Page Contents
What are the essential supplies for canvas paintings?
The first important thing is the canvas. You have two options two choose from – canvas made from linen or cotton surface. While linen is a better option it is an expensive one as well. Linen is the most expensive surface and is usually used by professionals. But as a beginner, you should simply stick with the cotton surface unless you are being paid for your painting.
Once you are done picking a canvas for you, make sure you find out if you prefer to have an easel or prefer to work on a flat surface. Next is the type of paint you will need. The best paint for canvas paintings is acrylic paint or oil paint. Therefore, any brush won’t do. Only acrylic or oil paint brushes which have long handles and stiff bristles would work for canvas painting. Besides these, you will need a palette, varnish, paper towels and some extra supplies that you might need such as gesso, palette knife, scraping tools, sponge, toothpick, masking tape, etc.
How to prep the canvas?
For a beginner, it is best to work on a pre-stretched canvas. It means that the canvas will be already pulled onto a wooden frame. This will save you the trouble for sure. Now, all you need is to prime the canvas using gesso. For fine details, apply a flat, smooth non-textured gesso. The coat of gesso makes for a smoother application of paint and makes it long-lasting and also protects your brushes. You can even apply a textured coat of gesso to give your painting a three-dimensional aspect.
Another thing that you should consider is applying a background color to the canvas. For instance, you can tone the canvas to a blue-gray if you are planning to paint a stormy day or you can tone it to orange for a summer day. It will cover the canvas completely and won’t show any white little dots where the paint didn’t reach. It will influence the colors and give your painting more depth.
Reply