Painters can either learn how to stretch their own canvas or buy them ready made. The advantage of buying pre-stretched and mounted canvas is that it saves time. The disadvantages include higher cost, it takes up a lot more room while transporting and storing and you have to settle for the standard sizes. This article will provide simple instructions and tips for stretching your own canvas.

The Materials Needed

The most common canvas materials are cotton (called Cotton Duck) or linen. Cotton is generally less expensive than linen and has a rougher surface. Cotton is also more inclined to warp from moisture which can ruin a painting by causing the paint to chip and crack. Linen, however, has stronger threads that resist pulling apart after being stretched on a frame. This makes it more suitable for long term archiving. Both materials are commonly available at most local art supply stores. Heavy unbleached calico from a fabric store will often do the trick and for less money.

The frame is usually made out of wood and comes from the factory with the four sides separated. The ends of the frame pieces are cut into a kind of tongue and groove fashion so that they fit together solidly by friction instead of with nails or staples.

Frames come in two basic strengths. Thinner, narrower sides are the least expensive and are suitable for paintings that have their longest side no longer than 25”. For larger projects, wider and thicker wood sides are available and recommended.

The Instructions

1. Gather the following tools; staple gun, staples, scissors or exacto knife to cut the canvas, canvas pliers (optional) and a rubber hammer (optional). If you don’t wish to purchase a soft rubber hammer just make sure that while assembling the frame that you do not pound directly on the wood with a regular nail hammer without something to buffer the blows.

2. Assemble the frame. This is really straight forward in that the ends fit together with friction. Resting the pieces on a carpeted floor and using a rubber hammer to pound the corners together will prevent gouging the wood. Some artists prefer to add a few drops of white wood working glue into the corners before fitting. This provides a more solid connection for the long haul. However, if you are using the frame only temporarily while painting and intent to remove the canvas and disassemble then do not glue.

3. Cut the canvas to fit the frame. Lay the assembled frame flat and measure the length and width. Each of these dimensions should include enough extra length for the canvas to wrap around to the back of the frame for stapling. Cut the canvas to these dimensions using heavy duty scissors or an exacto knife.

4. Staple and stretch the canvas over the frame. Start by wrapping the top of the cut canvas around the top of the assembled frame. Put about three staples through the canvas in the middle of the back of the top frame piece. The staples should be about 2” apart. Always work from the center of the frame sides out when stapling. Next, stretch the canvas to the bottom of the frame and staple in the middle of that frame side. Repeat on the left and right sides. At this point the canvas should have three staples in the center of each frame side.

Next stretch one side from the middle staples to one corner and staple. Move across to the opposing frame side and stretch from the middle to the diagonally opposite corner and staple. Repeat this until all parts of all frame pieces have been stretched. Finally fold the loose material at each corner neatly and staple in place.

The final step is to prime to canvas before painting. This neutralizes the natural canvas color, creates a smoother texture and prevents the paint from soaking into the material. However, this topic is too involved to address in detail in this article.

Even if you have the resources to buy ready made canvas it is wise at first to develop an understanding of this process and how it can impact the final painting by learning how to stretch your own canvas.

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Rainbow Vines 16″ x 24″ Acrylic on Canvas. SOLD!!! Thanks for watching and please subscribe to my channel

Learn how to stretch fine art canvas paintings with a gallery wrap. Instruction by master acryllic artist Ginger Cook with the IfTheyCanICan.com series of instructional videos.

That’s a well-known quote of American photographer, Ansel Adams (1902-1984), famous for his dramatic black and white landscapes photographs. He didn’t have the advantages of digital cameras or know about the photos on canvas process that turns a photograph into a original painting.

The technical advances of digital photography and the availability of inexpensive quality digital cameras have put in the hands of every one of us the tools to create excellent quality photographs. If we’re unsure of our skills we also have the option to take literally hundreds of shots without spending money to develop or print with the hope of a few lucky photographs.

When you decide to order a photo on canvas painting you have two options:

Pick one of your lucky photographs and simply choose a style, size and frame.

Pick a subject and take carefully thought out photographs keeping in mind what you want the photo to canvas painting to look like when finished and mounted on the wall.

If you opt for the former, evaluate your favorite snapshot carefully. Are the details sharp and clear? Is the exposure correct – neither too dark nor too light? Is the focal point obvious and placed in an eye-pleasing position in the frame? Is the background cluttered or distracting?

If you opt for the latter, it will be worth your while to review some photography tips and familiarize yourself with your camera’s features so that when you look through the view finder you can be creating compositions most favorable to the photos to canvas process. Consider the “rule of thirds” in framing your points of interest and avoid cluttered backgrounds that detract from your primary subject.

Whatever the case, when you order a photo to canvas painting from Paint Your Life you will have expert editors standing by to assist you in choosing the ideal photograph. They can crop photos, simplify backgrounds, and get rid of redeye, and they’ll tell you if your photograph just isn’t suitable for an effective photos to canvas painting.Photos on canvas

On the other hand, there’s another quote of Ansel Adams:

“There are no rules for good photographs; there are only good photographs….”

…so your lucky shot of the sunset or your dog catching a ball may just make the Top Ten Photos on Canvas Paintings of the Year.

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Common man just can not afford such kind of expensive items. It’s not one’s cup of tea to just empty one’s wallet on highly expensive items in order to just decorate one’s house. Such kind of lavish items are only purchased by billionaires, industrialists or any state’s art museum. But does that mean the common should kill his willing just for the sake of money? Well, now it is no more an issue with the onset of the art reproduction oil painting. You can now decorate your house with an exclusive masterpiece. Duplicity can not be caught, unless it is witnessed by any art expert. Yet, such kind of item flaunts same audacity and elegance. The oil on canvas paintings can be considered to be the replica of the original pieces. These do not fall short on your expectations, as they also render the same look, which the original work delivers.

The technique used in the art reproduction oil paintingis too advanced and is mainly implemented by the expert artists, who can iota entire piece of work of your choice into excellent quality oil on canvas painting form, which is either surfaced on a wooden panel or on a cardboard. All the seascapes, which begin on a canvas, are being extended in order to fit across the wooden panel with agesso layer to erase any acidic texture of the paints used.

I couldn’t find this version of this commercial (the longer 2 minute one) online after I saw it on television so decided to just record it from my DVR and upload it myself. Sorry for the low quality. Camera pointed at television = crappy videos :p I thought this was really neat!

Step 1. Firstly since you can not be carrying your paintings around with you while looking for the right buyers, a suggestion of taking a couple of photographs of your work can be ideal to carry with you at all times. This move will show that you are serious about selling your art work.

Step 2. There are many craft selling websites on the internet today. Creating an account with one of these websites and posting the photos of your work could lead to selling directly to an interested buyer. Or another proposal may also arise where you may have customers getting in touch with you about doing commission work for them. If this avenue arises your name will surely start getting on the up and up.

Step 3. Visiting local stores, for example, like coffee houses, restaurants, bars or hotels mainly where paintings are hung from the walls can open an avenue of interested people. And depending on what the theme of your art work is you may just find a curious buyer that will want your work. Some business owners also get excited about having local original pieces for work and are ongoing buyers.

Step 4. If you are unsuccessful on selling anything through local business or on the website, donating some of your work to charity or to hospitals, doctors surgeries, etc, where there are a lot of people that move through that particular place. This will, in turn, be free advertising and it will promote your art work for you, free of charge. Many people like to look at a nice art pictures especially when sick, it make them feel better.

Step 5. Competitions are a great source of advertising, although you may have to paid an entry fee, if selected for the finals or even if you are selected the overall winner, this will help boost your artistic profile and may just help you sell your paintings to a larger audience.

Step 6. Taking your art work to local shows and exhibitions can also boost your profile and popularity. Showing your work around the local districts can give you the exposure of your talents to the public. Most times than enough art buyers are on the lookout for new and upcoming artists.

All in all canvas paintings are a great addition to any house, business or even just for self indulgence. A canvas painting done right can make a room light up and make someones day. So if you are serious about selling your art work, follow the steps above and you will be well on your way to becoming a sought out professional artist.

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