from top to bottom in parallel strokes from edge to edge. The Vocabulary of Artist Canvas Different grades and types of canvas have a vocabulary all of their own. Some of the terms that you may encounter include tone, which is the shade of the canvas' priming. Pumiced is the hand process of rubbing linen with a pumice stone to smooth its texture. When a canvas is picked it means that its irregular or nubbly spots have been removed. Duck is a popular type of cotton canvas amongst artists. It comes in a range of weights and textures. Stretch Canvas Artists use pieces of canvas to sketch ideas for paintings. Many artists sketch on canvas before they begin painting a single stroke. Artist Canvas Canvas is the general term for the woven fabric painted upon by artists. The most common types of canvas are linen and cotton. Linen is stronger and more expensive than cotton. Cotton is more affordable and easier to stretch tightly. And, a heavy grade of cotton can make up for the strength. Muslin & Scrim Muslin is a less expensive and more loosely woven fabric that can be used as canvas. Scrim is another affordable canvas choice. It is made of a cotton/linen mix. When properly stretched, both of these canvas alternatives look and feel the same as traditional canvas. MORE TIPS ON ARTISTS' CANVAS': Acrylic Paint On Canvas How do I prepare a canvas for acrylic paint? When you are preparing your canvass for acrylic paints you should apply gesso to it. One coat of gesso will give your canvass a rough finish. If you want to apply additional coasts of gesso you should apply it from top to bottom with a wide brush using parallel strokes. Artist Canvas What is artist canvas? Linen and cotton are the most common canvas material used by painters. Of the two, linen is stronger and more expensive. However, cotton stretches tighter. You can make your cotton canvas stronger by choosing a heavier grade of cotton. Muslin & Scrim What is muslin? If you are looking for a canvas that is not woven as tight as cotton or linen you may want to consider muslin. Muslin is less expensive than cotton and linen and when stretched properly it looks and feels the same as a traditional canvas. The Different Grades of Primed Canvas What do the terms single, double and universal primed mean? You can purchase canvas in single primed, double primed and universal primed. Single primed means the canvas has only had one application of gesso added to it. This is ideal for a painter who wants the canvas to be flexible and show the fabrics texture. Double primed means the canvas has an additional layer of gesso. It will be stiffer and smoother. A universal primed canvas means the canvas has had three applications and it is primed and ready to accept acrylics, alkyds or oil paints. The Vocabulary of Artist Canvas What terms do I need to know about canvas? If you are new to the painting world you may be unfamiliar with the vocabulary that is used to describe canvas. Tone: This word refers to the shade of the priming. Pumiced: This is the term used to describe the process of rubbing a pumice stone over linen to smooth its texture. Picked: This is the term used to describe a canvas that has had its irregularities removed. Duck: This is the word used to describe a type of cotton canvas that comes in a wide range of textures and weights. |
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