The Life of a Painting: Canvas or Board

I start with a full sheet and then cut it down to more managable sizes

In this case I’m doing a 36×48. I give it a light sanding. in preparation for priming.

I prime the board with two or three coats of gesso.

A light sanding between coats keeps the surface nice and smooth which is the way I like it.

Et voila, two 36x48s ready to go. I’ll use one for the piece I’m doing in this blog, and the other can be cut down to any number of sizes.

For me, choosing what to paint on depends on what size the piece will be. For 36×48 and under I prefer Masonite or hardboard. Masonite has a lot going for it: It’s cheap ($12 – $15 for a 48×96 sheet), readily available, and a stable surface to paint on. Anything larger Masonite becomes too wobbly and unstable, it also gets quite heavy.
Over 36×48, canvas is a better choice; it doesn’t bend, it’s light and looks great for multi-paneled pieces. Pre-stretched canvas can be expensive, so I just buy the canvas and stretch it myself. Cheaper, but a lot of prep required.

For this blog I’m using Masonite.