Artists can save tons of money by purchasing their own canvas rolls and stretching their own canvases. Canvas rolls can also be used to stretch your canvas into unique or ‘off-size’ canvas measurements for distinctive pieces that don’t fit the normally available sizes that you can buy on the shelf that are pre-stretched. This directory is meant to serve as a place for artists to be directed to the best canvas rolls available online.
For the new painter, getting all of your supplies together can be a daunting tasks. Choosing the right canvas for your future masterpiece is no small job, especially when you are led to believe that all canvases are alike. Although most canvases appear to be the same, choosing the right canvas for your piece is a learned “art form” in itself. Most amateur painters choose to buy a pre-stretched canvas, already primed for either oil or acrylic paint. Once you have experimented a bit with pre-stretched canvas, you are ready to move on to canvas rolls that are considered “raw” or unprimed.
Unprimed canvas, cotton canvas, and raw canvas are made for artists who are serious about their work and need versatility in sizing and the ability to use many different mediums (oil, watercolor, acrylic) by being able to do their own priming of the canvas.
To use a canvas roll, you’ll need the following items in addition to a quality canvas roll such as those made by Fredrix (an industry leader for many reasons) in your choice of cotton of linen: stretcher bars, canvas tacks, staple gun, and canvas pliers. Stretching your canvas into the size and shape you want is quite easy once you get the “knack” for it. One of the most important aspects of stretching your own canvases using a canvas roll is to maintain a consistent pressure across the frame to avoid sagging and wrinkles. The easiest to use and easiest to stretch canvas rolls are cotton canvas rolls, and they tend to be the most popular and the most reasonably priced of others available – such as linen or blended. Choose a cotton canvas roll that has the amount of texture you are striving for in your particular piece, as some are smooth while other canvas rolls have a more distinct texture to them – which can change the course of the piece you are creating. Learn more about choosing the right type of canvas for your artwork.
Unlike the pre-stretched canvas that you buy already shaped and sized in most art supply stores, canvases that are custom stretched may need to be primed – unless you buy a canvas roll that has been primed already, often the case with canvas pads and panels. Many artists like to add additional layers of acrylic gesso or other medium to add additional prime to the canvas even if its been primed already during manufacturing.
