Oil Painting | How to Paint

MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT FOR OIL PAINTING

Canvas and Other Painting Surfaces

The best and most receptive surface on which to work is stretched linen canvas. Linen, however, is relatively expensive, and cotton canvas is a good substitute. The cotton canvas panels that fit in your paint box are the most convenient for painting outdoors and are inexpensive. They are light in weight, too, and have the added advantage of not taking up much space when stored in your studio.

The chief disadvantage of any type of panel is its lack of resiliency. Stretched canvas, whether cotton or linen, has a drum-like quality that seems to add vigor to your brush stroke. It also has the advantage of being available in several types of surfaces, from extra-smooth (double-primed) to very rough. You will find a medium-rough texture best for all-around work; extra-smooth is generally used for portraits.

These various textures are not available in canvas panels; when a panel is made, its adherence to the board flattens out the texture. I suggest that you use panels when working outdoors and stretched canvas when developing your painting indoors.

You may want to make your own panels. Today many artists use Masonite, which can be bought at any lumber supply house. While several thicknesses are available, the VB inch is the least expensive and can safely be used in any size up to 24 x 30 inches.

Masonite has a rough and a smooth side; both surfaces are usable, but the rough side gives an uninteresting and monotonous texture to the finished painting and also requires much more paint to cover the surface. Use the smooth side for outdoor work, when speed is necessary to capture a changing scene.

Whichever surface will be used should first be rubbed with sandpaper, then a coat of /lake white should be brushed on. When the first coat is dry, give the panel another coat if the brown undertone of the masonite shows through. The panel is ready for use as soon as the final coat of white lead is dry to the touch. It will save time to have the lumber house cut a number of boards to the required size; then you can coat all of them at once.

Besides canvas and Masonite, there are various synthetic painting boards on the market. Since they are substitutes for real canvas, they cost less and are not as durable.

Painters can even make their own panels with a good quality chip board, a heavy gray cardboard. Chip board will last better if it is given a coat or two of shellac to reduce its natural absorbency, and a coating of flake white over that will create a more receptive surface. Covering the back as well as the edges with shellac will seal the panel against moisture and add somewhat to its durability.

Continue to More about using canvases

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Material & Equipment for Oil Painting
> Introduction & Colors
> Working with Canvases
> More about Using Canvases
> The Paint Box and Palette
> The Palette Knife and Other Tools
> Oil Painting Brushes & the Home Studio
> Care of Equipment & Brush Handling
> More about Brush Handling
> Arranging Colors on the Palette & Color Mixing
> More About Color Mixing
> Color Mixing Exercises