Stretched Canvas:

There is nothing more satisfying than starting up a painting with the help of a cloth and a few pieces of wood, which may end up in a masterpiece and last for many years. In olden times, artists made their own paintings on self-made canvases.

In today’s time, readymade canvases are very expensive, especially larger canvases. It is almost impossible to find canvases with unusual shapes and sizes. It is now possible to make canvas at home using an easy technique.

How to Make Stretched Canvas?

In olden days, the canvases used were of sailcloth material. However, in recent times, sailcloth is prepared from synthetic materials. Since synthetic material does not have a strong adhesion property, people may avoid using such sailcloth for stretched canvas. People may use cotton canvas of various grades according to the type of painting. The various grades of cotton canvas decide the surface finish.

Another most important thing necessary for stretched canvas technique is the stretcher. A stretcher is a wooden frame, which helps to support the canvas. However, the most important function that a stretcher performs is it helps to stretch the canvas and provides a flat and smooth surface.

Generally, a stretcher is of a square or oblong shape. It is important to take care that the stretcher is made up of good quality wood. A good quality wood stretcher will hold up the painting better and provide a good structural support.

After selecting a proper canvas and stretcher, cut the canvas in such a manner that it fits the size of the stretcher. It is important to cut the canvas a bit oversized to have a good overlap on the back of the frame. Before painting, it is important to ensure that there are no creases on the canvas. If there are any, try ironing them out.

Spread out the canvas on a flat surface and place the stretcher on top. Start folding the canvas edge over the stretcher starting from the center of one of the longest sides and fasten it. Fix the position of the canvas to the middle of the wood frame with the help of a staple gun. Repeat this procedure for all the corners.

Magnipic- photos on canvas