ARTools - Paper and Canvas Supplies

Paper and Canvas Supplies

Prestretched Canvas

Canvas can be purchased prestretched in many shapes and sizes. The surface is ready for medium application. Canvas material, natural and synthetic, is stretched over a wooden frame and fixed with staples or brads. Ready to use canvas also comes on boards which are ideal for practice.

RECTANGLE or SQUARE OVAL or ROUND

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CANVAS ROLLS

Cotton duck, synthetic, or a blend canvas is available either unprimed or double-blade coated with acrylic primer. Excellent for painting with oils, acrylics or alkyds.

Canvas is stretched on to a wooden frame that is made with stretcher bars (seen right with rolled canvas).

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GESSO

Formulated for use as a foundation for acrylic and oil paints, gesso is a thick, bright white, opaque primer for canvas or board. Dries flat and flexible.

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CANVAS STRETCHING PLIERS

Specially designed jaws with sturdy prongs allow canvas to be stretched all the way around to the back of the stretchers. Pliers stretch and hold canvas in place while being fixed by a staple gun or brads.

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FRISKET FILM
Transparent pressure-sensitive film made especially for adhering directly to the surface of canvas or paper for greater control over paint application. Simply unroll a portion of frisket film and apply it to the paper or canvas, rubbing it with a squeegee to make a firm seal. Cut out the areas to be painted with a sharp knife and remove (canvas only - must precut before adhering to paper). You can save the cut pieces on a piece of slick backing paper for later use if desired.

Miskit Frisket®

Miskit liquid frisket is for use on hard-sized watercolor papers, photos, etc., in areas that are meant to be painted once the dried Frisket is removed. Washes out of pens and brushes with soap and water. Fluorescent orange color.

Shiva® Liquid Masque

For watercolor and airbrush painting. Apply with a brush to areas where color is not wanted. Paint as desired; when dry, remove film by peeling or rubbing. Use solvent for cleaning brushes.

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WATERCOLOR PAPER

Artists select fine watercolor papers by finish and by weight. Manufacturers generally sell three or more finishes, usually labeled rough, cold press, and hot press.

For transparent watercolors, most artists prefer a rough or cold-press finish. A smoother finish, such as hot press, is desirable for opaque watercolors, and for printmaking and drawing. A paper's weight is the weight, measured in pounds, of one ream, approximately 500 sheets.

Watercolor paper comes in blocks, sheets, boards and pads. Blocks are like pads except that each side is glued instead of just one. Blocks can be a convenient way of having a pre-stretched paper to carry anywhere.

There are many ways of stretching watercolor paper. The most common approach is by wetting the paper under running water, then stretching and fastening paper on to an absorbent and smooth wood board. Birch, or birch veneer is best (the same wood that pop cycle sticks and tongue depressors are made of). The stretched paper must then be allowed to dry before using. Not stretching watercolor paper can cause buckling and dimples.

Images and verbiage supplied by Dick Blick Art Materials - www.dickblick.com

PASTEL PAPERS

Premium Velour Paper

You'll love the way pastels and charcoal look when stroked on a soft, velour surface. The colors adhere naturally to the velvety surface so well that very little if any fixative is required. Velour is generously applied and consistently smooth on an acid free art paper.

Sanded Papers

For the pastel artist who prefers a sandpaper surface because of its ability to produce vibrant, rich color.

Pastelbord

This incredibly versatile panel lets you manipulate your pastels and other media to create beautiful textures and lush vivid colors as you layer and blend to your heart's content. The museum quality panel combines beautifully with other mediums for an endless array of effects.

Pastelcloth

Pastelcloth is a nonwoven, fine-tooth synthetic fabric with a sponge-like absorbency and a neutral, archival-quality surface. The texture is consistent, with a white latex-based coating that grabs and holds color no more smears and messy dust. Pastelcloth has a sturdiness that papers can't offer. Also for use with charcoal and pencil drawing. May be stretched over stretcher bars. Neutral-pH, 48" wide and sold by the foot.

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DRAWING AND CRAFT PAPERS