| , canvas is the most common medium for oil paintings. | | | | Modern canvas is made from cotton, linen or synthetic |
| However, was this always so? In fact, it wasn't. | | | | material. In its natural, unprimed state, cotton canvas is |
| Before the Renaissance period (approx. 1400-1700) all | | | | an off-white color, and the finer linen canvas is a light |
| paintings were done on more solid mediums, such as | | | | brown. Both can be purchased in varying weights and |
| wood. However, during the time of the Italian | | | | qualities, are the least expensive to buy, but the most |
| Renaissance, the merchant shipping industry was | | | | time-consuming to prepare. It is also possible to buy |
| booming, and with that boom came many innovations | | | | primed, non stretched canvas, as well as canvas |
| and technologies borrowed from more eastern | | | | panels, which are already primed, and ready to paint |
| cultures. Among these technologies was the use of | | | | on when purchased. There are also non-stretched |
| the canvas sail. | | | | canvases available in arts and crafts stores, some |
| Canvas was originally made out of hemp. In fact the | | | | office stores, and department stores. |
| word 'canvas' originally derived from the Arabic word | | | | In preparation for a painting, canvas is first stretched |
| for 'cannabis,' a Latin term translating to 'hemp' (this is | | | | and secured over a wooden frame. When stretching |
| also the name of the family of plants from which | | | | your own canvas, four stretcher bars and 8 keys are |
| hemp is made). This strong material was made by | | | | needed to get a proper stretching. Stretcher bars |
| tightly weaving the cannabis fibers together. The result | | | | come in ready made sizes from eight inches to forty |
| was a strong fabric that could be used for sails and | | | | eight inches. For canvas longer than 20 inches a mid |
| tents. | | | | bar is recommended and for canvas larger than thirty |
| With the sudden success of the merchant industry, | | | | inches, the heavier duty stretcher bars with cross |
| canvas became readily available to the public. Canvas | | | | panels are recommended. The keys usually come with |
| was probably first used by portrait artists in Venice | | | | the stretcher bars and help to hold the canvas more |
| around 1500 AD. Canvas quickly took popularity over | | | | securely in place at the corners. The artists hammer is |
| the more traditional and cumbersome wood planks. | | | | used to join the bars and heavy duty staples are used |
| Because of its durability, canvas was able to withstand | | | | to secure the canvas in place. Canvas pliers are used |
| both the paint itself and the test of time. Not to mention | | | | to grip tightly the canvas during the stretching process |
| canvas is more portable, less expensive, and easier to | | | | and a right angle is necessary to be sure that the final |
| create the correct size. No longer was an artist | | | | product is perfectly square. The process is a little more |
| inhibited by the size of the wood plank he could find, | | | | time-consuming, but in the long run will save the artist |
| and much larger paintings resulted from this freedom. | | | | money in art supplies. |
| During the late 18th and early 19th centuries American | | | | The surface of the canvas then receives a smooth |
| cotton had become more readily available and popular | | | | coat of white calcium sulfate, plaster of paris, sealed |
| for the European artist. Yet artists still preferred the | | | | with a glue, known as gesso. This is to seal the |
| stronger linen or hemp for their oil paintings, despite the | | | | canvas and prevent the fibers from absorbing too |
| higher cost. At the time cotton fibers were weaker | | | | much of the paint. This coating of gesso is generally |
| than either linen or hemp. Especially true when cotton | | | | followed by the pigment lead white, which secures |
| was wet, it tended to be more prone to mildew. Only | | | | upper pigments. Without this priming, the fibers of the |
| within the last hundred or so years has advancing | | | | canvas would soak up the paint and create a 'stained' |
| technology finally brought cotton canvas to a position | | | | appearance. Some modern artists actually prefer this |
| of superiority over linen and hemp. | | | | look and use unprimed canvas for painting. |
| Preparing Canvas for Oil Painting | | | | |