Artists Canvas

Next time you wish to take the raw canvas  route, think of all the great artists who said they were too good for primer --their work was lost after years of wear, and so was their post-mortem fame. Like all the greats, they could have rejoiced in their graves--to know that their pauperism was worth immortality--but alas they were too good for primer. Are you too good for primer?

Contents [Hide] 1 Which Material is Best? 2 Primed or Raw? 3 Stretched Canvas vs. Stretching Your Own Canvas  4 Related Products 5 External Links

Which Material is Best?

Cotton Duck   Unprimed  cotton is a natural off-white colour, and is the least expensive--which has ensured its win in the "most popular canvas" contest. It comes in several grades of thickness and quality, but a medium quality and thickness should be sufficient for most projects.	Linen   Linen  canvas is preferred by many professional artists for its texture and durability. It can be bought in varied qualities and weights, with Belgian linen  being the highest quality. Linen has a finer and smoother texture than cotton, and is a light brown colour when unprimed.  Out of all the canvas types, this one is the most expensive.	Blended  Blended  canvases are usually made from a combination of cotton and a synthetic fibres, and are least costly of the bunch.

Primed or Raw?

Raw (Unprimed) Unprimed canvases are canvases bought without the prime undercoating necessary for painting. If you choose to paint directly onto this raw canvas,  it can create a rustic and weathered look, but the canvas is often bought so that the artist can personally prime it (N.B. raw canvas is not suitable for use with oils ).	Primed Primed  canvas is a canvas that already has the necessary gesso  priming.

Stretched Canvas vs. Stretching Your Own Canvas 

Pre-Stretched Canvas When you see the words stretched  canvas, this means that the canvas you are purchasing is already stretched over a frame of stretcher strips. It is almost always primed with some kind of gesso so that it is ready to use as soon as you buy it.

Stretching Your Own Canvas If you choose to stretch your own canvas, you can customise the size and finish of your surface. You will need to buy stretcher strips,  a staple gun,  canvas pliers,  and either primed  or raw  rolls of canvas. First you will assemble stretcher strips into a frame, then upholster the frame with the canvas, making sure the tension is even across all sides. Fix the fabric onto the frame with a staple gun, and use the pliers for both corrections and bending down the edges of the staples.  Size Tip: If you plan to do more than a few paintings, it is usually better to buy a larger piece of canvas--less will be wasted with a larger piece when cutting for various canvas sizes.

Related Products

Art Paints	Easels	Paint Brushes	Watercolour Paints	Artists Portfolios

External Links

• CheapJoes.com:  Tips on how to choose a canvas for painting.
• NDoyleFineArt: How to stretch your own canvas.
• EthnicPainting.com: History and properties of artist's canvas.