CHOOSING THE CANVAS FOR YOUR PAINTING
HOW TO CHOOSING THE CANVAS FOR YOUR PAINTING
" Guide to choosing a canvas for your painting "
Oil and acrylic paintings today are mostly created on canvas. Canvas replaced wooden panels in Renaissance painting. Because the canvas is stretched on a wooden frame, large-scale paintings can be made and are portable. Because it is lightweight and can be fixed. As well as being a more stable surface with less distortion and cracking than wood panels. The artist's first canvases were made from high quality Venetian hemp, and the word canvas comes from hemp fiber. Soon after, linen canvases were introduced. And cotton is a new fiber alternative.
Whether you stretch your own canvas or purchase a canvas to mount on a wooden frame or prepared canvas board. There are many types of canvas fabric to choose from. The characteristics you want for your surface will determine which one you choose. weight of cloth Material used to make and surface preparation Different combinations will give you different drawing experiences. And it will affect the final look of your drawing.
At Wiin Artists' Canvas we have a wide range of canvases that should cover the needs of most artists. You can choose from a variety of sizes and textures on ready-to-paint canvases. Just unwrap it and use it. Or you can add a final floor coating to customize your finish. We have canvas panels. and birch plywood board which is suitable for spray painting Because it is lightweight, mainly if you want to stretch your own canvas. We have 20 canvas styles to choose from per meter or 10 meter rolls.
Many artists try their hand at painting on different canvases, primers, and areas. Until they find the surface that best suits their painting. Texture quality can have a huge impact on a certain artist's drawing. Even more so for techniques like oil or acrylic staining. You can compare some of the canvases that Wiin Artists's Canvas has in stock by ordering a Sample Booklet
There are two main types of fibers used to make canvas. namely cotton and linen (Cotton and Linen). Some special fibers such as hemp (Hemp) and jute (Jute) are also used for making canvas.
COTTON
( Cotton india 15 oz / Cotton india 15 oz / Cotton india 8 oz / Cotton Italy 534 / Cotton Italy 519 )
Cotton is economical but not as strong as linen. And it has not yet stood the test of time like linen in the past. The cotton fabric is easily stretched and tight on the wooden frame. Linen is stronger because it has longer fibers. Therefore, it is less likely to break at the staple lines or at the sharp outer corners of the wooden frame. It also means you can use thinner linen for the same strength as heavier cotton. The stiffness of linen makes it difficult to pull when stretched. And you have to keep the fabric taut across the entire canvas. Otherwise, there may be wrinkles along the edges later. Some artists purchase ready-made linen canvases because linen is known to be much harder to stretch than cotton. The basic color of cotton is usually cream. And undercoat linen is often brown because it is unbleached. But we have some primed Italian cotton that is coated on the back, which makes the backside darker. Cotton canvas (Cotton Duck) has more tightly woven threads than regular cotton canvas. The word 'duck' comes from the Dutch word for cloth." doek"
We have 1 types of cotton: Cotton duck is the most common canvas in the world. It has many uses besides art. (Canvas bags, etc.) usually have a clearly visible weave pattern and are quite thick. Because the price is not very high Our most popular canvases are sold by the meter (and rolls) and for our custom canvases. That's a primed 12 ounce canvas. Our Italian cotton (Leonodesca) is an artist's canvas. Built for industry Therefore, it has a tighter weave. finer thread and an overall smoother surface Even the 'medium' texture Italian cotton is finer than the Indian cotton we stock. It also has a very fine texture called Extra Fine. The addition of polyester means the fabric doesn't 'stretch' as much as all-india cotton and becomes looser over time.
LINEN
( Italy Linen 574 / Linen 533 / Linen 648 / Linen 568 / Linen 591 / Jute 565 / Linen 538 )
( Claessens Belgium Nr.109 / Nr.112 / Nr.9 / Nr. Nr. 20 / Nr.14 )
Linen is more expensive than cotton. This is partly because cotton canvas is more common and has many uses outside of art. Therefore, lower prices are a result of the market. Linen is also more expensive than cotton. This is because many steps are required to process flax fibers. And because of its inelasticity, it is more difficult to weave it into fabric.
At Wiin Artists' Canvas we carry two separate bands of linen from different manufacturers, sold by the meter and by the roll. Linen canvas from Italy Leonardesca has a more uniform and dense weave. and very strong and Belgian linen from Claessens, which uses the highest grade linen and has incredible quality control. This makes it a great linen if you paint, scrape, repaint, impasto, varnish. Italian or Belgian linen is a good choice as it will withstand painting. Their canvas is woven so tightly that it is difficult to stretch and is our highest priced canvas. Flax in Belgium Their linen is produced using small-scale production and traditional, time-honored methods of surface treatment and foundation. They applied the primer by hand with a paint mixing knife. Italian fabric uses slightly coarser threads and has a more uneven weave but is of very good quality .
” In addition to flax's excellent strength and excellent surface for painting, Linen is also available among art collectors. Therefore, artists often mention in their material lists that it is the linen that they specifically paint.
Brand
Wiin Artist's Canvas has 3 brands of artist's canvas available by the meter Claessens (Belgian linen), Leonardesca (Italian linen and cotton), Wiin Canvas (Indian cotton) These highest quality canvases are also used for stretched canvases. Special order wood Professional ready-made stretched canvas. And birch plywood boards cover our linen.
You can compare some of the canvases that Wiin Artists' Canvas has in stock by ordering a Sample Booklet.https://www.wiincanvas.com/en/product/58786-64623/canvas-samples-booklet
Primer
The type of surface affects many things about painting. The amount of grain affects the adhesion of the paint and the feel of the brush stroke when painting. The amount of absorption affects the glossiness and lightness of the oil painting because the oil is absorbed by the surface and if the pigment is absorbed, the color will fade. Oil surfaces tend to be less absorbent and are relatively smooth for a smooth painting experience that produces vibrant and vibrant colors. Once you have chosen your canvas, you can apply one or more coats of primer. The surface you will be painting on will provide the right amount of tooth for the paint to adhere. Priming the canvas allows you to apply the first coat to the weave (to create a good barrier for the oil paint to penetrate). Then apply additional coats of primer to smooth or create the texture you want. Unless you sand the primer off when it dries to make the surface very smooth, there may still be some brush marks.
- Acrylic Primer
( Indian cotton 540 grams / Indian cotton 380 grams / Italian cotton 534 extra fine / Italian cotton 519 medium)
Italian Linen 574 / 533 / 648 * Clear Primer * / 568 / 591 / Jute 565 / 538 Oil Primer
Acrylic primer acts as both a canvas sizer and a primer. If you are using an acrylic primer to use with oil paint, check by holding the canvas up to a light. If there are pinholes of light coming through, you will need to apply more primer to seal the canvas. When a canvas is labeled as Universal Primer, it means that it is an acrylic primer that can be used with acrylic or oil paint. If it is labeled as "gesso" acrylic, this sometimes means that it is more absorbent than acrylic primer. To apply, you will need to dilute the primer with water for the first coat and sand it down when it is dry. Then, apply a slightly thicker layer of primer for each subsequent coat. Applying too much primer can cause cracking when dry because the canvas will shrink too much. Therefore, it is better to create a surface with many thin coats rather than one thick coat. Thin coats of paint usually dry quickly enough that you can apply another coat in 30 minutes, allowing for easy batches within a day. To achieve the smoothest surface possible, many artists will sand with extra-fine sandpaper between coats of primer.
- Oil primer
Oil-based canvas can only be used with oil paint. Although oil paint can be used with acrylic gesso primer, acrylic paint will not permanently adhere to oil-painted canvas and will eventually flake off. Oil-based primers consist of oil paint mixed with linseed oil, so you need to condition the canvas before applying the oil primer. It usually takes 2-3 weeks for the oil primer to dry completely before the surface is properly ready for the artist to paint.
- Clear primer
Some artists prefer a clear primer because they want the color and texture of the canvas to be an important part of the painting. If you like the color of the canvas and don't want a white base, you can prime the canvas with an acrylic paint, such as Matt Medium or 'Clear gesso acrylic clear', to allow it to penetrate the fibers and fill the weave pores of the canvas. It usually takes 2-3 coats of primer.
You can compare some of the canvases that Wiin Artists' Canvas has in stock by ordering a Sample Booklet https://www.wiincanvas.com/en/product/58786-64623/canvas-samples-booklet
