Stretched Canvas

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Stretched Canvas


Find the perfect foundation for your artwork. Whatever your medium of choice, Blick has the stretched canvas you need, including cotton and linen, whether you’re conducting studies, sketching, or creating your next masterpiece.


Shop all our most popular stretched canvas sizes. All popular sizes are listed below:



Blank stretched canvas is super convenient — it's pre-stretched, and it's often primed and ready to paint, saving you time. Unstretched canvas often comes in rolls and needs to be stretched over canvas stretcher bars or panels. Pre-stretched canvas can also be easier to frame because most come in standard sizes perfectly suited for frames. When framing canvas, look for an open-backed frame with grooves and clips to hold the canvas in place. There’s a wide variety of details to consider when choosing the ideal canvas. Choose from cotton or linen canvas. Cotton canvas tends to be less expensive than linen, but linen canvas has a tighter weave for a stronger surface.


Stretched canvas can be pre-primed with acrylic gesso or oil-based primer, making the surface ready to accept paint. Use acrylic gesso with acrylic paint and oil-based primer with oil paint. Without a primer, paint would soak into the weave of the canvas.


Stretched Linen Canvas is made from woven linen cloth that's been stretched around a wooden frame and secured in the back or on the sides with staples, tacks, or a metal spline. Made from the inner bark of a flax plant, these long fibers produce a strong, flexible, slightly stretchy material that's been known to last for centuries. Due to the method of extracting, processing, and weaving the material for this canvas, it tends to be more expensive than cotton canvas. Stretched linen canvas is available primed with oil ground or acrylic gesso.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I frame a canvas?

    Depending on the canvas, you may opt to hang your work without a frame. If you do choose to frame your canvas painting, canvas frames and open back frames are commonly used for stretched canvas or panels. These frames are meant to hang on the wall and don't have any glass or glazing material covering the work. Another option is a floating frame for canvas, which creates the illusion that your artwork is "floating" within the frame.

  • What's the difference between cotton duck canvas and linen canvas?

    Cotton duck canvas is much less expensive than linen and 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 it's more flexible and easier to stretch properly. However, cotton duck is considered too flexible for very large paintings.

    Linen canvas with an oil primer is the classic standard for oil paintings. Though more expensive and harder to stretch properly, linen canvas offers the smoothest and stiffest painting surface and has proven longevity. Strong and durable, linen holds up to a heavy painting hand and doesn't become slack as easily as cotton canvas. For many artists, linen canvas is worth the investment.