Art's Paper & Paint

Why your canvas makes a difference.

December 23, 2023

That cheap canvas at the bulk store is tempting. I've bought some before. What difference will it make? Nobody actually cares about what's under the painting, right?

Oh, my friend. It really does make a difference.

My first job 'in the real art world' was working for the curatorial department at a museum. As the new kid on the block, I was often tasked with documenting the cracks and fissures that sometimes appear on paintings over time. These cracks can be due to poor paint quality, or the artwork taking a good knock. Sometimes the cause is unknown. Using a proper substrate or support helps ensure your artwork holds up over time and can better withstand the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'. Pardon the Shakespeare quote. I'm in the midst of a debate over his merits with a 12 year old.

Anyway, what makes for a decent quality canvas? There are an abundance of options and it can be difficult to tell the difference.

The short list of options are canvas panels or boards, stretched canvas, and unstretched canvas. ***I'll make a quick note on the difference between canvas and linen at the end of this article.

Canvas panels are an incredibly convenient product. They are thin, lightweight and more portable than a stretched canvas. Canvas panels and boards are made of canvas glued to either wood panel or paper board. What you want to watch for in a panel is whether that core is made or paper or wood products. A paper core is going to be prone to warping when it gets wet. A cheap canvas board is also not going to be well primed and have the tendency of absorbing more paint and allowing moisture to seep through to that core. Look for panels that note what type of canvas they are made of and how it has been sized and primed. Not many brands note what is being used as a core, so tap the back of the panel to check what it sounds like and see if there is flex to the panel if you try to bend it slightly. Flex is a bad thing here.

Pre-stretched canvas can also be incredibly convenient for artists. All the prep work has been done for you, and after removing the plastic wrapping you've got a surface ready to go. They are also the most expensive investment option with canvases, so it can be oh-so-tempting to find a bargain. When choosing a pre-stretched canvas, watch for:

1) What is the frame made of? Is it a cheap wood or something more durable? How thick is it? What types of support bars are built in? Is the canvas stapled on the sides or the back (stapled on the back is better).

2) What type of canvas is it made with? Is it a lightweight 5oz or a heavier 10oz canvas?

3) Has it been sized and primed? Many cheap pre-stretched canvases are primed with a spray on gesso and no sizing. This will leave a very absorbent surface and your paint may even leak through to the other side of the canvas. If your surface is not properly primed, there is the possibility that your paint will not adhere to the surface and could crack or peel, or (if working with oil) the paint could seep into the canvas fibers and cause breakdown. When reading the label on the canvas, check all the details of how it is made and make sure it will suit your purposes.

Finally, loose canvas. This is the arena in which you can be in full control of how your surface is made and prepared. The caveat is that you will need some tools (A staple gun at the bare minimum) and a bit of time and know how. But, really, it's just the smallest bit of know how. You can then choose precisely the size and depth you want your painting to be, whether you are using premade stretcher bars or cutting your own, what the canvas is made of and how heavy the canvas is, and whether it's been pre-primed or if you'll apply your own. If you apply your own sizing and gesso, you have many options here, too, to see to it that your surface is just as you like it.

Now, for the promised tidbit of information. The differences between cotton canvas and linen. Cotton begins (of course) from cotton plants and has a soft, fluffy fiber that results in a consistent weave. It can be mass produced and collected by machine across the Africa, India and the Americas. Linen is made from flax plant fibers that are harvested by hand in Western Europe, usually Belgium. Linen fibers are durable, rigid and longer than those of cotton. These long fibers result in a tighter, stronger weave that is less susceptible to rotting. This results in a painting support that is less prone to changes from humidity and climate, however it can be more difficult to stretch by hand. There just isn't as much 'give' to the fibers. If you haven't stretched your own canvas before, start with cotton canvas. It is more forgiving for beginners.

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Acrylic paint & adhesives

January 29, 2024

Recently, a customer stopped by the store with an adhesive problem. She'd been through what seemed like a dozen different types of tape to layer on her acrylic paintings. All left residue after removal. This actually stumped me, so I chatted with an acrylic and mixed media artist whom I knew would know about tapes and residue and she shared quite a bit of information with me. Below, I'll break her info into some main points. We dug into this over about an hour of conversation, so I'm sure there will be more info if you really want to dig into it.

First: be sure the first layer of acrylic that you are applying the tape to is completely cured. It can take time after acrylic SEEMS dry for it to actually be 'finished' or 'cured'. Up to two weeks even. Applying layers on top of uncured paint can cause the chemical makeup to alter and result in a change in texture or finish.

Second: the types of tape you use are important. Stick to a low-tack tape that is easily removed. Artist tape, low-adhesive painter's tape, etc. These will have the least residue and breakdown. If your paint is fully cured before applying these tapes and you are still getting residue left behind on removal, it could be possible to remove the residue with a plastic eraser (like Moo, Staedtler or Tombow) or with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. If you try either of these removal methods, be gentle. Slow and easy is going to get you better results and less possibility of damaging the surface.

Third: If you still are struggling with results, the next product to try will be a Grafix masking film. This is a film made for masking and removing to build layers in graphic applications. It is made in sheets rather than strips, so you can cut exact shapes for your work.

Final option: This is for the patient artists. If you build layers of tape facing each other, so that only the edges have adhesive rather than the whole strip, this will lessen the surface area touched with adhesive. This would make it easier to remove and hopefully cut residue left. If you DO still have residue with this technique, your paint is not curing enough (go back to step one).

When experimenting with mixed media or pushing your chosen media further, there aren't always quick answers. Keep pushing through and making art!

Thank you to Janelle Schrag for all your input about adhesive and acrylics!

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Is it walnut ink or 'walnut ink'?

July 27, 2024

Is the walnut ink you're working with actually made from walnuts? The answer is MAYBE.

If you haven't heard of walnut ink before, you are in for a treat! Walnut ink has been around for centuries and was commonly used during the medieval and Renaissance periods due to its accessibility and durability. It's also not hard to make and is considered lightfast. A win-win for artists and writers during this time. Add to this: walnut ink is archival, it's water-soluble, and it can combine beautifully with watercolor works.

Here's where confusion makes an entrance. The word 'walnut' can be used to describe the nut, the tree or the color. This leaves a lot of wiggle room for naming purposes in the art world. A number of 'walnut drawing ink' products are made with substitute products that are walnut colored, but don't use walnuts to get to this effect. This is sometimes done out of the worry of acidity in the walnuts used to make the ink. Walnuts (the nut that is used to make natural walnut ink) are slightly acidic, while the substitute pigments are not.

Many traditional inks, by nature, are acidic. The acidity is part of what makes them work so well when writing with a dip nib and paper. The acid in these inks actually 'etches' the ink into the paper. This is different than working with acrylic ink that will sit on top of the paper. While the acid does eat at the paper slightly, the ink itself would fade away without it. Working with these inks also comes with the side effect of the acid wearing down your brushes and ink nibs over time. While artists have to view their brushes and nibs as replaceable tools when working with (slightly) acidic inks, the testament to the merits of natural walnut ink is that the works of da Vinci and Michelangelo are still here to be seen centuries later.

So that you are aware of what you are looking for at when shopping for walnut ink, companies making a walnut ink substitute include Tom Norton and Sennelier. Tom Norton's ink is essentially a watercolor ink made with precise pigments to resemble the effects of natural walnut ink. Sennelier's product is a shellac, so is waterproof when dry and may have a bit of shine to it when layered. Genuine walnut ink makers include Daniel Smith, Hickory Hill, and many small artisans (we actually make our own and stock it in the store, too).

Bottom line when choosing your ink:

Use the ink you enjoy using! (And clean your tools well so they serve you longer).

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