Four Essential Tips for Purchasing Canvas Art

Purchasing canvas art is a huge investment today but also a desirable one. Thanks to the rise of interior decorating in addition to a heightened awareness of the aesthetic appeal that different fashions and style of decor provide, canvas artwork is becoming an important element of homes and offices all over the world. Offering incredible talking points as well as enhancing existing decor, canvas paintings can offer a welcome boost to any room. However, you absolutely have to make sure that you choose the right canvas art if you want to achieve the best possible effects as well as achieving the best possible investment. The four quick tips outlined below will give you the best possible platform from which to go out and buy the canvas artwork you want and need:

Choosing Canvas Art Over Prints

First of all, read the small print of the site or store that you are planning to buy your canvas artwork from because there is no guarantee that you are buying canvas paintings rather than canvas prints. Although you can usually tell the difference if you are seeing the canvas art in person, it is far more difficult to tell the difference from a picture on a website. All sites should clarify whether or not they are selling canvas paintings or prints so make sure that you find out before you invest and are happy with the answer you receive. If you cannot find the information anywhere then never be afraid to ask.

Buying Canvas Paintings from an Expert

Secondly, you should check out the store you plan to purchase your canvas art at. Whether you choose to buy online or in person, speaking to the salespeople or customer service people in advance can help you to identify whether or not you are buying from an expert. Experts tend to offer high quality canvas artwork rather than that not worth purchasing at all. Although this is a general rule and not a given, it is worth bearing in mind.

Canvas Artwork for Your Taste

Thirdly, you should browse in advance and think about what you want out of canvas paintings. Are you looking for bright colors? Do you want something that reflects your personality or personal preferences? Do you want abstract canvas art or something that is more traditional? All of these questions are worth asking because failing to do so can actually cause you to waste a lot of money. There is nothing worse than finding the canvas art you have invested in does not suit your tastes so make sure you have an idea of what you are looking for in advance.

Canvas Art as Decor

Finally, you need to consider where you are going to put the canvas paintings you purchase and what will fit in with your existing decor. If you intend to base new decor on your canvas artwork then you can buy whatever you like. However, if you need your new canvas to fit in with existing interior decoration then you need to consider whether or not it will go with it in terms of colors and design. If you have bare walls and a minimalist design in your home or office then you will be able to choose whatever canvas art you like but otherwise you absolutely have to make sure that the art you choose does not clash if you want it to be a viable investment.

Canvas Paintings staff are online to help you decide the best type of artwork for you.  With over five hundred original canvas paintings we are sure you will find a piece of artwork perfect for your taste.

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Tips on Painting and Decorating – Part 1

Tips on Painting & Decorating – Part 1

Over the years DIYers have kindly sent in lots of tips and ideas to make decorating easier. A selection of these are below for your education, and in some cases, for your amusement. We hope you find these gems from fellow decorators useful.

Please note that these tips have not been tested by Resene and are included below as supplied to us.

• To get paint odour out of a room, cut a large onion in half, place in a bowl, close the doors for a couple of days, and the paint odour will be gone. Don't know how it works but it does and the room doesn't smell of onions.
• After lifting a carpet, I found that there was paper on the floor. To remove it, I used a steam iron (old one) and a spray bottle to soak and remove. Took about 10-15 minutes to remove approx half a metre. From: Susan
• To remove glue from a wooden floor use a wallpaper remover that gives off steam. We had tried everything else -even a spade to try to scrape it off. After holding the steamer onto the glue for a couple of minutes, we could scrape the glue off with just a paint scraper. It saved us hours of work. Make sure you use a mask. From: Joanne
• Plastic freezer containers from the supermarket or empty ice-cream containers make great paint trays for speedbrushing. Clip the lid on between coats to save paint wastage. From: Stephanie
• If you have a bit of spot priming to do on your roof use a pop top drink bottle to hold the paint. Just squirt a drop on the spot you wish to prime and brush the primer out. The bottle is easy to seal and can be put into your pocket and the brush slipped into a plastic bag. No need to cart a can around. From: DG Mansell
• Move your cars to a safe place when you are painting the roof. A while ago we painted the roof on a warm day with a light breeze in the air – once we got down off the roof we discovered our cars had little spots of red paint all over them! True story – we learned an expensive lesson. From: Karen
• My husband and I had just finished stripping the wallpaper in the family room of the house that we were redecorating and were in the kitchen having dinner when we heard a whining noise from the family room. When we raced in to see what it was, we found our dog Betsy lying on the ground with wet wallpaper all matted in her fur! Tip: Close the door when decorating with animals/children in the house!From: Roil
• If you paint around windows but haven't masked them properly use the ceramic cooktop razor cleaner to remove the dried paint from the glass. It has a handle and is easy to use without scratching the glass. From: Lyn
• My best diy/decorating tip is to do one room at a time! From: Shute
• When painting above your head with a brush, paint tends to drip down the brush onto your hand. To avoid this, put a small hole in an ice-cream container lid and place the handle of the brush through the hole. You won't get any paint on your hand as it will go onto the lid. Once you have finished the job you can clean and reuse the lid. From: Nicola
• If you want something done, start on it yourself then leave it half finished. This way your husband/wife will hate looking at it and finish it off for you. This has been tried and tested by me. I wanted the garage painted so started one wall and never quite finished it. When my husband saw it, he couldn't bear to see it half done, so now I have my garage painted! From: Veronica
• Paint one wall of your house each year. Then the job seems a lot smaller. From: Ron
• If your husband says he is going to paint the house, rush out and pay someone that week to do it! Sorry to all DIY hubbys. From: Adele
• When taking out or walling up a door or window, use the gap to create an in-built bookshelf. This is very effective if you have an arched door you no longer want. From: Andrea
• Use a grinder to get melted clothing off an iron. From: Michelle
• When putting up plasterboard on a ceiling and lacking people to hold it up while you screw it in, tack a temporary ledge onto the top of the walls that you can slot the edge of the plasterboard into while you screw the other side to the ceiling. From: Shanny
• Prepare the surface before you start painting, and apply the paint as per the manufacturer's written instructions! From: Samir
• If you are a keen do it yourselfer and have a hands free phone, wrap the phone in gladwrap. It will be kept clean even if you answer it with your hands covered in paint. This is also a good idea if you have a mobile phone. The film does not affect the phone and it does not reduce the sound quality. From: Bob
• When painting a feature wall, use tape. Tape the sidewalls and the skirting boards to protect against paint splashes. When you are cutting into the ceiling, use a 'cutting in' brush. From: Katrina
• To make a tile-like paint effect cut a pot scrubber (i.e. sponge and pot scourer combined) into squares of whatever size you want, glue the scouring side onto a stiff backing leaving space between each square to represent grouting. Paint the squares in various colours or the same colour and apply around dados or doors to get a Greek tile effect. From: Liz
• When painting with a roller, cover your glasses' lenses with gladwrap. Then when you have finished painting, just peel off the gladwrap. From: Noleen
• My Dad put in a watertank at the farm to collect drinking water off the roof. He was up his aluminum extension ladder and had just finished connecting the final piece of spouting from the guttering to the watertank. He climbed down the ladder and as he was putting it away, discovered that he couldn't – he'd put the spouting through the rungs of the ladder. TIP: Always move your ladder before connecting the spouting! From: Jim
• Use old lampshades as funnels when pouring from one paint can to another. From: Peter
• Decorating tip for men: It is obvious that the wife will have ideas on redecorating but will insist on your input, which will then be discarded as either inane, insane or just plain dumb. However it is no use saying 'just do as you like dear' as that will be regarded as not participating properly and will confirm her feelings that you are not really involved with this project. So it is best to listen to her half carefully (as apart from not at all) during proceeding weeks leading up to the decision, and then when the question comes you can suggest some ideas along the lines of those you know she has been thinking. It is even wise to browse a couple of mags she has left lying around (this is not by accident). This is really smart as it saves arguments, she will think you are brilliant to be thinking the same as her and what's more she will come to the idea you have a modicum of taste and may let you buy your own clothes in future. From: Dave
• When painting outside windows, place masking tape around the already painted areas and the windows to avoid unwanted paint splashes. Make sure you take the masking tape off before the paint dries. From: Liz and Stu
• When painting, empty the paint can so there is enough room for you to tap the sides of the paint can with the paintbrush. This helps to remove excess paint on your brush. Stir your paint thoroughly before putting your brush in. From: William-John
• When using a roller, use zigzag strokes, covering the surface in a 'w'shape. Keep the roller on the surface at all times, as if you let it spin, it will spray the paint around. Finish the rolling in one direction.From: Stan
• When painting ceilings, wear a plastic shower cap to stop paint dripping on your head. From: Lynda
• New roller covers tend to leave unattractive fuzz behind on the painted surface, even the ones that say lint free. To avoid this, wrap masking tape several times around your hand sticky side up. Run the roller over the tape several times before painting. From: L Hammond
• Both my bathroom and toilet walls were painted a pale yellow. To liven the rooms up I painted orange from the top corner of each window down to the bottom corner of the door when entering. It now looks like a ray of orange sunlight coming through the windows even on the dreariest days. It is really effective without being overpowering. From: Debi
• Use a 2L plastic milk carton for a paint and brush holder. Simply cut away the side of the container (opposite side to the handle), starting 4-6 inches above the base up to just short of the neck. Pour in your paint and use by holding the milk carton handle as normal and dip brush into the paint via the cutaway side. Take the cap off so you have somewhere for the handle of the brush. Once you have finished painting you can turn the container upside down and drain through the cap hole. From: Paul
• Everyone hates cleaning up after painting so here is a tip on how to make this job easier. After emptying the tins that our baby formula comes in I keep them for cleaning our paintbrushes. They have a plastic lid on top, which means you can cut holes in it if you have a larger than normal paintbrush handle and leave it sticking through. The lid also seals in the fumes from your cleaning solution. From: Anon
• To help keep your children's rooms tidy, paint old beer crates in bright colours and use them to store clothes and toys. From: Jason and Suzanne
• Tips on cleaning brushes: Using enamel (oil) based paint: Half fill a jam jar with mineral turps and dip your brush into it several times. Then rinse the brush clean using warm/hot water. Repeat 2 – 3 times until the brush is clean. My husband scoffed at me when I started using this method as he thought you shouldn't mix oil and water, however 5 years on and I am still using the same brush. Needless to say he now cleans his brush this way too. Using waterbased paint: When cleaning your brush under the tap use wonder soap as well, especially when you have dry paint around the top of your brush head. From: Jane
• I've recently painted my 3.5m stud Kauri ceiling with a brush, as the roller didn't fit between the batons. Rather than walking up and down the ladder with one brush full of paint, I found the best container to carry the paint in was a cut down 2 litre milk container with the handle intact. It held enough for one ladder's worth of painting and had a large well balanced handle. From: Gretchen and Pauline
• If you want to create a neat texture, use springs off a spiral notebook, and swirl it all over the fresh paint. From: Anon
• How to check your spirit level is level – Place your level on the floor. Mark the position of each corner with a pen/pencil then note the position of the bubble. Turn the level around and align it with the markings you made on the floor. Check the position of the bubble. Now do the same with the level upside down. If the readings of the bubbles match your level is level, otherwise use the screws to adjust the vials and repeat the checks until the readings match. From: Matthew
• My tip: Don't let your husband attempt to DIY otherwise you may end up like us: (1) Fixed leak in roof, but now we have a hole that is growing with every drop of rain and one day will collapse. (2) Paint job, yes we (or I should say professionals) will now have to eventually re-paint the roof as he thought he would include other areas not intended. Also thought the carpet needed painting. (3) Lining in pool – Hawke's Bay has had the best weather this summer and unfortunately, even though we have a pool, we have been unable to use this due to his patchwork and neighbours complaining that our pool is leaking in their gardens. It is now empty again. From: Melanie 39. To remove old wallpaper, wipe over the wallpaper with water and dishwashing liquid, leave about five minutes and it will just peel off. From: Richard and Sandra
• When stripping wallpaper, spray with fabric softener and a little water. The fabric softener breaks down the surface tension of the wallpaper and allows the water to soak in better. This will help the wallpaper come off easier. From: Kathleen
• If you own your own house and want to make exterior painting a little easier, paint the house a standard colour, white is always good, and paint one side of the house each year. This will cut the work down to a more manageable size and keep the house well painted at the same time. From: M Teal
• You can make a paint tray by using an old box with shallow sides and covering it with two white plastic shopping bags. When you stop between coats or colours, just take the bags off and change them. From: Glenn
• Apply petroleum jelly over door handles and hinges before painting to stop the paint sticking to them. Alternatively, foil wrap door handles and other hardware before painting to keep them splatter free.From: R Brooks
• If you hire a ready mix truck to do your driveway, make sure you work from the top of the drive to the road. If you don't, you will be stuck with a truck full of concrete that will set if you don't keep it running (which might cost a bit) unless you want to drive it back over your nice new flat drive that took ages to do! From: Cassie
• Hate stripping wallpaper before you paint? You don't have to! With this tip, you'll create walls of interest. Use a large porous sponge and ready-made plaster. Dip the sponge into the plaster and 'hit' the wall, making sure you make 'peaks' on the wall with the plaster. Let the plaster semi-dry, but before it dries completely, trowel the plaster, using consistent strokes (whatever stroke you chose). Once the plaster dries completely, you can paint the newly textured wall in a variety of exciting colours by Resene. To make the wall even more interesting you can use a basecoat on the wall and then use a Chux cloth (or any other material with an interesting texture) dipped in a contrasting colour and 'hit the wall' with the Chux cloth. In the process of creating a unique design, you'll also cover blemishes. From: Karin
• My top 10 tips for landlords with multiple rental properties are: Buy Resene, anything else is an insult to your preparation efforts. Replace worn wallpaper in rentals with paint (after stopping to a paint finish). It wears better and is quicker and cheaper to repair. Keep walls and exteriors all the same. You can buy your paint in bulk and won't have numerous 1/2 pails sitting around. Maintain the individuality of your houses by using different feature colours. Then write the name of the house and where you used the paint (e.g. roof, trims, sills etc) on the can lid. If you are replacing weatherboards, undercoat them before you put them up. But don't stack them until they really are dry. The best thing to apply paint onto a roughcast house is a car cleaning brush. Get one with a reasonable amount of bristles. Those big square bushes sold in paint shops are good, but they're awfully heavy for a lady and too big to dip into a paint pail. Learn to use a crockpot/cook casseroles. Put tea on and you'd be surprised what you can get done if you do 1/2 hour to an hour most days. Or wait until your little one is in bed and then do internal walls. Wrap your brush/roller in gladwrap loaded with paint to keep it soft. Ladders are better exercise than any aerobic class. Learn to paint with both arms. Take your time to do a good job and enjoy it. Go to 'How To' evenings. You may learn something new. From: Michelle
• To cover an old lounge suite and two chairs buy 1 x double fitted sheet and 2 x single fitted sheets and some small velcro dots. Place sheets over lounge suite and tuck in where needed, then use the velcro dots to fasten down. With velcro dots you can just take off the covers and throw them into the wash. From: Belinda
• To create a weathered Mexican wall look, plaster outside concrete brick walls with cement and plaster by hand to get an authentic look (great way to get the kids involved as perfection is not required!). Paint the wall in your chosen colour (terracotta looks great). Drop small blobs of white paint into the roller tray, roll the roller through it and then haphazardly paint over the original wall colour. This should result in blurred streaks of white throughout the terracotta second coat. Do not roll in a particular direction, just all over the wall. When dry, the wall will look like weathered terracotta. From: Natasha
• Make sure you don't pay for the complete job up front. I bought a house in the north about 3 years ago and the guy that was moving my furniture told me along the way that he was a builder, so I agreed he could help me with my DIY plans. My very big mistake was trusting the jerk. He quoted me about $6000, which like a fool I paid there and then. All he had to do was to put in a wall as three already existed and put in a wall divider. To cut the story short, I fired him after 4 days, as the wall he put in to enclose the room didn't touch the ground! He had charged up tools on my account, ripped me off on materials and not paid some local suppliers. I waited for a few days and then thought I had better get stuck in and finish the job. Two family members joined in and helped and a fortnight later all was finished – YAY!!!From: Roseanne
• When decorating a room, paint a stick or small board with your chosen colours to carry with you when choosing fabrics, accessories etc. From: Meg

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Tips About Selling Your Canvas Paintings

Canvas paintings are one of history greatest art forms. It is a great hobby and it can also make you a bit or a lot of money if you have the talent and determination. Although most canvas painters do not have the know-how on selling their paintings so here is a simple article guide to anyone who is wanting to understand and make it in the canvas market.

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.

Canvas Painting For Beginners: How To Prime A New Canvas

Beginner artists must learn how to prime a new canvas before even a drop of paint is applied. This process neutralizes the material’s natural tan hue so that it does not undesirably alter the overall coloring of the final painting. Priming also serves to create an even look to the final painting by making the surface smooth and non-porous. Here are simple instructions and tips for learning how to prime a canvas.

The Materials and Tools Needed For Priming a Canvas

1. Gesso – is a thick white liquid canvas primer that can be found at art supply stores. While there are other primers that are clear or color tinted, the white variety of Gesso, as described in this article, is the most common.

2. Paint Stirrer – used to thoroughly mix water or some other thinning agent with Gesso.

3. Plastic Container – this needs to be large enough to allow room to add a thinning agent if desired.

4. Gesso Application Brush – this brush has nylon bristles that can be easily washed with soap and water when finished.

5. Thinning agent and water are used to make the Gesso spread more easily and produce a smoother surface than would be possible using it straight out of the bottle.

6. Fine Sandpaper and a soft cloth – this is to be used to sand a dry, hardened layer of primer on the canvas before applying the next layer. The dampened soft cloth is used to remove the sanding dust before applying another layer of primer.

Instructions For Priming a Canvas

Tip: It is important to note that the Gesso formula commonly used today behaves in a similar way to fast drying water soluble acrylic paint. When Gesso dries it is no longer water soluble. This means that you need to keep your brush damp with water to prevent the primer from sticking to the brush as it dries. Also do not dump excess primer down the sink’s drain because when it dries in the trap it can produce a serious clog. Paint fast and clean your brush immediately after and you should not have much trouble.

Dilute the Gesso -  For a relatively rough texture apply only one coat of undiluted Gesso right out of the bottle. For a smoother finish apply two thin coats of slightly diluted primer to the canvas.

Water is usually used to thin the primer. The ideal ratio of Gesso to water mix should be indicated on the bottle label. Too much water can cause the primer to crack on the canvas when dry. It is possible to use a 3-way mixture of water, Gesso and a special medium that prevents cracking. Ask at a local art store for recommendations.

Tip: To prevent contamination, never dilute the Gesso in its original bottle or pour unused primer back in the bottle. For the same reason do not dip the paint brush directly into the Gesso factory container. Instead pour only what you will need for one canvas into a separate plastic mixing container. Throw away what you do not use instead of returning it to the bottle.

Brush Pattern: The first coat should be painted with left to right parallel brush strokes. The second coat should be brushed from top to bottom.

Sand after the first coat: sand the canvas with very fine sandpaper after the first coat of Gesso has dried for an hour or so. This is then followed by wiping off the fine sanding dust with a slightly damp soft cloth before applying the next coat.

Drying Time: Depending on the humidity levels in the studio, let the first coat dry at least an hour or two. The second or final coat should be allowed to dry for 24 hours before beginning the painting. Always let the canvas dry while laying flat to prevent the wet Gesso from running.

Preparing a canvas to last for many years requires special priming techniques like adding a dilute formaldehyde solution to the back of the canvas to prevent bacterial decay. It is interesting to note that some of the old Masters would actually let a primed canvas stabilize for 6 months to a year before adding paint. However, these advanced techniques for learning to prime a new canvas are beyond the scope of this article.