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Stretched Canvas /  Blog
December 18, 2017
Products Tips and Tricks

Gesso vs. Primer

This old debate eh? Well it is an important debate for good reason. The primer that is used on your painting surface will directly affect how your 'masterpiece' will adhere to the primed surface and how long it will last. In the 'olden days' gesso was a mixture of rabbit skin glue, titanium oxide and chalk. This was used to coat wood, marble, canvas and paper. The gesso gave a stable surface to paint upon allowing a good adhesion to the surface and to the paint. Now if you look...

by admin
December 18, 2017
Products Tips and Tricks

Cheap Canvas vs. Expensive Canvas

Why should I invest my hard earned Artistic dollar in a quality stretched canvas?! As an artist you are essentially selling yourself as a brand, therefore it's up to you to decide what you feel is professional enough to sell or exhibit. Your artistic name is going to be associated with your paintings, and you have to choose whether or not you are wanting to promote a certain professionalism with those choices. I personally try to use the best quality of paint and surface I can afford, mostly because I like...

by admin
December 18, 2017
News Products

What is Cotton Duck?

A Cotton Duck?! I am often asked about why canvas is called cotton duck. Well here is a brief history lesson…. The word canvas is derived from the 13th century Anglo-French canevaz and the Old French canevas. Both may be derivatives of the Vulgar Latin cannapaceus for "made of hemp," originating from the Greek κάνναβις (cannabis). Canvas is usually made of cotton or linen, although historically it was made from hemp. It is a plain weave rather than twill weave and comes in two basic types, plain or duck.  Most stretched canvases use cotton duck because the threads in duck canvas are more tightly woven. The term duck comes from the Dutch word for...

by admin
December 14, 2017
News

A Perfect Tension: the art and craft of making artists’ canvases

Stretched canvas maker Alanah Tocker freely admits she has an obsession with timber. With more than ten years of industry experience, Alanah joined Felt a year ago to offer her high quality, fully customised painting surfaces as Stretched – a very appropriate name! Alanah starts with New Zealand first grade kiln dried pine, which is handcrafted into stretcher frames of 35 and 45mm and stretched with quality 12 ounce cotton duck canvas. The canvas is then primed twice by hand for a perfect painting surface.     What do you make? I make stretched canvasses,...

by admin