Stretched canvas offers many advantages to artists. It is lightweight, portable and can eliminate the need for framing. However, many artists prefer alternative surfaces. The weave of canvas creates a texture not suitable for some paintings. Watercolors do not set properly on canvas. Quality stretched canvas often comes with a high price tag.
If you would like to explore different painting surfaces, here are some options and considerations to get you started.
Linen
Canvas has outstripped linen as a support, or painting surface, in recent years. Centuries ago, linen was more popular. Although you probably won't find linen in local arts and crafts stores, many online suppliers offer stretched or unstretched linen.
Both linen and canvas involve cloth stretched across a wooden frame. They are lightweight and come raw or sized. Prepare raw surfaces with layers of gesso, a plaster-based medium.
Linen has a tighter weave than canvas. This softens its surface texture so that your painted textures dominate. Linen works well for meticulous detail work or portraits. Use oil or acrylic paints, not watercolor, on linen.
Papers
A variety of papers compete with stretched canvas as a preferred surface.
Watercolor paper is made of cotton. It provides an array of textures and weights. Hot-press watercolor paper is low-tooth, meaning it has a smooth surface. Cold press has a medium tooth. Rough watercolor paper has the highest tooth and boldest texture. Watercolor paper comes in different weights. The heavier it is, the more absorbent - and more expensive - it is.
Acrylic paper offers a low-tooth and low-cost surface for acrylic paints. Pastel paper has a medium tooth and comes in many colors. It suits both soft and oil pastels. Vellum works with drawing media such as pen and ink, charcoal, and graphite.
Papers do not make good surfaces for oil paints.
Wood Panels
Wood panels have lost popularity because of their weight, but some artists still prefer this sturdy support. Some art suppliers offer wood panels. Home improvement stores provide many cost-effective choices and will cut them to your specifications for free. Birch's fine grain makes it a good choice for artists.
Well-sanded wood panels have low tooth, showcasing the texture of your paint. Using raw wood with diluted paints allows the grain to come through, or you can prepare wood with gesso. Wood supports oil and acrylic paints. Its inflexible surface makes it ideal for tempera and encaustic paints.
Masonite Board
Masonite board, like wood, has an inflexible surface that works well with media prone to cracking. It is lighter weight than wood. Home improvement stores offer the best prices on sheets of raw Masonite, and will cut it at your request. Prime raw Masonite with gesso.
Recently, art suppliers began offering prepared Masonite board. This is more expensive, but presents some fun possibilities. Gessoboard is simply gesso-prepared Masonite and works with the same media as wood panels. Clayboard has a thin layer of clay primer. This offers interesting effects for water media, especially watercolor paints.
