I receive many inquiries about whether it’s better to buy a canvas or prepare your own. The fact is that each has its advantages and disadvantages. Even so, learning how to prepare your bulk canvas can save you a lot of money.
Stretched canvas:
When deciding between buying a pre-stretched canvas and stretching your own, keep these things in mind:
Cost: It is often more cost-effective to stretch your canvas, assuming you compare the same canvas quality. If you stick with it, you’ll save a lot of money in the long run. Buying in bulk, however, necessitates higher initial outlays.
Space: Do you have more room to keep pre-stretched canvases, or do you have more room to spread out your canvases before stretching them?
Equipment: To stretch your canvas, you will need certain equipment, such as a staple gun and canvas pliers, among other things. They aren’t too expensive.
Ability: Developing the ability to extend your canvas is a process that requires practice. The learning curve isn’t too steep, but it’s not for everyone. There is a good chance that most of you will be able to learn.
Quality: Only a handful of pre-stretched oil primed linen canvas alternatives are available in excellent quality. There are just a few options that aren’t too pricey. Pre-stretched cotton canvases come in a wide range of quality. Many pre-stretched canvases have sags or wrinkles that need to be fixed. There are several high-quality pre-stretched canvases available. The quality of your stretching will be determined by your capacity to learn. If you buy the canvas by the roll and stretch it yourself, you have more alternatives in terms of quality.
Flexibility: As previously said, stretching your canvas gives you greater flexibility in terms of canvas size, as well as the kind, texture, weight, quality, weave, and priming you employ. When you choose to paint on a pre-stretched surface, it may not be accessible.
Time: How much do you value your availability? Stretching a canvas does take time. Is the time saved worth it in comparison to the costs? To a large extent, this is determined by how good a canvas is. Stretching is more worthwhile if you’re using high-quality materials. If you purchase low-quality canvas, you may be unable to justify the effort. Your speed will increase as you extend your canvas further.
Amount of Mounted Canvas Panels:
Pre-mounted canvas panels and self-mounted canvas panels both have their advantages and disadvantages. However, there are some variances.
Quality: There is an abundant supply of high-quality linen panels that are easily accessible from various suppliers. These panels have been expertly mounted using archival adhesives. Finding high-quality panels is far simpler if you prefer linen than finding high-quality pre-stretched canvases.
Ability: learning to install your panels takes more time. For the first few weeks, the quality may be lower than usual.
Time: it takes more time to build a tower than it does to extend it down.
Tools: a table saw is a need if you want to install wood panels or Masonite, or hire someone to do it for you. A utility knife is all you need to install on Gatorboard.
Building your own is still more cost-effective if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.
Regardless of whether you choose a mounted or stretched canvas, both have advantages and disadvantages. I like to cook my food. Making my canvas saves me money since I use a lot of material. My personal preference is for oil-primed linen over acrylic-primed cotton for interior painting. I like the flexibility of being able to create a canvas of any size, even if it’s an unusual one. For years, I just hung the tiniest of pieces. Stretching is only used when the canvas size is so vast that mounting is not an option (up to 40 inches by 60 inches).
