STRETCHER Bars

There are probably few things that can contribute to the integrity of your paintings more than the canvas they are created on.  That's why it's so important that when you stretch your canvas you do it over good quality stetcher bars.  Selecting the right stretcher bars can make the diference between art that will last a lifetime versus something that ends up in the dustbin.  These heavy duty stretcher bars are made of kiln-dried, knot-free pine, some of the best available. Each bar has been finger spliced, which bonds the pieces of lumber together to form long, straight bars, that actually makes them a stronger support for your canvas.  Each of these stretcher bars have a ½" rise which prevents sagging, and each bar has a slightly rounded top edge, which makes it ideal for keeping various canvas weights taut.



Keeping art canvas taut is an important part of any painted creation.  High quality stretcher bars can make the difference in your paintings.


Custom Canvas Stretching Supplies

Squaring Your Canvas

Stretching your own canvases is tricky at first, but rewarding because it gives you more control over the size and shape of your paintings. One, sometimes overlooked step in the process is to make sure your canvas is squared. You can check the squareness of your frame by measuring across the diagonal corners to see that both measurements are equal. The larger your canvas, the more critical this step becomes, especially when you are adding bracing.

Canvas Stretcher Bars

Canvas tips: Stretching your own canvas not only saves money but also allows you to experiment on different surface tightness. Canvas stretcher bars are simple to use pieces of wood that are usually sold in pairs. By buying two different lengths, you can make a rectangular canvas rather than a square one. Using the stretcher bars to build a frame for your canvas allows you to cut the size and dimensions of your paint surface then pre-stretched canvas sold commercially.

Stretch Canvas

Artists use pieces of canvas to sketch ideas for paintings. Many artists sketch on canvas before they begin painting a single stroke.

Stretching Your Own Canvas

Artists who paint a lot and like to stretch their own canvas will often stretch very large pieces of raw linen on heavy frames for sizing and priming. Once the linen is dry, it is removed from the frame and cut into desired painting sizes and re-stretched. Even though this is a time consuming process, by re-stretching, the artist ensures that if the linen tightens or sags with priming, it can be corrected when transferred to its permanent frame.

If you are using an opaque projector (we have a great selection), the projected image proportions often do not match standard size pre-stretched canvases. You can work in your borders, or stretch your own canvas to the exact measurements needed!

Richeson-BEST Stretcher Bars: Heavy Duty - Medium Duty - Lightweight (with Free Corner Keys!) / Cross Braces / Canvas Rolls / BEST Corner Key Kit / BEST Rapid Canvas Stretching Stapler / Canvas Pliers and More
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