For almost 14 years I have been creating acrylic paintings. During that time span I have also created several oil paintings. Of the roughly 70 paintings I have done at least half are done on artists’ canvas boards which are also known as artists’ canvas panels.
True to their name canvas boards are essentially hard canvas-covered boards that are made to be painted on. They are sold in a wide variety of sizes and are usually stocked and sold at art supply stores everywhere.
Most artists’ canvas boards are made of finely weaved cotton canvas which is hand turned and laminated onto high quality boards. The canvas is tightly stretched onto the board which makes drawing or painting on them a fun and easy proposition.
Higher quality canvas boards often feature multiple coatings of acid free sizing and primer which is pigmented. The boards also usually offer balanced absorbing properties which provide better adhesion of paints.
While stretched canvases with wooden frames have become very popular in recent years canvas boards are also very popular with painters of all mediums. The simplicity and ease of use offered by artists’ canvas boards as well as their reasonable prices make them a logical canvas choice for painters of all skill levels.
Chances are good that paintings you regularly look at are painted on artists’ canvas boards. The boards are not only suitable for but are designed to be framed. When a canvas board painting is inside of a frame you can’t really tell if it is a canvas board or a stretched canvas.
The only drawback with artists’ canvas boards is that they cannot be hung on a hook or nail like stretched canvases. At a major solo exhibit of 22 of my paintings that ended last week approximately eight of the paintings are done on canvas boards. The other paintings are done on stretched canvases. It was difficult to effectively display most of the canvas board paintings.
A couple of years ago I actually drilled tiny holes in the top corners of some of my canvas board paintings because of hanging issues at another exhibit. With the holes present I can run picture hanging wire through them then hang them almost anywhere. This I did at the recent exhibit with three paintings but the others did not have holes in them.
The remaining canvas board panels were affixed to the walls with velcro fastener tabs. Unfortunately, they did not hold well and several of the paintings fell to the floor over the course of the two-month exhibit. At one point I even double-sided duct tape on the back of a couple of paintings but it was effective for only a couple of weeks. Generally, canvas board paintings are framed and framed paintings are often easier to hang than flat panels.
Whether it’s a large or small painting you want to do there is likely to be an artists’ canvas board available in just the size you are looking for.
Among the artists’ canvas board sizes that are available at art supply stores worldwide are 3″x5″, 4″x6″, 8″x10″, 8″x16″, 10″x20″, 10″x14″, 12″x12″, 12″x16″, 12″x24″, 14″x18″, 15″x30″, 18″x24″, 20″x24″, 22″x28″, 24″x30″ and 24″x36.
All things considered, artists’ canvas boards are reasonably priced and effective surfaces on which to create acrylic, oil and water color paintings.
Sources :
Personal experience with utilizing artists’ canvas boards
