DIY Canvases. Tips and/or Advice ? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

soma · 07-24-2005, 12:41 PM

I want to build my own canvases and start painting. Here is a picture of the sort of thing I want to eventually end up with (but a whole lot bigger. Like 5'x5'):

I first have a few questions about the whole thing.

1.) What sorts of paints are best suited for this type of canvas?
2.) What cloth material would be the best for a canvas?
3.) Where should I buy the cloth and paint?
4.) How would I attach the 4 pieces of wood together that make the frame of the canvas? (it seems nails/screws would split the wood in half... I might be wrong though)
5.) Would I need to do anything extra because of the large size of the canvas (~5'x5')?

If you're a seasoned artist, I could certainly use your help. I'm very excited to start making some art ... or at least trying to.

doodlebird · 07-26-2005, 09:29 AM

this probably isn't even worth posting...
you said you want to DIY.

IMHO, unless you want a peculiar size,
it's worth it to buy them already made.

5x5 doesn't seem that out of the ordinary.
i usually use 3 x 3.
i know 4 x 4 is readily available.
as is 4 x 5.
a little digging or a simple ? at your art supply store should do the trick.

little_tippler · 07-27-2005, 08:54 AM

Making your own canvas is always preferable to buying ready made. MOST ready made canvases are bad quality wood, canvas, and preparation, I think. Ok, if you have loads of dosh you can get ready made, as in you go to the shop and say I want YOU to make me a canvas in x size with x cloth and x preparation. But most of us aren't that fortunate.

So, to start. It all depends on how much money you want to spend. Basic pine should be fine as long as the wood isn't green, make sure the wood doesn't smell "fresh". If it is fresh, it will probably bow really easily over time and you'll end up with a warped canvas (this is often a problem with ready made ones). When you buy the wood, make sure that the length you choose is not bowed already too. Or as least bowed as possible.

The best way to make a canvas, depending on size, is to create a lock and key type joint at the edges, that makes it a lot more stable. But unless you have access to the proper machinery, this is hard to do. You can make a simple joint with just an electric saw.

Here are some ideas:

The first one is how most commercial canvases are made, there is a "key" of sorts" and a "lock" where the key goes. Usually these are glued together and that is enough.

The other 3 are variations on ways I have made canvases and seen canvases made.

The second image is quite sturdy, you have two cut out bits on the ends that lock together and you can glue and screw those together, and then to add sturdiness you can add on the inside an L shaped metal plate that you screw into the wood, making your canvases just that bit straighter at the corners.

The 3rd one is how frames are made, the ends are cut at a 45º angle and then butted together with l shaped metal pieces (hammered into it). Glue is also advisable here.

The 4th option is simple, another version of the cut out ends but where the wood is quite thin depth-wise but wider viewed from the front.

In all these cases, I recommend taking the time to cut out a little channel across the front inner edge of the wooden frame, to prevent the wood marking the canvas when you paint over the edge that touches (or if you do this doesn't) the canvas.

After this is part is done, You need cloth. I just go to a regular fabric store and buy the fabric of my choice. Usually in Portugal fabric stores sell all kinds of good materials for canvas. Just ask around. You can have cotton based cloth, jute, linen (expensive but oh so silky lol), among others. Plain cotton is ok to start. Your canvas really is anything you make it. You can paint on alomst anything you like with interesting results. I have a friend who paints on the material they use to cover trucks, you know? It's amazing what you can do with imagination. Always buy the cloth a good 10 cm over each edge of the wooden frame, just to make sure you don't run out. Also be careful for fabric salesmen who don't cut in very straight lines. Tough fabrics should be washed to get rid of starch, and also ironed if you want a perfect finish.

You don't need an expensive stretching tool to stretch your canvas. The best thing is to get someone to help you out. When you stretch the fabric over the frame, either you can use a staple gun to nail down the canvas, or upholstery nails. Staples are easier and faster. Start from the middle of one side of the frame, then do the opposite side. Depending on the fabric used (and this is down to experimenting), you can then either do the middle of the other two sides (always stretch the canvas as hard as you can), or continue doing the same side, then the opposite, till you've almost reached the edges. When it's all done except the edges, fold one edge over the other as neatly as possible (you don't want big lumps sticking up), stretch the fabric, and then staple them as well.

After this is done, you can prepare the canvas. There are all sorts of complicated preparation techniques. I'm lazy so I either use plastic indoor wall paint (good to stop absorption), two coats, or I mix 1/3 PVA glue with 2/3 primer paint and slap two coats of that on too. It depends how much paint you want (or don't want) the canvas to absorb. Sometimes watering down the priming mix is a good idea if you want a smoother finish. This preparation type is good for most types of paint I find.

So, I think that's it. Personally I tire of making the frame so I opt for spending good money on a good frame and do the rest of it myself.

Happy painting!

little_tippler · 07-27-2005, 09:00 AM

HEY! YES, ME OVER HERE! Please delete me!

soma · 07-28-2005, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by little_tippler

Making your own canvas is always preferable to buying ready made. MOST ready made canvases are bad quality wood, canvas, and preparation, I think. Ok, if you have loads of dosh you can get ready made, as in you go to the shop and say I want YOU to make me a canvas in x size with x cloth and x preparation. But most of us aren't that fortunate.

So, to start. It all depends on how much money you want to spend. Basic pine should be fine as long as the wood isn't green, make sure the wood doesn't smell "fresh". If it is fresh, it will probably bow really easily over time and you'll end up with a warped canvas (this is often a problem with ready made ones). When you buy the wood, make sure that the length you choose is not bowed already too. Or as least bowed as possible.

The best way to make a canvas, depending on size, is to create a lock and key type joint at the edges, that makes it a lot more stable. But unless you have access to the proper machinery, this is hard to do. You can make a simple joint with just an electric saw.

Here are some ideas:

The first one is how most commercial canvases are made, there is a "key" of sorts" and a "lock" where the key goes. Usually these are glued together and that is enough.

The other 3 are variations on ways I have made canvases and seen canvases made.

The second image is quite sturdy, you have two cut out bits on the ends that lock together and you can glue and screw those together, and then to add sturdiness you can add on the inside an L shaped metal plate that you screw into the wood, making your canvases just that bit straighter at the corners.

The 3rd one is how frames are made, the ends are cut at a 45º angle and then butted together with l shaped metal pieces (hammered into it). Glue is also advisable here.

The 4th option is simple, another version of the cut out ends but where the wood is quite thin depth-wise but wider viewed from the front.

In all these cases, I recommend taking the time to cut out a little channel across the front inner edge of the wooden frame, to prevent the wood marking the canvas when you paint over the edge that touches (or if you do this doesn't) the canvas.

After this is part is done, You need cloth. I just go to a regular fabric store and buy the fabric of my choice. Usually in Portugal fabric stores sell all kinds of good materials for canvas. Just ask around. You can have cotton based cloth, jute, linen (expensive but oh so silky lol), among others. Plain cotton is ok to start. Your canvas really is anything you make it. You can paint on alomst anything you like with interesting results. I have a friend who paints on the material they use to cover trucks, you know? It's amazing what you can do with imagination. Always buy the cloth a good 10 cm over each edge of the wooden frame, just to make sure you don't run out. Also be careful for fabric salesmen who don't cut in very straight lines. Tough fabrics should be washed to get rid of starch, and also ironed if you want a perfect finish.

You don't need an expensive stretching tool to stretch your canvas. The best thing is to get someone to help you out. When you stretch the fabric over the frame, either you can use a staple gun to nail down the canvas, or upholstery nails. Staples are easier and faster. Start from the middle of one side of the frame, then do the opposite side. Depending on the fabric used (and this is down to experimenting), you can then either do the middle of the other two sides (always stretch the canvas as hard as you can), or continue doing the same side, then the opposite, till you've almost reached the edges. When it's all done except the edges, fold one edge over the other as neatly as possible (you don't want big lumps sticking up), stretch the fabric, and then staple them as well.

After this is done, you can prepare the canvas. There are all sorts of complicated preparation techniques. I'm lazy so I either use plastic indoor wall paint (good to stop absorption), two coats, or I mix 1/3 PVA glue with 2/3 primer paint and slap two coats of that on too. It depends how much paint you want (or don't want) the canvas to absorb. Sometimes watering down the priming mix is a good idea if you want a smoother finish. This preparation type is good for most types of paint I find.

So, I think that's it. Personally I tire of making the frame so I opt for spending good money on a good frame and do the rest of it myself.

Happy painting!

Kick Ass Post.

Thanks big time. I won't be starting this project for another week or so, but feel a lot better after reading your post. I'll post questions as they come up (you seem to know your stuff pretty well

).

little_tippler · 07-29-2005, 04:27 AM

You're welcome, I find it's nice when others are willing to let you in on the details of a process you want to learn but feel daunted by. It's really not that hard. Let us know how it goes!

OhFuchsia · 07-29-2005, 07:36 PM

A little bit of wood glue before you put the final wood joiners on helps too. Making your own canvas is a time greuling process but it's worth it. It helps to make the artwork more a part of you I think.

chelsea_9 · 08-07-2005, 05:41 PM

ive used canvases similar to that on many occasions.
it is just a personal preference, but i really enjoy acryllic paint much more than oil. just for the simple fact i can build texture if i want, of dilute it for a water colour appearance.

[ps> use a staple gun]

soma · 08-09-2005, 07:57 PM

I've been thinking about starting this project for quite some time now and finally went to the Home Depot tonight to get some supplies.

To make the cutting process easier, I decided to use option 2, without the interlocking corners:

The cuts turned out more nicely than I expected them to. That made me happy.

Tomorrow, I'll drill some holes in the frame and get it all put together. Maybe I'll find some time to visit the fabric store. I have an idea for a painting that would look really neat on a printed fabric canvas. I hope it turns out as nicely as I imagine it will.

soma · 08-12-2005, 07:09 AM

Making progress...

Again, thanks for all of the tips. I would have never thought of ironing the cloth, but boy what a difference it makes!

Edit:

I'm done!

Lots and lots of staples were necessary.

I tried to keep the corners nice and neat.

Voila: my first ever canvas!

Again, thanks to little_tippler for all the tips and advice!

07-24-2005, 12:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
soma Addict Location: USA	DIY Canvases. Tips and/or Advice ? I want to build my own canvases and start painting. Here is a picture of the sort of thing I want to eventually end up with (but a whole lot bigger. Like 5'x5'): I first have a few questions about the whole thing. 1.) What sorts of paints are best suited for this type of canvas? 2.) What cloth material would be the best for a canvas? 3.) Where should I buy the cloth and paint? 4.) How would I attach the 4 pieces of wood together that make the frame of the canvas? (it seems nails/screws would split the wood in half... I might be wrong though) 5.) Would I need to do anything extra because of the large size of the canvas (~5'x5')? If you're a seasoned artist, I could certainly use your help. I'm very excited to start making some art ... or at least trying to. __________________ Having Girl Problems?

07-26-2005, 09:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
doodlebird pío pío Location: on a branch about to break	this probably isn't even worth posting... you said you want to DIY. IMHO, unless you want a peculiar size, it's worth it to buy them already made. 5x5 doesn't seem that out of the ordinary. i usually use 3 x 3. i know 4 x 4 is readily available. as is 4 x 5. a little digging or a simple ? at your art supply store should do the trick. __________________ xoxo doodle

07-27-2005, 08:54 AM	#3 (permalink)
little_tippler Leaning against the -Sun- Super Moderator Location: on the other side	Making your own canvas is always preferable to buying ready made. MOST ready made canvases are bad quality wood, canvas, and preparation, I think. Ok, if you have loads of dosh you can get ready made, as in you go to the shop and say I want YOU to make me a canvas in x size with x cloth and x preparation. But most of us aren't that fortunate. So, to start. It all depends on how much money you want to spend. Basic pine should be fine as long as the wood isn't green, make sure the wood doesn't smell "fresh". If it is fresh, it will probably bow really easily over time and you'll end up with a warped canvas (this is often a problem with ready made ones). When you buy the wood, make sure that the length you choose is not bowed already too. Or as least bowed as possible. The best way to make a canvas, depending on size, is to create a lock and key type joint at the edges, that makes it a lot more stable. But unless you have access to the proper machinery, this is hard to do. You can make a simple joint with just an electric saw. Here are some ideas: The first one is how most commercial canvases are made, there is a "key" of sorts" and a "lock" where the key goes. Usually these are glued together and that is enough. The other 3 are variations on ways I have made canvases and seen canvases made. The second image is quite sturdy, you have two cut out bits on the ends that lock together and you can glue and screw those together, and then to add sturdiness you can add on the inside an L shaped metal plate that you screw into the wood, making your canvases just that bit straighter at the corners. The 3rd one is how frames are made, the ends are cut at a 45º angle and then butted together with l shaped metal pieces (hammered into it). Glue is also advisable here. The 4th option is simple, another version of the cut out ends but where the wood is quite thin depth-wise but wider viewed from the front. In all these cases, I recommend taking the time to cut out a little channel across the front inner edge of the wooden frame, to prevent the wood marking the canvas when you paint over the edge that touches (or if you do this doesn't) the canvas. After this is part is done, You need cloth. I just go to a regular fabric store and buy the fabric of my choice. Usually in Portugal fabric stores sell all kinds of good materials for canvas. Just ask around. You can have cotton based cloth, jute, linen (expensive but oh so silky lol), among others. Plain cotton is ok to start. Your canvas really is anything you make it. You can paint on alomst anything you like with interesting results. I have a friend who paints on the material they use to cover trucks, you know? It's amazing what you can do with imagination. Always buy the cloth a good 10 cm over each edge of the wooden frame, just to make sure you don't run out. Also be careful for fabric salesmen who don't cut in very straight lines. Tough fabrics should be washed to get rid of starch, and also ironed if you want a perfect finish. You don't need an expensive stretching tool to stretch your canvas. The best thing is to get someone to help you out. When you stretch the fabric over the frame, either you can use a staple gun to nail down the canvas, or upholstery nails. Staples are easier and faster. Start from the middle of one side of the frame, then do the opposite side. Depending on the fabric used (and this is down to experimenting), you can then either do the middle of the other two sides (always stretch the canvas as hard as you can), or continue doing the same side, then the opposite, till you've almost reached the edges. When it's all done except the edges, fold one edge over the other as neatly as possible (you don't want big lumps sticking up), stretch the fabric, and then staple them as well. After this is done, you can prepare the canvas. There are all sorts of complicated preparation techniques. I'm lazy so I either use plastic indoor wall paint (good to stop absorption), two coats, or I mix 1/3 PVA glue with 2/3 primer paint and slap two coats of that on too. It depends how much paint you want (or don't want) the canvas to absorb. Sometimes watering down the priming mix is a good idea if you want a smoother finish. This preparation type is good for most types of paint I find. So, I think that's it. Personally I tire of making the frame so I opt for spending good money on a good frame and do the rest of it myself. Happy painting! __________________ Whether we write or speak or do but look We are ever unapparent. What we are Cannot be transfused into word or book. Our soul from us is infinitely far. However much we give our thoughts the will To be our soul and gesture it abroad, Our hearts are incommunicable still. In what we show ourselves we are ignored. The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged By any skill of thought or trick of seeming. Unto our very selves we are abridged When we would utter to our thought our being. We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams, And each to each other dreams of others' dreams. Fernando Pessoa, 1918

07-27-2005, 09:00 AM	#4 (permalink)
little_tippler Leaning against the -Sun- Super Moderator Location: on the other side	HEY! YES, ME OVER HERE! Please delete me! __________________ Whether we write or speak or do but look We are ever unapparent. What we are Cannot be transfused into word or book. Our soul from us is infinitely far. However much we give our thoughts the will To be our soul and gesture it abroad, Our hearts are incommunicable still. In what we show ourselves we are ignored. The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged By any skill of thought or trick of seeming. Unto our very selves we are abridged When we would utter to our thought our being. We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams, And each to each other dreams of others' dreams. Fernando Pessoa, 1918 Last edited by little_tippler; 07-29-2005 at 04:19 AM..

07-29-2005, 04:27 AM	#6 (permalink)
little_tippler Leaning against the -Sun- Super Moderator Location: on the other side	You're welcome, I find it's nice when others are willing to let you in on the details of a process you want to learn but feel daunted by. It's really not that hard. Let us know how it goes! __________________ Whether we write or speak or do but look We are ever unapparent. What we are Cannot be transfused into word or book. Our soul from us is infinitely far. However much we give our thoughts the will To be our soul and gesture it abroad, Our hearts are incommunicable still. In what we show ourselves we are ignored. The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged By any skill of thought or trick of seeming. Unto our very selves we are abridged When we would utter to our thought our being. We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams, And each to each other dreams of others' dreams. Fernando Pessoa, 1918

07-29-2005, 07:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
OhFuchsia Upright Location: sarasota and venice florida	A little bit of wood glue before you put the final wood joiners on helps too. Making your own canvas is a time greuling process but it's worth it. It helps to make the artwork more a part of you I think.

08-07-2005, 05:41 PM	#8 (permalink)
chelsea_9 Crazy Location: somewhere i intend to leave	ive used canvases similar to that on many occasions. it is just a personal preference, but i really enjoy acryllic paint much more than oil. just for the simple fact i can build texture if i want, of dilute it for a water colour appearance. [ps> use a staple gun]

08-09-2005, 07:57 PM	#9 (permalink)
soma Addict Location: USA	I've been thinking about starting this project for quite some time now and finally went to the Home Depot tonight to get some supplies. To make the cutting process easier, I decided to use option 2, without the interlocking corners: The cuts turned out more nicely than I expected them to. That made me happy. Tomorrow, I'll drill some holes in the frame and get it all put together. Maybe I'll find some time to visit the fabric store. I have an idea for a painting that would look really neat on a printed fabric canvas. I hope it turns out as nicely as I imagine it will. __________________ Having Girl Problems?

08-12-2005, 07:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
soma Addict Location: USA	Making progress... Again, thanks for all of the tips. I would have never thought of ironing the cloth, but boy what a difference it makes! Edit: I'm done! Lots and lots of staples were necessary. I tried to keep the corners nice and neat. Voila: my first ever canvas! Again, thanks to little_tippler for all the tips and advice! __________________ Having Girl Problems? Last edited by soma; 08-12-2005 at 11:50 AM..