Artist Canvas

Artist canvas is typically made of woven cotton or linen, stretch taut across a frame of wood, and stapled or tacked into place. Originally, during the Renaissance, canvas was made of hemp. The word "canvas" comes from the word for "cannabis" in Arabic, and was made popular by the abundance of canvas ship sails from the booming shipping industry. http://www.anythingpaintedoncanvas.com/article/canvas_painting

Already stretched canvases and portions of unstretched canvas can be purchased at art supply stores. Pre-stretched canvases are often of the weaker cotton variety, white or off-white in color, already primed, and cost less. Unstretched linen canvas comes in a large roll and is purchased by the measure. It's a higher quality than cotton, tan in color, and unprimed.http://www.utrechtart.com/community/index.cfm?commentID=145 Some larger contemporary canvas brands are Caravaggio, Fredrix, Blick, and Winsor & Newton.

Before the Italian Renaissance, artists painted mostly on wood, plaster, and paper. As the Renaissance began to expand, so did the shipping industry. With more frequent contact with the East, many technologies were appropriated, among these, the canvas sail. Canvas soon became readily acquired by the public. http://www.anythingpaintedoncanvas.com/article/canvas_painting

With a new, more durable, less expensive, lighter material on which to paint, artists quickly adopted new methods. Size was no longer an issue, and larger paintings were created. New works could now be more easily transported. And canvas was more durable to the effects of time.http://www.anythingpaintedoncanvas.com/article/canvas_painting

Almost 400 years later, with the agriculture of the United States, cotton became plentiful. It was a cheaper alternative to the standard linen or hemp used to make artist canvas. Many European artists still preferred the stronger more expensive canvas. However, over the last hundred years, with advances in technology, cotton has become as popular as linen. http://www.anythingpaintedoncanvas.com/article/canvas_painting

Cotton canvas, or Cotton Duck as it is often called, is made when cotton threads are spun together, making larger fibers by weaving them together. It's light and inexpensive, making it attractive to artists. Compared to linen canvas it's more easily torn and can't withstand much abuse.http://www.utrechtart.com/community/index.cfm?commentID=145

Linen canvas is made from the fibers of the flax plant. The fiber is stronger than cotton, but more expensive to manufacture. The quality of the canvas is ultimately dependent on the quality of the flax crop. The best flax is grown in Belgium and France. This is largely due to climate. Other benefits of linen include a resistance to moths, structural stability, and resistance to dirt. http://www.utrechtart.com/community/index.cfm?commentID=145

If a canvas is not already stretched and primed, it is typically necessary to do so. Once the canvas is tacked or stapled tautly onto the wooden stretchers, a ground is applied.http://www.rexart.com/stretching.html A ground is simply a primer. More often called gesso, it is made of calcium sulfate, plaster of Paris, and gluehttp://www.anythingpaintedoncanvas.com/article/canvas_painting The ground further tightens the stretch on the canvas and seals the surface readying it for paint. http://www.rexart.com/stretching.html