What is Canvas its Features?

What is Canvas its Features?

FEATURES OF THE APPLICATION OF CANVASES

Canvas and painting are so closely related that the painting itself is often referred to as canvas. This is not entirely true, since this material can be used not only for painting, it has a lot of other uses. So, canvas – what is it and how to choose it correctly?

WHAT IS CANVAS

Initially, this was the name of a linen cloth, different in the degree of bleaching and thickness, made in a linen way. The most valuable was considered thin white linen, clothes from which were sewn for noble and wealthy people.

WHAT IS CANVAS MADE OF?

In the modern textile industry, the name “canvas fabric” refers to dense materials made using the plain weave method and having gone through various stages of finishing. Traditionally, the raw materials for them are vegetable, synthetic fibers or fibers of a mixed composition, namely:

linen;
cotton;
jute;
hemp;
synthetic – polyamide, polyester, polypropylene;
a combination of cotton or linen with synthetics.

The natural composition of the canvas has the following properties:

durability and strength;
breathability;
lack of allergic reactions;
pollution resistance;
strength.

Important information! The material is quite hard to the touch, has a not very attractive appearance, a gray-yellow tint is inherent. For daily wear, medium to light weight fabrics are suitable, which become softer and whiter from wash to wash.

Synthetic and mixed materials are even more durable, but they do not tolerate high temperatures well, they can even melt. In addition, they practically do not absorb moisture, which is a significant disadvantage in the case of their use for tailoring and the manufacture of home care products.

WHAT IS CANVAS FOR?

Natural canvas is especially popular in the manufacture of ethnic clothing and accessories. Embroidery on clothes, tablecloths and pillowcases brings a rural touch to the overall atmosphere.

Tablecloth with lace trim
Synthetic fabrics are mainly used for the transportation of goods, mail, bulk products. Due to the moisture resistance of the artificial packaging material, the goods do not deteriorate for a long time. Canvas gift wrapping of souvenirs, dishes and toys is in great demand.

In addition, canvas is a type of fabric on which paintings are painted. Paintings on canvas are more convenient to transport, they can be rolled up. The canvas base is more durable and cheaper than wood, it allows you to create large-sized paintings.

MATERIAL HISTORY

The first linen canvas was woven in ancient Egypt, and in Europe the oldest find dates back to the 8th century BC. Hemp canvas with a yellowish tint was more famous. Compared to linen, this fabric is denser and coarser, but also more wear-resistant. The material was even a kind of cash equivalent – peasants paid dues with canvas rolls.

A variety of clothes, home textiles, containers for storing and transporting materials, bags, shoes, and sails were made from hemp and linen material.

Canvas is actively used in painting as a basis for a painting. In Western Europe, this happened as early as the 16th century, when a woven fabric stretched over a stretcher replaced the wooden base. Usually, two pieces of canvas glued together were taken as the basis for them. Both sides were covered with a special composition, primed and used to work with oil paints.

HOW TO CHOOSE A CANVAS FOR PAINTING

Canvas is needed to paint an oil painting. The right canvas for painting can be purchased at an art salon, not at a fabric store.

Canvas for painting on sale is presented in three types:

on a stretcher;
on cardboard;
in a roll.
The canvas can be removed from the stretcher at any time if transportation is required, and then re-tensioned. In addition, the canvas “springs” a little on the stretcher, which somewhat facilitates the process of applying paint. For large-sized paintings, additional slats are used in the stretcher, which give rigidity to the entire structure, the picture will not sag. The canvas on a cardboard basis is thin, it is impossible to adjust the tension for it.

Canvas on stretcher and cardboard
The canvas itself can be made from cotton, linen or synthetic fibers.

You will be interested in what the stretch consists of: a description of the fabric, its application and operation
LINEN
According to artists, linen is the best material for making canvas. A high-quality canvas should be uniform, without spots, stripes and knots on the fibers. The threads must be pulled parallel.

Advantages of linen fabric:

absorbs little moisture;
less exposed to mechanical damage;
practically does not sag over time.
Important information! The disadvantages are the high price and the large mass of the canvas.

COTTON
The most accessible material for artists. The canvas “obeys” the author and obeys any technique in working with oil.

Advantages of cotton linen:

affordable price;
with high-quality tension, you can work with acrylic and oil paints.

Disadvantages:

accumulates moisture;
does not tolerate mechanical stress;
sags over time.

SYNTHETICS
Synthetic canvases are very rare on sale, many salons do not risk ordering them due to low demand. However, they have several advantages:

have an absolutely smooth surface;
do not sag under the weight of paints;
do not rot and do not absorb moisture.
Important information! Since enough time has not passed since the appearance of synthetic canvases, it is not yet possible to evaluate them objectively.

Cloths differ in the degree of graininess:

fine-grained – the smoothest canvas, suitable for writing portraits and for working with liquid paints;
medium-grained – a universal base, can be used for various techniques;
coarse-grained – more suitable for textured painting, you will need a palette knife for work, it will be inconvenient to work with brushes on relief fabric.

Coarse-grained linen
Important. Oil paint is applied only to primed canvas. You can purchase an already prepared, primed base, or do the priming yourself.

FEATURES OF PAINTING ON CANVAS

Before you start painting a picture, you need to prepare the basis for the picture and tools.

The canvas itself, whatever it is made of, must be mounted on a stretcher and primed if it is not primed in advance. Next, vertically install it on an easel – a special stand.

The next step is mixing colors on the palette until the desired shade is obtained. Paints are mixed with a special metal spatula with a wooden handle – a palette knife.

Brushes should be hard, with elastic bristles. They are convenient to apply thick strokes and give volume.
For adjustments and corrections, you will need a rubber scraper or a damp cloth.
It will be interesting to you.

FEATURES OF APPLYING OIL ON CANVAS

Each layer of paint must be the same thickness as the previous one, or a little thicker, otherwise the picture will crack. The layer must be completely dry before the next one is applied, otherwise the image will smear and look “dirty”.

The duration of work with oil is no more than 12 hours in a row, after which the painting must be left to dry. There is no special requirement in the order of drawing the picture, you can start working from anywhere. In order to evaluate the compatibility of colors with each other, it is best to apply the lightest and darkest area and then compare the shades with them.

HOW TO CARE Canvas

The basic rules for the care and storage of paintings on canvas are as follows:

There should be no sudden changes in temperature and humidity in the room, as the canvas may dry out or get wet.

Do not place paintings near incandescent lamps and heating appliances.

Oil paintings on canvas must not be placed under glass. Glass enhances the effect of sunlight, acts as a “lens”, in addition, it creates a greenhouse effect and increases the humidity on the surface of the canvas.

Do not clean the paintings with solvents, detergents or even just water. To remove dust, you can use a brush with soft bristles or a special whisk. It is necessary to clean not only the front side of the picture, but also the wrong side. In case of severe contamination, it is allowed to use an ammonia solution.

CANVAS CARE

Natural canvas products can be washed, they tolerate both hand and machine washing well, you can use conditioners to soften the fabric. You can iron and steam at high temperatures.

Synthetic products can be machine washed, but the temperature should not exceed 30 ° C, you can iron in a delicate mode.

The rough material used for packing and transporting goods is usually not washed, just shake and dry the product well.

Canvas is undoubtedly a durable material. Many paintings painted on canvas have successfully passed the serious test of time, having endured more than one century. But you need to choose the basis for them carefully.