| Canvas has long been a favorite surface for artists to | | | | painting will become brittle and easily damaged. Gesso |
| express themselves on. Originating in the thirteenth | | | | is the common primer. Gesso can also be used on |
| century, canvas replaced the wooden panels typically | | | | pre-primed canvases to fill in the gaps in the weaving. |
| used for oil paints. The fabric is revered for its | | | | Those painting with watercolors will need to find a |
| timelessness. Once properly primed, the fabric can hold | | | | canvas specifically designed for that purpose. These |
| paint for hundreds of years without wear. | | | | canvases will keep the paint wet longer and can |
| A painting canvas can be made from cotton, linen, | | | | withstand the surface abuse that occurs when painting |
| hemp and occasionally, synthetic materials. The first | | | | with water. |
| canvases were made from hemp, but today cotton | | | | Stretching your own canvas can enhance the creative |
| and linen are the most common. A material called | | | | experience. Canvas supplies can be found in most art |
| cotton duck is used as basic cotton canvas and | | | | supply stores and online. To stretch canvas, the artist |
| comes in varying weights. The weight of a fabric is | | | | will need rolled canvas, stretchers (the components of |
| used to describe the thickness of the threads and the | | | | the frame,) a staple gun with staples, and canvas pliers. |
| tightness of the weaving. Linen is regarded highly | | | | One of the advantages of making your own surface |
| among artists because the threads are very fine and | | | | is the ability to create whatever size you choose. |
| tightly woven. | | | | Canvas panels are boards with the fabric neatly glued |
| If an artist would like to use canvas for painting, he or | | | | to them. High quality panels will be tightly wrapped |
| she must decide between stretched canvas or rolled | | | | around quality board; cheaper panels will be loosely |
| canvas. They must also decide whether the canvas | | | | wrapped around cardstock and can warp when |
| will be primed or raw. A stretched canvas is fabric that | | | | painted on. Artists should always closely inspect any |
| has already been tightly pulled across the frame. Rolled | | | | canvas before painting. Sagging canvases or |
| canvas must be stretched into place and stapled onto | | | | canvases with a loose weave will not stand the test |
| the frame. The process of stretching canvas can be a | | | | of time and can even distort the image. |
| little tricky at first and may take some practice before | | | | Painters often save their canvases for important |
| being mastered. | | | | paintings because of cost, but if they stretch their own |
| Raw canvas is canvas before it has been primed. | | | | canvas they can create more pieces for a fraction of |
| Primer prevents the paint from breaking down the | | | | the cost. Creating the surface on which the painting is |
| fibers. When using acrylic paints, canvases do not | | | | made can be a rewarding experience, but it is not for |
| actually need to be primed because acrylic paint does | | | | all artists. Pre-stretched and pre-primed canvases can |
| not degrade fibers the way oil paints can. Oil paints will | | | | save the artist a lot of money. |
| actually cause the fabric to decay over time and the | | | | |