Choosing Canvas: A Comprehensive Guide

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From material type and texture to weave and weight, the type of canvas you choose plays a huge role in how your artwork looks and lasts. This guide explores those qualities and more to help you make the best choice for your next painting project.

Explore the Guide:

What is Canvas?

Typically made from cotton or linen, canvas is a durable, plain-woven fabric known for its strength and versatility. While it’s used for many things, including sails, tents, and backpacks, this guide focuses on canvas as a surface and support for paint and other art materials.

When Did Artists Start Painting on Canvas?

Today, most oil and acrylic paintings are created on canvas. But how did it become the default painting support? From Classical times through the Renaissance, when artists weren't painting directly on the wall, they generally painted on wood. Canvas emerged as a painting surface in 16th-century Venice, offering a portable and durable alternative to frescoes and wood panels, which were susceptible to damage in the city's humid climate. Interestingly, the first canvases were made from high-quality hemp sailcloth—it took another century for linen to become the preferred material for artists.

Cotton canvas gained popularity in the 20th century. With European linen in short supply after World War II, the American Abstract Expressionists turned to more affordable options like cotton duck to create large-scale artwork. Art suppliers quickly recognized the demand, and within a few years, cotton canvas became widely available as a cost-effective alternative to linen.

Canvas Terms and Types: A Quick Guide

A canvas’ surface qualities can significantly impact how artists paint. Many artists experiment with various canvas materials, primers, and grounds until they find the perfect surface for their style.

Blick offers a wide variety of canvases to suit every artist's needs, including:

  • Primed Canvas: Pre-primed for immediate painting.

  • Raw Canvas: Unprimed canvas for artists who want to apply their own grounds.

  • Canvas Rolls & Blankets: Large quantities for stretching or custom projects.

  • Stretched Canvas: Primed or unprimed canvas mounted on stretcher bars.

  • Canvas Boards & Panels: Rigid canvas surfaces ideal for studies or smaller works.

  • Classroom Canvas: Budget-friendly multi-packs for students and educators.

  • Custom Canvas: Create canvases to your exact specifications.

  • Stretcher Bars and Braces: For building and assembling your own canvases.

For more information about our selection of Blick brand canvas, visit our Choosing the Best BLICK Canvas guide.

Understanding Canvas Materials

The tautness and texture of a canvas is influenced by the fiber used to make it. Understanding common canvas fibers is important, because the fiber type you choose ultimately influences how paint behaves, how long your artwork lasts, and the overall aesthetic of your piece.

Cotton Canvas

Cotton duck (derived from the Dutch word "doek" for linen canvas) is a popular choice for artists of all levels. Available in a wide range of weights and grades, it's versatile enough for both quick sketches and large-scale paintings.

Here’s what makes cotton canvas a popular option:

  • Easy to Stretch: Unlike linen, which can be tough to stretch and prime, cotton canvas is much easier to work with. Even a heavy-grade cotton is relatively simple to stretch, making it a good alternative to linen.

  • Affordable: Cotton canvas is budget-friendly, especially in the lighter weights (8-10 oz). This makes it perfect for students and for practicing. Heavier grades are also more affordable than linen and work well for larger pieces or floor cloths.

  • Versatile: Cotton canvas is widely available and comes in a wide variety of sizes, strengths, weights, and textures to suit almost any artist’s needs.

Linen Canvas

Woven from the fibers of the flax plant, linen canvas is a premium choice known for its exceptional durability and long lifespan. It's naturally resistant to mold and pests, and its tight weave provides a stable surface for paint, making it a favorite for formal portraits and important artworks.

Here are some key features of linen canvas:

  • Unmatched Stability: Linen has a unique structure with strong threads woven in both directions. This minimizes how much the canvas expands and contracts with changes in humidity, ensuring your artwork stays smooth and doesn't crack over time.

  • Naturally Fine Texture: Linen has a smoother, more refined texture compared to cotton. This makes it ideal for detailed work and achieving beautiful, precise brushstrokes. While some artists prefer a bit more texture, linen offers the smoothest canvas option when properly prepared.

  • Sustainable Choice: Growing flax is easier on the environment than growing cotton, which requires a lot of water and pesticides. Flax is naturally pest-resistant and can grow in poor soil, making linen canvas an eco-conscious choice.

Synthetic Canvas

Made from polyester or nylon, synthetic canvases are incredibly strong and stand up well to humidity and mold. Unlike cotton or linen, they don't need any special protection from the oils in your paints, although it's still a good idea to prime them for better paint adhesion.

Here's why synthetic canvas might be right for you:

  • Affordable: Like cotton canvas, synthetic options are often budget-friendly, making them a great choice for beginners and artists concerned about cost.

  • Durable: Synthetic fibers are tough. They resist tearing, mold, and mildew, which makes them perfect for humid environments. Polyester canvas, the most common type, is usually easier to clean and care for than natural fiber canvases.

  • Eco-Conscious Option: Choosing synthetic canvas can be a sustainable choice because it reduces the need for natural resources like cotton or flax. Many synthetic canvases are even made from recycled materials.

Blended Canvas

Blended canvas offers the best of both worlds, combining the strength of synthetic fibers with the authentic look and feel of natural materials like cotton or linen.

Here's what makes blended canvases a great choice:

  • Enhanced Durability: Adding synthetic yarns makes the canvas stronger and longer lasting.

  • Versatile: Blended canvases work well with a wide range of paints and primers, including traditional ones.

  • Quality and Durability: Blended canvases are a great option for artists seeking the natural texture of a traditional canvas and the added strength and resilience of synthetic materials.

Understanding Weight, Width, and Texture

Canvas Weight: What You Need to Know

Canvas weight is measured in ounces per square yard (oz/sq yd). It essentially refers to the density of the threads used to weave the canvas. Why does weight matter? Along with the tightness of the weave, it significantly influences how your painting looks and how long it will last.

Here's a simple guide to canvas weights and their best uses:

Lightweight Canvas (8-10 oz/sq yd)

  • Affordable: Perfect for students, practice pieces, and sketches.

  • Easy to Stretch: Requires less strength to stretch onto a frame.

  • Ideal for DIY Projects: Great for creating canvas-covered panels and other crafts.

Medium-Weight Canvas (11-12 oz/sq yd)

  • Professional Standard: This weight is suitable for a wide range of painting styles and is a popular choice for professional artists working on standard-sized paintings.

  • Durable Weave: The denser weave supports heavier paint applications and prevents primer from seeping through to the back.

  • Versatile: Great for a wide range of media and painting styles, medium-weight canvas strikes a balance between affordability and durability.

Heavyweight Canvas (14-20 oz/sq yd)

  • Maximum Stability: Minimal shrinkage and excellent surface flatness.

  • Ideal for Large-Scale Works: Perfect for large paintings, murals, and floor cloths.

  • Sag-Resistant: Resists sagging on stretchers, ensuring a taut surface for painting.

Canvas Width: Choosing the Right Size

Canvas width is simply the measurement from one edge of the fabric to the other. Since artist canvas is woven the same way in both directions, you can use it either way on your stretcher bars.

Pro Tip: Canvas from a wide roll can be more expensive. To save money, choose a width that matches the shorter side of your stretcher bars. Just remember to add about three inches to each side for stretching.

Canvas Texture: Understanding the Nuances

Canvas texture refers to the tactile quality of the canvas surface—how smooth or rough it looks and feels. The texture is determined by a variety of factors, including the canvas material, weave, and priming method.

Here's a breakdown of common canvas textures:

  • Fine: Extra-fine and fine canvases (also known as portrait texture) are characterized by their smooth surface and almost imperceptible weave. This minimizes surface irregularities, making them ideal for detailed work, smooth color blending, and techniques where subtle gradations are desired. The fine texture ensures that the weave pattern doesn't interfere with intricate details or delicate brushwork.

  • Medium: Medium texture canvases offer a versatile surface with moderate tooth. This texture can be further modified through priming techniques to achieve a range of finishes, from relatively smooth to moderately textured. The slight roughness promotes good paint adhesion without the weave being overly prominent in the final artwork.

  • Coarse: Coarse textures feature a pronounced weave pattern and a rough surface. This pronounced texture breaks up brushstrokes, resulting in a more textured paint application and a lively, expressive surface. It's well-suited for impasto techniques, Impressionist styles, and applications of heavy paint layers, as the prominent weave provides excellent adhesion and prevents cracking or flaking.

Surface Treatments: Preparing Your Canvas

Surface treatments play an important role in creating the best possible painting surface and ensuring your artwork's longevity. Think of them as the protective layer between your paint and the raw canvas fabric. They help maintain the canvas's strength, control how much paint is absorbed, ensure proper adhesion, and help create the ideal texture for your painting style.

Unprimed Canvas

Unprimed canvas is canvas fabric in its raw, untreated state, free of any sizing or priming. Available stretched and in rolls, folded cuts (called blankets), or by the yard, it comes in a range of weights and material types. Any creases from folding will disappear during the stretching and priming process.

Why choose unprimed canvas?

  • Full Control: Unprimed canvas is ideal for artists who want complete control over every step of the process, from stretching to priming.

  • Customization: Raw canvas also allows artists to create a custom surface, with properties such as tint or texture that may not be available pre-primed.

Primed Canvas

Primed canvas comes pre-treated and ready to paint, offering convenience and saving valuable time. Available in a variety of primer types and formats, you can find artists’ canvas primed specifically for oil paint and acrylic paint, plus various formats including stretched canvases, panels, and rolls.

Why choose primed canvas?

  • Convenience: Start painting immediately without the need for preparation.

  • Consistent Quality: Ensures the canvas is expertly primed and cured.

Sizing: Sealing the Canvas

Sizing involves applying a sealant, called "size," to the raw canvas fabric. This sealant acts as a protective barrier between the paint and the canvas fibers. This step is particularly important when preparing a canvas for oil paint, which dries through oxidation—by gradually absorbing oxygen from the air. When oil comes into direct contact with raw canvas fibers, it can slowly weaken them over time. Sizing prevents this damage, ensuring your artwork lasts.

In addition to protection, sizing also helps to:

Types of Size:

  • Traditional: Hide glue (such as rabbit skin glue or RSG)

  • Modern: Acrylic polymers or PVA size

Primers & Grounds: Fine-Tuning Your Surface

Primers and grounds are the final layer applied to a sized canvas, creating the ideal surface for your paint. They’re crucial for creating the right texture, level of absorbency, and color, impacting the final aesthetic of your artwork.

Oil Primer

  • Composition: Dense, oil-based paint formulated with pigments and drying oils.

  • Characteristics: Provides a rich, absorbent surface that mimics traditional oil painting grounds.

  • Benefits: Promotes smooth, gliding brushstrokes and enhances the luminosity of oil colors.

  • Application: Often involves multiple layers, starting with a leaner primer and building up to a thicker consistency. Some manufacturers use a bright white base coat followed by a warmer-toned layer to enhance color vibrancy.

  • Considerations: May develop a slight yellow cast when stored in the dark due to the oxidation of drying oils. This is reversible with exposure to light and doesn't affect the quality of the primer.

Acrylic Primer (Gesso)

  • Composition: A dispersion of acrylic polymer medium and pigment, often calcium carbonate.

  • Characteristics: Provides both sizing and priming in one, creating a stable and flexible surface.

  • Benefits: Suitable for a wide range of paints, including oils, acrylics, and alkyds. Offers a bright white, archival-quality ground.

  • Application: Applied in several coats, allowing each layer to dry thoroughly. Can be applied by hand or machine. Machine application, often using calendaring rollers, results in a smoother surface compared to hand-priming.

Alkyd Primer

  • Composition: Formulated with alkyd resin, a synthetic resin modified with oil, and pigment.

  • Characteristics: Quick drying, offers a balance between the properties of oil and acrylic primers.

  • Benefits: Imparts the look and feel of traditional lead-based grounds without the toxicity. Creates a durable, absorbent surface ideal for layering and techniques that require a lean underpainting.

  • Compatibility: Suitable for oil and alkyd paints.

How to Apply Gesso or Oil Primer to Canvas

  1. Make sure your canvas is clean and free from dust by wiping it with a clean rag or paper towel before getting started.

  2. Stir the container of gesso or oil primer very well.

  3. Dip your brush or tool into the container and apply it to your canvas using thin, even strokes, working in one direction from top to bottom. Don't forget to prime the edges!

  4. Allow each layer to dry completely before applying the next, cleaning your brush immediately after each application.

  5. If you decide to apply a second coat, ensure to work perpendicular to the first.

  6. Let the final coat dry completely before sanding or painting.

Post-Primer Prep: Getting Your Canvas Ready to Paint

You've chosen your canvas, stretched it (if necessary), and applied the perfect primer or ground. Now what? While in most cases no further preparation is needed, there are a few final steps you can take to ensure a smooth, enjoyable painting experience.

Smooth Out Imperfections

Even with a high-quality primer, you might notice some minor imperfections on the canvas surface. Lightly sanding the primed canvas with fine-grit sandpaper can help create a smoother surface, especially if you're aiming for a refined finish or plan to use thin washes of paint. Go slow and be gentle to avoid sanding through the primer layer.

Remove Dust

After sanding (or even if you skip that step), it's essential to remove any dust or debris from the canvas. Use a soft brush, a clean cloth, or even a vacuum with a brush attachment to gently clean the surface. This prevents any particles from mixing with your paint and affecting the final texture.

Applying Additional Primer

While strictly optional, some artists like to apply additional acrylic gesso to factory-prepared canvases to achieve a heavier, thirstier ground with more texture. Pre-stretched canvases with acrylic priming can also be oil-primed in the studio. Use Oil Priming White or another oil-based painting ground. Follow package directions for priming, but omit the sizing, since the existing acrylic gesso layer will serve to protect the canvas beneath.

Toning your Canvas: Underpainting

Underpainting is not the same as priming or sizing. It is the process of applying a thin layer of paint to your primed canvas before proceeding with your main composition. Many artists find it easier to begin with a toned canvas rather than a stark white surface. This is because the underpainting:

  • Unifies the surface: It creates a more cohesive base for subsequent layers of paint.

  • Establishes values: It helps you define the lights and darks in your composition from the start.

  • Influences mood: The color of your underpainting can affect the overall mood and atmosphere of your artwork.

You can use a variety of colors for underpainting. A common technique called imprimatura uses earth pigments like Umber and Sienna.

Additional Canvas Resources

Ready to dive deeper into the world of canvas? Check out these helpful guides and how-to articles:

  • How to Stretch Canvas on the Bias

    Learn a technique for stretching canvas that spreads tension more evenly, minimizes weave distortion, and reduces puckers at tack points.

    Learn More

  • Find the Best Blick Canvas

    Explore Blick's wide selection of canvases and find the perfect one for your needs.

    Learn More

  • How to Use Canvas Keys

    Master the art of tightening your canvas with canvas keys.

    Learn More