Choosing your canvas is one of the most important decisions you’ll make before you start painting. The canvas you choose can have a profound impact on your art process and the final piece. Every aspect of the canvas, from its fibre composition to its texture and weight, will affect how the paint adheres and behaves on the surface. With so many choices available, it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. In this guide, we’ve broken down the basics of canvas, including material types, formats and surface characteristics to help you make an informed choice for your next masterpiece.
Fibre composition
Canvases are traditionally made from woven fabrics, and the type of fibre used in them has a significant impact on the durability, absorbency and texture of the canvas.
- Linen: Linen fabric offers a natural woven texture and resistance to swelling or shrinkage due to moisture. It is usually more expensive but provides a smooth, high-quality surface preferred by many professional artists.
- Cotton: Cotton is flexible and lightweight, making it a great choice for beginners. It is more absorbent than linen and easier to stretch, although it tends to curl more over time.
- Polyester: Although it lacks the classic texture of linen or cotton, it is often used for digital printing and modern mixed media applications.
- Blends: Blends combine the best qualities of cotton and polyester, offering better stability than pure cotton while maintaining a more traditional feel than pure polyester. Blended fabrics are stronger than cotton and less expensive than linen, making them a popular choice for artists looking for durability and versatility.
- Recycled materials: Some manufacturers, such as Liquitex, offer an innovative recycled canvas made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. These eco-friendly canvases maintain the same performance and durability as traditional cotton while reducing their environmental impact, making them a sustainable choice for artists looking to reduce waste.
Weight and texture
The weight of the canvas and its texture can affect how the colours interact with the surface.
- Weight: Canvas is measured in grams per square metre (g/m²). Heavier canvas (300 g/m² and above) is more durable and better suited for oil painting, while lighter canvas (180-270 g/m²) is more flexible and often used for acrylic paints and other water-based paints.
- Texture: A fine weave will give a smooth surface ideal for detailed work, while coarser textures are well suited to bold, expressive brushstrokes and impasto techniques.
Primer
A primer, also known as gesso, is used to prepare the canvas for painting, creating a smooth, absorbent surface that improves paint adhesion. Traditionally made from a mixture of chalk, plaster and binder, modern primer is mainly acrylic-based and works well with both acrylic and oil paints. Applying multiple coats of primer can change the texture of the canvas, allowing for a smoother or more textured finish, depending on your preference. Most canvases are already primed, but artists who want more control over their surface can apply additional coats. A primer is also important if you want to paint on an unprimed canvas or other alternative surface.
Canvas types
Artists have a number of options when purchasing canvases, each of which meets different needs and preferences.
- Stretched canvas: The most common format, stretched canvas, is pre-stretched on a frame and ready to paint. Canvases in the frame are usually multi-primed and available in a wide range of sizes.
- Canvas on board: These canvases have the canvas fabric attached to a rigid backing board. This is a great budget-friendly alternative to a canvas on a frame and is popular for study, practice and outdoor painting.
- Canvas rolls: Canvas rolls are available unprimed or primed and offer the most flexibility, allowing artists to cut and stretch their own canvases to frame as needed. This option is preferred by professional artists who require custom-sized surfaces.
Frames and stretching systems
A stretched canvas with a wooden frame plays an important role in its durability and longevity. Cheaper canvases often use lower-quality wood, which can warp over time, especially in humid environments. Higher-quality stretched canvases are made from kiln-dried wood, which is more resistant to warping and provides a more stable paint surface. Another important factor in the longevity of the canvas is the adjustable corner wedges. These small wooden or plastic wedges are inserted into the inner corners of the canvas frames, allowing artists to fine-tune the tension of the canvas over time. Some canvases are fitted with simple corner wedges that allow for minimal adjustment, while high-end canvases have precision-milled wedges that offer greater control over tensioning. This feature helps to prevent the canvas from sinking and prolongs its life, making it an important consideration for artists who want a long-lasting, high-quality surface.
Alternatives to a canvas
There are also handy alternatives to the classic canvases available today, which are well-suited for exercises or painting outdoors, for example.
- MDF board: A great ready-made solution for painting outdoors. Primed MDF board is ideal for a variety of painting techniques. Its hard, durable and smooth surface is ideal for fine and detailed work.
- Paper: This acid-free paper is durable and specially formulated to provide the right absorbency for both oil and acrylic paints. Unlike other papers, this paper does not require any pre-treatment before painting.
Summary
Choosing the right canvas depends on what characteristics suit your creative needs. Whether you prefer the smoothness of linen, the affordability of cotton, or the stability of polyester, each type of canvas brings unique benefits to your art process. Exploring different textures, weights and formats will help you find the perfect surface to bring your vision to life.
