How to Choose the Right Canvas Weight for Your Painting

Canvas is a plain-weave fabric typically made out of heavy cotton yarn and, to a lesser extent, linen yarn. Canvas fabric is known for being durable, sturdy, and heavy duty. By blending cotton with synthetic fibers, canvas can become water resistant or even waterproof, making it a great outdoor fabric or painting surface for a variety of mediums. Artists typically treat their canvas before painting on it, which can help to cover up tiny pores in the weave.

An artist’s choice of canvas can affect the texture of their painting depending on the type of fabric (linen, cotton duck canvas, hemp, and rayon are common choices), the weight of the canvas, and the weave of the canvas fibers. Painters can buy rolled canvas by the yard to stretch on a wooden frame themselves, or they can purchase pre-stretched canvas, which is secured to a wooden frame and ready to be painted on.

Canvas weight is measured in ounces of thread density per yard. A canvas’ weight and weave can influence how your paint shows up in your painting, how long it lasts, and more. Here are three different types of canvas weights.

• Lightweight canvas: Lighter-weight canvases are often made with a thinner thread, looser weave, and are easier to stretch. They come in a weight of about four to five ounces per square yard. Very lightweight canvases can be durable, but not as much as heavier fabrics. They are often made of linen, cotton, or burlap.
• Medium-weight canvas: Medium-weight canvas is made of moderately dense fabrics, usually weighing about seven to eight ounces per square yard.
• Heavy-weight canvas: A heavy-weight canvas weight falls between 10 and 12 ounces per square yard. Heavier-weight canvases are better for large paintings that involve lots of paint and blending. These durable canvases are often the most expensive, constructed from thicker threads and tighter weaves.

In addition to a variety of weights, artist canvases can come in many forms. Here is a breakdown of seven popular types of canvas that painters use for their works.

1. 1. Stretched canvas: Stretched canvas comes stretched over wooden bars, ready to paint on and hang. Stretched canvas is the best type of canvas for beginner painters, because proper stretching requires skill and experience.
2. 2. Unstretched canvas: Unstretched canvas (also known as rolled canvas) comes without stretcher bars. Unstretched canvas rolls are suitable for experienced painters who want to stretch their own canvas, or need to roll their work up and transport it.
3. 3. Primed canvas: Priming a canvas coats the canvas fabric to protect it from deteriorating. It also makes your chosen type of paint show up brighter and last for longer. Canvases are often primed for the specific type of paint you will be using, like watercolors, oil-based paints, or acrylics.
4. 4. Unprimed canvas: Unprimed canvas—also known as raw canvas—will soak up more paint than primed canvas surfaces, meaning your paints may not appear as vibrant as they would on a primed canvas.
5. 5. Linen canvas: Linen canvas is any canvas made out of linen thread. It is high-quality and durable, and thus more expensive than other kinds of canvas. Linen is derived from the flax plant, which makes it naturally resistant to mildew and mold.
6. 6. Cotton canvas: Cotton duck canvas is made from loosely woven cotton threads, and offers the lowest durability in comparison to linen canvas. Duck canvas gets its name from the Dutch word, doek, which means cloth.
7. 7. Watercolor canvas: A watercolor canvas surface can withstand more painting and manipulation than watercolor paper. It is specifically made for watercolor paints.

The canvas you select all depends on the type of painting you want to do. For a quick guide on which canvas to select for your painting project, see the list below.

1. 1. For oil painting: Make sure to choose a primed canvas for oil painting. This will help protect the canvas fabric from being degraded over time by oil-based paints. Priming will also help your oil paints stick to the canvas surface. Heavyweight fabrics work best with these thicker paints and can handle more intense brushwork. Choose a higher quality or heavier canvas for oil paint projects.
2. 2. For acrylic painting: You can use most canvas surfaces with acrylic paints. Keep in mind that your primer will affect the color of the paint. People often apply a layer of acrylic gesso to their canvases to protect the weave from absorbing too much paint and appearing dull.
3. 3. For watercolor painting: Watercolor paints work best with watercolor canvas. These canvases help keep the paint wetter longer, allowing you to work on them for longer.

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