Choosing the right canvas can make or break your painting — but most beginners start off on the wrong foot by using store-bought pre-primed canvases straight out of the wrapper. In this video and article, I’ll break down what canvas really is, the difference between cotton and linen, and how preparing your own canvas can completely transform your oil paintings.
When you’re starting out in oil painting, it’s tempting to grab a pre-stretched, pre-primed canvas from the art store, tear off the wrapper, and start painting right away.
Please don’t do that.
Taking time to understand what canvas actually is — and how to prepare it — will make your paintings stronger, longer-lasting, and much more enjoyable to create.
What a Canvas Really Is
A canvas is your support — the surface that holds up your layers of paint. Historically, painters used wood panels. The Flemish masters of the 1400s–1600s, like Rubens, favored wood because it was stable and smooth.
However, wood warped easily in humid climates like Venice, which led painters there to invent the use of fabric canvas. That’s the same basic material we use today.
Cotton vs. Linen: What’s the Difference?
Today, artists generally choose between cotton and linen canvas:
- Cotton
- Affordable and widely available
- Works perfectly well for small and medium paintings
- Comes in various weaves (fine to coarse)
- Easier to smooth on thinner weaves
- Linen
- More expensive
- Stronger and longer-lasting
- Preferred for very large or important paintings (like church or public commissions)
- Has a distinctive texture many artists enjoy
If you have the budget and want the experience, go ahead and try linen — but for most work, cotton is completely fine.
Preparing Your Own Canvas
Instead of buying a store-bought pre-primed canvas, consider stretching and preparing your own. It’s more work upfront, but it pays off:
- Stretch the raw canvas over wooden stretcher bars
- Leave extra canvas folded over the back — don’t trim it off
- This extra material lets you restretch later if needed
- The first layer you apply is glue (size)
- This seals the fibers so oil paint won’t rot them
- After sizing, you can apply gesso or an oil ground to create a painting surface
Doing this gives you much more control over the texture and quality of your surface — like making homemade food instead of using something prepackaged.
Key Takeaway
You don’t need linen to make great paintings.
If you can afford it, it’s lovely.
But cotton is strong enough for most work, and what matters more is how you prepare the surface.
Taking the time to stretch and prime your own canvas gives you a stronger, smoother foundation — and sets you up for better, longer-lasting oil paintings.
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If you found this helpful, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more oil painting lessons and tips — and stay tuned for upcoming posts where I’ll dive deeper into surface preparation, underpainting, and brushwork techniques.