The archetypal artist’s support is canvas (the technical term for what you paint on). It has several advantages over paper, not least the fact that it is considerably more robust, guaranteeing that your work lasts for years, so it’s worth taking the time to learn how to paint on canvas.
These 13 beginner canvas painting tutorials will teach you everything you need to know, from what supplies you’ll need to how to prepare your painting surface and which techniques to try.
1. Step-by-Step Painting Projects Gallery
This Step by Step Painting site has a variety of beginner painting projects that you might like to try. This is a simple one that beginners and kids will enjoy making for their room.
2. Ombre Paintings on Canvas
This could be one option for a quote art background painting. Kelly Leigh Creates provides a guide for creating this lovely ombre painting that can be used as a standalone or as a background.
3. Three Ways to Write on Canvas
On the Paintspirationart website, you’ll find three different methods for painting quotes on canvas.
4. Fabric and Stencil Canvas Art
Debbie Doos shows how to mod podge cloth to canvas and stencil on a statement in this tutorial. This is a very simple project.
5. Large Wall Art
You know how much a large painting costs, so why not paint one yourself? Choose the right colors for your space and get creative. Check out the Welcome to the Woods tutorial for more information.
6. Father’s Day Gift Idea
Consider how proud your child will be when they present this hand-painted gift to Dad on Father’s Day. The directions can be found at Hi Sugarplum. Perhaps Mom or Grandma could get one as well for their special day.
7. Three More Methods for Painting Quotes on Canvas
These approaches for adding quotes to your canvas are worth a look. Paintspirationart has some surprisingly simple and easy ideas.
8. Reworked Canvas Art
Learn how to prepare a canvas with artwork that you no longer desire. The instructions can be found at Really Are You Serious.
9. Birds on a Branch
This is both simple and lovely. Crafts by Amanda has an excellent tutorial to help you make one like it.
10. Photo Canvas
Isn’t this a fantastic way to make use of a canvas? Follow Clean and Scentsible’s technique to give your photo canvas a professional look.
11. Puffy Paint Letters on Canvas
To see how the puffy paint letters are formed, go to Brown Sugar Toast and look at the tutorial. Not at all what I had anticipated. However, I adore the end product.
12. Silhouette on Canvas
This is an excellent way to decorate a child’s room. As they get older, they’ll appreciate the art even more. Just Call Me Chris has a tutorial for making this project.
13. Image Transfer Canvas Art
You’ll want to give this simple image transfer method for canvas wall art a try. Visit get the directions, go to I Love to Create. I’m going to have to give this a shot.
Canvas Painting for Beginners
Oil painting has been done on properly prepared hardwood panels for centuries. These provided a superb hard surface to paint on, but they were heavy to move and may break and distort due to climatic factors. As a result, painters increasingly use lightweight stretched canvas.
Today, the most common canvases sold in art stores are made of cotton pre-primed with acrylic gesso, with linen canvas primed with oil primer at the higher end of the pre-made market. Larger art stores may often offer a bespoke canvas-making service if you feel like paying out. That will provide you with a high-quality pre-made canvas that will last a long time, but expect to spend a lot for it.
When selecting a canvas, keep in mind that you get what you paid for. When compared to cotton, linen provides a better painting surface due to its greater strength and finer surface. If we had to choose, we’d go with fine Belgian linen primed with an oil primer for a lovely smooth and non-porous finish. If you’re just getting started with canvas painting, however, it might be a good idea to start with a cheaper cotton canvas. An inexpensive pre-made cotton canvas can always be improved by re-priming it with an oil primer.
Additional Tips
The small bag of wooden wedges that comes with each canvas is one part of canvas painting that many painters overlook. These are really important, although they are frequently forgotten.
To create tension on the canvas surface, the wedges are designed to be hammered into the holes on the inside corners of your canvases. This is necessary to maintain a tight surface that allows you to manage your brushstrokes. If you want to pound in your wedges without breaking the stretcher bars, you should get a nice rubber mallet.