Want to know more about the art canvas? Most pros use art canvas for their paintings, including myself, but there’s a huge amount to learn if you’re just starting out. So, I did the research for you! Here’s everything the pros know about art canvas.
So, you’re ready to start painting on art canvas? That’s great! Art canvas is a fantastic option for all types of artwork. But, where to start? Being an artist myself, I’m giving you only the best of the best information about art canvas that us professionals swear by.
You’re going to learn all about art canvas definition, art canvas storage, art canvas sizes, art canvas for sale, art canvas prints, art canvas online, art canvas stand, art canvas ideas, wall art canvas, art canvas large, cheap art canvases, art canvas painting
As an artist myself with decades of using canvas, I can tell you first hand the best information about art canvas, a surefire way to elevate your artwork to pro!
This post is all about the very best information on art canvases that every artist and painter can learn.
Art Canvases- All You Need To Know
1. Art canvas definition
Art canvases are made from tightly stretched, unbleached cloth, or a tightly woven fabric, typically linen or cotton, that’s stretched over a wooden frame made from 4 “stretchers.”
Canvases can come pre-primed for acrylic or oil painting and sometimes for both. Primed art canvas creates an easier and optimal surface to paint on.
Ready-made canvases can be purchased in different thicknesses, usually referred to as deep or traditional.
- Deep canvases have thicker wooden frames
- Traditional canvases have thinner ones.
In general, if it is to be framed then go with a traditional (thinner) canvas. Or choose a deep canvas, paint the sides and skip the frame (can you say, cha-ching!?).
Art canvases come in two styles:
- traditional in which the staples show on the side of the wooden frame or
- gallery-wrapped in which the staples are on the back of the wooden frame and therefore don’t show.
If you want to skip framing your art canvas, you’ll want to check where the staples are.
There are two main reasons why canvas is so popular among painters:
- The fabric feels great under the brush
- Art canvas last a very long time.
- A canvas is also lighter and less cumbersome to transport than the traditional wood surfaces.
To sum up: art canvas is the gold standard surface for not only painting, but all types of artwork.
2.Wall art canvas
Wall art canvas can be anything you choose and are essentially paintings or photographs printed on canvases.
There are several different popular wall art canvas styles:
3.Art canvas sizes
Art canvas sizes vary greatly! But it’s important to know the “classic” sizes as most viewers are still drawn to these.
Here’s the skinny on the traditional art canvas sizes.
Mini Canvas Sizes
Any canvas that measures less than 4 x 6 inches is classed as a mini canvas.
These mini-size canvases are adorable, and often come with their own stands, you could display a whole row of them on your kitchen counter or desk.
They come in:
- 2 x 2 inches
- 3 x 3 inches
- 4 x 4 inches
Small Canvas Sizes:
Small canvas sizes are perfect for creating bold or single images.
The printed versions can be used for postcards, greeting cards and stationery designs.
The most common small sizes of art canvas include:
- 4 x 6 inches
- 5 x 7 inches
Order your own mini-canvas with easel and paints set at Amazon by clicking here.
Medium Canvas Sizes:
If you are a beginner and you are not sure what art canvas size to use, then medium size is the best option.
This might not be the right size painting to hang in a large room, but perfect for a small nook or to put in a stand on a side table.
They include:
- 8 x 10 inches
- 9 x 12 inches
- 11 x 14 inches
- 12 x 16 inches
Large Canvas Sizes:
The large canvas sizes are perfect once you gain more experience and increase your skill level.
These art canvases become the centerpiece or impact piece in a room.
They are:
- 18 x 24 inches
- 20 x 24 inches
- 24 x 36 inches
- 30 x 40 inches
- 36 x 48 inches
Square Canvas Sizes:
While rectangular remains the art canvas shape of choice, square is a quite popular art canvas size too.
Consider side by side square canvas art pieces for stunning displays called diptychs or triptychs.
Here are the options:
- The mini sizes, which include the 2 x 2 and the 3 x 3 inches
- 8 x 8 inches
- 10 x 10 inches
- 12 x 12 inches
- 20 x 20 inches
Shaped Canvas Sizes:
There are a variety of other shapes for your art canvas with circle and ovals being the most popular.
But they’re also hearts and hemispheres.
These can be a fun and surprising choice – just keep in mind that they are limited in availability, sizes and are difficult to frame.
Here is a chart to summarize all the popular art canvas sizes.:
| Small Canvases | Medium Canvases | Large Canvases |
| 5 x 5 | 10 x 8 | 18 x 24 |
| 4 x 6 | 10 x 10 | 20 x 24 |
| 7 x 5 | 12 x 9,10 | 24 x 36 |
| 6 x 6 | 12 x 12 | 30 x 40 |
| 8 x 8 | 14 x 10,11 | 36 x 48 |
| 14 x 14 | ||
| 16 x 12 |
[Related post: Killer Guide To Painting For Beginners In Only 9 Steps]
4.Art canvas large
I remember how intimidating it used to be having that huge blank canvas staring at me 😂 It was so intimidating! This was made worse by the higher price tag on that large canvas!
But now I strongly feel, no matter your art level, don’t rule out working on the art canvas large size!
It may help to remember that you can paint over canvas endless times, and there’s no need to rush! So get started now getting comfortable with the large art canvas and you’ll be a whiz in no time!
I can’t recommend enough that moving from working on small to large art canvases and back again. This helps build composition and perspective skills as well as to reduce the anxiety about the large art canvas sizes.
Many art canvas large can be found online. However, if you’re looking for a less traditional large size, you can order these from many online sites like DickBlick, Cheap Joe’s or Utrecht.
5.Art canvas painting
Painters who paint on canvas are most often using acrylic paint, but of course any paint medium can be used on art canvas.
Acrylic is my first choice for art canvas and why not? It requires minimal supplies, dries quickly, and is easy to work with.
If you’re going to paint on art canvas, primed is the way to go!.
Priming involves putting a substance on the canvas to help with absorption and smoothness. A primed canvas is easier to paint on and produces brighter colors.
Canvases come either primed or not. Either way, in my experience it pays to prime it again which just means covering it with high quality gesso and letting it dry before painting on it.
How to choose a quality canvas for your art canvas painting:
- Take a moment to consider your needs.
- Make sure the product is of good quality.
- Be sure to add a primer
- Make sure the stretcher bars (the wooden frame on which the canvas is stretched) are in good condition.
- Verify that the canvas is evenly adhered to the stretchers before purchasing to avoid warping.
While acrylic painting is the most common medium for art canvas, many mediums can be used on art canvas. Experimenting is the best way to keep your skills sharp and your options open!
6.Art canvas prints
Click here to turn your artwork into prints via Pictorem.
Art canvas prints are the best way to make quality copies of and preserver your masterpieces. You can have them printed on canvas, on acrylic or even made into a jigsaw puzzle!
For this reason, more people are turning to canvas art and other types of art prints in order to transform their drawings, photographs, images or paintings into beautiful wall art.
When looking to transform your paintings or photos, the first step is to get a reliable and dependable canvas printing company that can do a quality job.
The ones I list here utilize high resolution imagery, make use of quality materials, have excellent customer service, fast shipping, and at the right price.
There are dozens, even hundreds, of companies that all claim to have the ability to deliver quality canvas prints. Here are the ones I’ve found that deliver on this promise:
- Pictorem – Best Overall
- CanvasPop – Best Turnaround Time
- CanvasHQ– Best In Quality
- Adorama Printique – Best In Offering Varied Print Services
- CanvasChamp – Best In Customer Service
Pictorem is #1 in my book because it has:
- Museum Quality Archival Prints – these are said to last up to a CENTURY.
- Custom Prints with your own photos OR choose from thousands of options from professional artists and photographers.
- Sizes ranges from modest to GIANT of 100″ by 54″ (at less than $250!!)
- Varnish and canvas finish to accentuate AND protect.
- Multi-panel prints (triple/tryptich and more)
- Great Customer Service.
- Lots of other options besides canvas (they also top our list for metal prints, sticky wall murals, etc.)
- Option for HD Canvas Print from Chromaluxe.
If you created a masterpiece on art canvas and want to preserve it, you can count on these art canvas print companies to get the job done and well.
7.Art canvas ideas
Arc canvas ideas go beyond traditional painting! Art canvases are so practical, durable and reliable that you can use them for all your wonderfully wild art ideas. Here are a few to get you going:
–>Pour it on. Pour painting is an easy and fun way to create gorgeous abstract art without a brush. You literally just pour the painting mixture on the canvas after mixing it with a pouring medium such as those made by Liquitex.
You can purchase this gorgeous poured painting art canvas by clicking here.
–>Stencil it. There are hundreds of stencils available in your home (doilies, screens, loosely woven mats) or on the internet. You can also trace around objects such as hammers or scissors on your art canvas for a cool “Dada” effect. Spray paint is your best friend for stenciling.
Click here to purchase this stenciled art canvas idea.
–>Punch it up: Craft stores such as Michael’s have a dizzying assortment of hole puncher shapes. Punch away and add to your art canvas for cool 3D effect! If your craft interests lean more towards paper crafts, there is a lot of fun ways you can incorporate pretty scrapbook papers into a canvas wall art.
You can get the entire kit to make this project online at Craft Warehouse by clicking here.
–>Iron-on vinyl: Use vinyl rub-on transfers, markers, and other embellishments to decorate a blank art canvas. These iron-on vinyls come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and sayings and are available at the larger craft stores.
Just click here to buy your own vinyl transfer art canvas project.
–>Line up! A super easy substitute for brushes is tape. Put painter’s tape in a design on blank canvas and paint over it, let it dry and then take off for clean white lines. and then do it again with another color or metallic paint for a stunning abstract look.
–>Glam it up: Brush on some adhesive such as Mod Podge and sprinkle glitter dust over it. Let it dry and then shake off the loose glitter. Alternatively spray paint the canvas with glitter paint. Finish with a spray sealer. Glue or tape firefly lights to the back and hang for an instant Hollywood look.
Art canvas ideas expand well beyond acrylic or oil painting, grab one of these for your bare walls today!
8.Art canvas for sale
- Blick Art Materials – www.dickblick.com. …
- Jerry’s Artarama – www.jerrysartarama.com. …
- Art Supply Warehouse – www.artsupplywarehouse.com. …
- Utrecht – www.utrechtart.com. …
- Cheap Joe’s Art Supplies – www.cheapjoes.com. …
With all the art canvas for sale signs and ads, you can rely on these art canvas producers to elevate your artwork.
[Related Post: The Best Watercolor Painting Ideas – Condensed and Simplified]
9.Art canvas online
Click here to snag this pro quality art canvas at DickBlick’s art supply store.
With such a dizzying array of canvases available, it can be hard to choose. Here are my top-rated producers of art canvas:
- Darice.
- Master Artist Monet Pro
- Arteza
- Daveliou
- Conda
- US Art Supply. (Black and white art canvas)
- Art Alternatives.
These art canvas companies make quality products, and quality products produce quality art.
10.Cheap art canvases
While art is all about quality, there are times when we need a cheap art canvas, such as when we’re practicing a project or not secure in our painting skills.
Linen canvas is the more premium but costly option, with cotton being the more wallet-friendly alternative. So if you want to save some bucks, start with cotton.
I’ve found the best deals on cotton art canvases at my local Hobby Lobby, Walmart and Michael’s craft stores. The Dollar Store also have incredibly inexpensive art canvases.
The quality is generally not great with these canvases, but if it’s not something you’re going to enter into a show or sell then that’s okay.
Watch for great pop up sales at the large art supply stores like Cheap Joe’s and Dick Blick’s. I’ve also scored at Amazon.com with a recent purchase of a 6 pack of art canvas 16×20 for only $35!
More ways to save on art canvas:
- Buy canvas cloth at a fabric centers like Joann Fabrics and stretcher bars or wooden frame at a building supply center like Home Depot and use a staple gun the adhere the fabric to the frame. There are hundreds of YouTube videos to show you how.
- Look for inexpensive canvas paintings at garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores or antique stores – you can paint over them.
- While you’re just practicing you can also use canvas boards, or canvas paper pads. Much, much cheaper than canvas on a stretcher frame. And the boards make good gifts, too!
11.Art Canvas Stand
The word comes from the Dutch word “ezel,” meaning an ass or donkey. Like a beast of burden, the easel lugs the artist’s canvas.
12.Art canvas storage
There are as many art canvas storage ideas as there are art styles.
Here’s what you need to consider before deciding on the option that’s best for you:
- Avoid Direct Sunlight: Keep all your canvas artwork out of direct sunlight. The UV rays from the sun can cause your artwork to fade, and the sun can also break down the strength of the art canvas.
- Store Canvas Prints & Paintings Upright: If you lay them flat, you might start to see impressions from the stretcher bars show on the canvas’s surface. Keeping the pieces upright will keeps dust and other debris from settling on the artwork and maximizes space.
- Keep Canvas Prints & Paintings in a Cool, Dry Place: Moisture can cause mold and mildew to grow. Once the mold is on your canvas, it’s almost impossible to remove. Heat can make the canvas expand and contract, causing the artwork to warp. Climate-controlled storage space is an excellent solution.
- Avoid Storing Canvas Prints on the Floor: Anything from spills to pests can come into contact with a canvas on the floor, wreaking havoc on the art. Look for a handy canvas rack storage system to keep your artwork neat and off the floor.
- Protect Your Canvas Prints with Cloth: A cloth cover for your art canvas prevents dust, cobwebs, and grime from building up and settling.
- Store Large Paintings and Canvas Prints in Mirror Boxes or Crates: A unique way to store your canvas art is to pack it in mirror boxes. Mirror boxes are large, flat boxes, usually in two parts that telescope into each other for double the cardboard protection. You can purchase mirror boxes from moving or moving truck companies.
Art canvas storage is a necessary step to keep all your artwork on art canvas safe and as gorgeous as possible.
This post is all about art canvas.
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