Canvas

An artist's canvas - the starting point for creativity

A blank canvas is the starting point surface for any oil or acrylic artist’s creative vision. Coming in different shapes and sizes, a ready-to-paint stretched canvas or canvas board is a basic essential in any art supplies checklist.

A stretched canvas or canvas board is a basic art material for artists of all levels and proficiency. The tautness of a stretched canvas - most commonly made of cotton - helps you control your brushstrokes and it can be hung up without being framed. (The more expensive canvases are made from linen).

Stretched cotton artist’s canvases generally come pre-primed with gesso for acrylic mediums or an oil primer for oil painters, so make sure you select the correct one for your painting medium. (Not all artist canvases are pre-primed). Stretched canvases also come in different textures - fine tooth, medium tooth or coarse tooth.

Canvas boards are affordable, lightweight, easy to transport and show off your brushstrokes really well. They are usually made from primed cotton canvas that’s mounted onto a rigid board. An affordable set of canvas boards allows you to practice, experiment and grow your painting technique. They are also ideal for painting on the go or Plein air.

All that’s left to do is decide on the size and orientation of your next canvas, stock up on your paints and brushes and then start your next masterpiece.