I am severely space limited…. The author of this article, Jim Bernstein, is a well-known conservator who is expert on all these types of issues and is quite approachable, so would encourage you to reach out to him directly. But whether there are any issues to be aware of, I would defer to Jim. Foundation is everything to me so this makes sense. This article is fabulous and will certainly employ this on my first stretch.
I have but owe question. As the outside lines are drawn to the outside of the bars, I surmise that you when you pull a side taught with the pliers that the drawn line then should end up pulled over to the side of the canvas. It is hard to say how far the marked threads would stretch over the edge of the stretcher bars.
It certainly depends on the weave density of the canvas and also on the weave direction. There would be more stretch in the warp direction along the length of a bolt as the warp threads have more crimp waviness and thus can give in more. In comparison to cotton or linen canvas polyester canvas would bare stretch at all. As long as you get you reasonable tension on your canvas it should be fine. We are happy that you like this method of stretching and are glad that you are willing to try it.
It certainly is a good learning experience. James Bernstein This is interesting, but I was not clear how it progresses from corner to corner. Do you go diagonal katy corner? As long as you move forward, stretching always opposite sides, it should not matter what order one follows.
You are right, this would be a great topic for a video. We will put this on our list! Thank you for suggesting that. First of all thank you guys for such insightful information, i know this article has been posted for some time but i have a few questions.
When stretching painted canvas it is usually best to first pin the painting in a couple of spots- a few pins in the middle and in each corner- to make sure the painting is positioned right. Then you can go ahead and staple the painting on. There is always a higher risk of painting edges getting abraded, regardless of whether they are painted or not.
Particularly if the painting is not framed. While you stretch your primed and painted canvas and bend the painted margin over the stretcher bars, there is a risk of the paint layers breaking open.
Particularly in dry or cold environments. To work against that, you can try warming the margins directly before stretching with a hair dryer. Although we would not expect these cracks to pose a structural problem, they are primarily an aesthetic issue.
In my first attempt, the pushpins have worked very well, but I stapled on the back from the edges to the center and it appears to have introduced some unevenness. Should I have stapled the canvas from the centers out, as it appears to be done in the photo? It should not matter where one starts stapling on the canvas, since the pins should hold the canvas in place.
Especially when using an interleafing fabric band as in image 12 , it would be the easiest to go from one corner to the next in a circle. You can always correct uneven tension by either removing some staples and stretching that area again, or by keying out the stretcher bars.
It should be fine to key out stretchers before painting. It mostly becomes a concern, when excessively keying out aged oil paintings with stiffer paint layers. Thanks so much for this post! It certainly revolutionized the way I stretch canvas, where, like you, I have adopted the corners-in approach.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website.
These cookies do not store any personal information. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. About Golden Artist Colors, Inc. View all posts by Golden Artist Colors, Inc. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter today!
No related Post. Best regards, Jim Reply. Hi James, Sorry for the confusion. Hello, Thank you for this fantastic writing. I am severely space limited… Reply.
Hi Selena — The author of this article, Jim Bernstein, is a well-known conservator who is expert on all these types of issues and is quite approachable, so would encourage you to reach out to him directly. Hello Karl, It is hard to say how far the marked threads would stretch over the edge of the stretcher bars. Best, Mirjam Reply. Subscribe to our free email postcards, "Perspectives". Enter your email address here.
Essential Photo Tools for the Landscape Artist. Casein - An Overlooked Medium. Perspectives - email postcards. Adventure and Inspiration in Glacier National Park. Nocturnes - A Primer on Night Painting. Filled with inspirational examples by the masters of nightime painting, this little book is sure to fire up your creative energies.
Never tried painting at night? We show you how it's done with a step-by-step-oil demo and a tale of night painting in the wilds of Rocky Mountain National Park.
It includes a gallery of paintings by masters of the nocturne, information to inspire and encourage you in your plein air nocturne painting, an illustrated step-by-step demo and tips for working in pastel and oil. The gesso should be a little thinner than what comes prepared in the gesso jar, particularly the first coat.
Carefully add just a small amount of water - read the jar label to find out how much water can be added safely. Stir it well with the stirrer - and keep paper towels handy to clean the stirrer and wipe up any spills. Gesso is an acrylic product - meaning plastic and water soluble. It dries VERY quickly - and once it dries, it is not soluble. So you will need to prime your canvas quickly, without pauses.
Now, wet the bristles of your gesso brush, by running it under tap water, then squeeze it dry, so that it is just slightly moist. This is to keep the gesso from sticking to the dry bristles too much. Wipe the brush against the sides lightly to remove any large excess amount. The first coat will be brushed in the same direction, either across the width of the canvas, or across the length. The second coat will be brushed in a direction perpendicular to the first coat.
Brush the gesso in strips from one end to the other, about as wide as the brush, i. Gessoing is a combination of strokes - the housepainting stroke, and a circular stroke that kind of rubs the gesso into the fabric of the canvas.
You'll need to brush it in with a little force. The final strokes will go in the direction of the strip - either of the width or length of the canvas, to smooth the stroke marks. You need to work quickly.
When you finish covering the canvas with the first coat, you can also gesso the sides of the canvas, where the staples are; after you do a side, make sure that whatever gesso was then incidentally brushed onto the front of the canvas is smoothed over. When completely finished the first coat, immediately wash your gesso brush in soap and water.
Keep the brush constantly wet, and lather the brush up, rub it into the palm of your hand to clean it, and clean between the bristles too. When done, squeeze dry and re-shape the brush, and leave it on the edge of a table, with the bristles not touching the table. Cover the gesso cup with a piece of plastic wrap.
Let the canvas lie on the floor to dry. Soap to wash the gesso brush - I use regular hand soap to wash the brush. Just don't use anything too gooey or oily, like Dove. You must wash the gesso brush as soon as possible after gessoing - it dries very rapidly, and will ruin your brush if not washed soon enough. Also, wash it thoroughly, including between the bristles and down near the ferrule the metal part of the brush.
You need to allow the first coat of gesso to dry completely. The amount of time varies, depending on the time of year, and the humidity level. I always let the first coat dry for at least an hour; preferably more. The standard procedure for many artists is to lightly sand the dry first coat with fine sandpaper. Then wipe the canvas with a cloth to get rid of the sandpaper residue. It is a big fat book, full of detailed information about the proper way to do things.
Now gesso the second coat, this time brushing in a direction perpendicular to the first coat. The second coat is easier to put on, because it won't have to go as much into the crevices of the fabric. Make sure both coats are heavy enough to cover the canvas completely. Some artists also sand the second coat when dry. When finished, wash your gesso brush again, dry and reshape it, and leave on the edge of a table, bristles not touching the table. Wash out your plastic cup right away also; avoid pouring leftover gesso down a drain; if it hardens, you will have a good clog.
When dry, you can stand the painting vertically. Scissors or Matte Knife for cutting a piece of canvas. Regular large scissors work fine, or a utility knife from the hardware store, with single-edged blades. For putting a primer coat on your stretched canvas, see Priming a Canvas, below. Allow the canvas to dry completely before painting on it. I usually let it sit overnight. Small Paintings. Art Instruction.
Drawing Lesson. Art Appreciation. Design I: Meaning. Illustration 1- Tools. Illustration 2 - Joining Stretchers and Cutting Canvas. Illustration 3 - Stapling Canvas to Stretchers. Illustration 4 - Using Canvas Pliers. Illustration 5 - Folding Corners. Illustration 7 - Gessoing Materials. Design II: History. Glossary of Art Terms. Painting II: Materials. Artist Profile:. It's important to staple in the center of each bar and work your way outwards, working on all sides together.
This ensures even stretching. Work your way to the corners, avoiding placing staples a few inches from the corner. One of my pet peeves is a badly folded corner. A badly stretched canvas and a poorly folded corner is in my opinion a sign of poor craftsmanship. I think every part of a painting, from canvas to frame, should be well-crafted, not just the painting itself.
Form the first part of the fold.
0コメント