Is cheap canvas material worth spending your resources on?

The history of art tells us that canvas and especially oil primed linen canvas were not always accessible to the artist.

The walls of caves served as canvases to our ancestors - this heritage is not abundantly preserved. There were times when artists painted on wooden surfaces - the famous “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci is on a poplar board. But time has shown that no matter how well the wood is dried and prepared, it can deform, and with it - the work of art.

And sometimes an artist, led by a persistent muse, is forced to resort to unusual decisions. Once poor Van Gogh asked his brother Theo to send him a few meters of canvas - the artist found himself without materials. And apparently Vincent could not wait for the parcel to come, because he then took the first thing that he could reach - red plaid tablecloth.

Artists all over the world appreciate linen canvas fabric for painting, and contemporary artists certainly have an easier life.

Nowadays, in stores you can easily find canvases of any sizes ready for painting, on stretchers: buy, bring home and get to work. And for artists who prefer to prepare their work surface on their own, canvases are sold in rolls. And as a rule, all modern canvases, including rolls, are primed.

Painting on raw linen: is unprimed linen ever used?

No, one can’t just start painting on linen fabric.

After all, when you want to paint a room, you apply a coat of primer first.

Primer is a good basis for a painting. It closes the so-called “pores” of the canvas - the gaps between the threads of the fabric. If priming is not done, then the oil from the paints will seep through those pores and the paint will lose its binding substance.

Primer also creates a smooth surface - it is easier to paint on it, a layer of primer protects the brush from excessive wear and stops the destructive effect of oil paint on linen.

The best linen canvas for oil painting: can it be half-cotton?

In Western Europe, linen canvas has been used in painting since the beginning of the 16th century and, of course, is authoritative. Millions of well-known masterpieces are painted on pure linen. Linen is resistant to mechanical damage - its fibers are longer and stronger than, for example, of cotton, and due to this linen is not as prone to sagging. However, there are a number of artists who do not use linen because of its charismatic texture and prefer the paper-like texture of cotton, but still remember that cotton is not as durable as linen.

And so, the desire of artists to save money and the technological progress brought to light some new types of work surfaces, such as mixed canvas made of linen and cotton.

So, what should you create your masterpiece on?

In the 80s of the last century, after a number of experiments, Italian manufacturers found that the optimal proportion is 60% linen and 40% cotton. This fabric has a smooth texture, like cotton, but due to the presence of linen it is more durable. The presence of cotton fibers makes such canvas more hygroscopic, so it is not suitable for conditions with high humidity and temperature extremes. A serious advantage of this canvas is, of course, its low cost.

But many experienced artists and restorers are fully against mixed canvases, since such canvases are “moving” more because of the different strains of fabric, which can lead to damage of the paint layer.

If one uses mixed canvases, it should be for educational purposes only. It is better not to paint any serious pieces of work on them. It was not for nothing that initially mixed canvases were intended only for students.