Oil painting tips for beginners - everything you need to know about choosing a canvas

Oil painting tips for beginners - everything you need to know about choosing a canvas

CHOOSING A TYPE OF CANVAS TO WORK ON

There are two types of canvas to choose from when painting in oils.

Firstly - the traditional option, a 'stretched' canvas in which the canvas fabric is pulled over a wooden frame (known as a 'stretcher'. These canvasses are available in a variety of thicknesses, usually ranging from about half and inch to a couple of inches deep. In terms of choosing how deep your canvas will be, the main point to consider is whether you will want to frame the painting or not. Any sized canvas can have a frame made for it, but of course the thicker your stretcher, the thicker the frame will need to be to hide the sides.

If you are going to frame your canvas then I'd suggest selecting one no more than half an inch thick. If you are going to hang the canvas straight on the wall unframed, which is an increasingly popular modern option, then choose one at least an inch thick as this will look the best. You will simply be able to knock a couple of nails into the wall and hang the canvas over them.

If you do want to frame your canvas then consider the second main option which is known as 'canvas board'. This is cotton canvas which is glued to stiff cardboard and is only a few millimetres (about an eighth of an inch) thick, making it very easy to frame. You can view pictures of both of these types of canvasses here: http://annabregmanportraits.co.uk/oil-portraits(1885156).htm

The only other decision you will have to make is how finely or coarsely textured you want your canvas to be. Some people prefer a rough, or 'toothy' canvas with a large-scale weave, which will encourage a looser handling of the paint and may be better for some styles. However if you prefer a smoother canvas then have a good look before you buy, as the different brands will vary. The very smoothest type is a linen canvas (most others are cotton) which will be more expensive but has a lovely feel to it.

What are the other things to watch out for? Make sure that your canvas looks firm enough and doesn't sag or give too much in the middle. This can be a problem with cheaper makes of canvas. Anything from Daler Rowney, Windsor and Newton or Loxley should be fine. If you accidentally make a dent in your canvas, with a finger say, just lay it upside down on a sheet of blank paper and iron it quickly with a cool iron, it should flatten out and be as good as new.

Finally, remember to make sure you are buying a ready-primed canvas and not a natural untreated one! Canvasses that have oil paint applied to them MUST be treated first with a layer of size (glue) and primed with a couple of layers of fairly elastic paint. Otherwise the canvasses may rot and the paint on the top layers can fall off.

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