Basic Understanding About Canvas Size, Texture And Types

In present times, art is not only about using a pencil, pen or a brush on a piece of paper and drawing something beautiful. But art is really about using your imagination and letting the ideas speak for you through your art piece. For a painter, a good quality canvas is meant to be an incredible way to take creativity to the next level. In general, it should have a good surface so that the work done on it can look presentable. This article will tell you what canvas is and how you can select the right size and style for your future project.

What is canvas?

It is a cloth made up of cotton, linen, or hemp. Generally, it has a lot of uses because of its durable quality. It is used in making handbags, shelter homes, tents, etc. One benefit of canvas cloth is also in painting. The cloth is stretched on a wooden frame and then stapled, giving a firm grip, so it doesn't slip out during painting.

To make this talk more interesting, let's break the information about canvas into two categories. One is the texture, and the other is the type of canvas.

Art & Craft Supplies

The texture of canvas cloth

The texture means how the surface of the cloth feels. Commonly there are two kinds of fabrics available which are;

Cotton canvas

A Piece Cotton Fabric

 

This is the most popularly used fabric by artists. This fabric is preferred to use as it costs less and is more durable. In addition, the fabric is woven in a criss-cross pattern which stops paint from getting absorbed and making it less likely to get torn apart. 

Linen canvas

This fabric is known to be a good choice for intermediate artists. It is a fragile, fine fabric made up from the stem of a flax plant. However, this fabric is slightly more expensive than cotton because of its harvesting and manufacturing process. 

Linen Canvas Fabric

Type of the canvas

Types can be categorized based on the budget and type. Following are the three categories mentioned below;

Wooden-frame canvas

The cloth in this canvas is stretched on a wooden frame known as wooden strips or stretched bars. It is the most popularly used type because it is easy to assemble at home and is affordable. On the other hand, cotton fabric is mainly considered suitable for this type because it makes it lightweight.

Wooden Frame Canvas

Panel canvas

This type is a hardboard on which fabric is glued. This canvas is a bit costly than wooden-frame one as these canvases don't get loose and are easy to store, making it perfect for beginners and students to practice painting. 

Three Panel Canvas In A Row

Canvas pad and rolls

Canvas pads are sheets of canvas cloth already primed with either grease or any commercial acrylic primer. The padded cloth is placed in any suitable convenient way. They are usually good for beginners or students who want to practice painting freely. 

On the other hand, rolls are used by experienced painters who want to draw large landscape paintings and then roll again to shift their work from one place to another.

Suggested Read: Acrylic Paint: Origin And Making

Canvas Rolls

The shape of the canvas

After getting to know about the types and textures of the canvas, let's move towards the preferred shape and size of the canvas. They are readily available in various shapes such as triangle, oval, circle, square and rectangle etc. Most basic type that a beginner can use is a squared shape. A beginner can use that size which he thinks can come in handy.

Ending thoughts

If you are a beginner artist looking to invest in a good quality canvas then this article will be best to read. By knowing the information mentioned, you will be able to select the right canvas according to your need. The blog talks about canvas, explains the main kinds of fabrics used to make its cloth and the types and styles available to the artist.


Image Source: Shutterstock

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