What is a pre-stretched canvas? How is it different from other canvas & which canvas is better while painting?
Also, when it comes to painting, what types of paints are the best to work with.
Other painting best answer:
Answer by Br0wn Recloose
Pre-stretched canvas is convenient, because it’s already stretched and put onto stretcher bars for you. If you’re just getting started, this is definately the way to go.
However, pre-stretched tends to be not stretched as well, and usually comes with thinner cheaper canvas, and often has too much gesso on it… the edges are gessoed over as well (because of the mass produced sheets all being covered in gesso), which may be fine–but is limiting because it may not be what you want. Many people prefer keeping the raw canvas or linen on the edges of their canvas.
If you stretch your own, you can stretch it tighter (or looser, if you prefer), though this takes some practice. You can also paint on exactly what surface you prefer to paint on: more or less gesso, sanded to your liking, oil vs water based gesso, etc. The canvas itself you may also choose to be any one of a variety of materials. The size of the canvas may also be specified exactly as you prefer, and the stretcher bars may be of any thickness you choose, etc. Options options options.
These options are things that you naturally will come to explore, as you gain experience. There’s nothing wrong with starting out on pre-stretched canvas, if you want to get started with painting right away. Eventually though, it’s a good idea to learn the art of stretching and preparing your own canvas. It makes a difference not only in the experience of applying paint, but in the appearance of your final piece. There are many options available when you stretch your own canvas, and that’s the main point. It’s easier to learn how to stretch canvas from somebody who knows how, but it’s also perfectly possible to find some good instructions (possibly from a book) and do it that way.
Once you’ve become familiar with this stuff, you might consider paying other individuals or companies to stretch canvas for you, to your exact specifications. This isn’t something you’ll want to do until after you’ve gained enough experience to know exactly what you want. It’s very common however–many (possibly even most?) experienced painters do this.
On canvas, the 2 most commonly selected options are oils and acrylics, though there are many other possibilities to choose from. Some suggest starting out with acrylics, but I don’t agree. I think it’s up to you, and it completely depends on what you’re trying to do. You should definately talk to somebody at the art store about this. Also, be sure to tell them that you are somewhat new to painting, and would like recommendations on all of the other materials you’ll need to get started.
Acrylics are cheaper and dry faster, but oils are more flexible for certain things. For one, it’s much easier to paint “wet on wet”, meaning that when you paint, the paint “blends” into the paint underneath (the “ground” or “background”) more readily, because the background is still wet. This is difficult with acrylics because it dries so quickly. Chemically, the two are very different, and this produces subtle differences in color and texture that are hard to describe.
You’ll really just have to experiment with both–in fact, i’d recommend getting a small starter set of each if you can afford it. Otherwise, talk it over with the people at the art store; most art store employees are more than willing to share their knowledge with a beginning painter.

There’s A Lot Of Paint Nowadays That’s Damaging To Our World
Article by Bird Kohout
You might or might not be aware that regular paints emit solvents into the air during the curing and drying process, and as you’ll probably be able to imagine, this isn’t a positive thing. VOCs, which are Volatile Organic Compounds, are escaping into the air surrounding us. Ozone damage, increased risk of smog, and possible global warming, are only a few of the results this could cause. This is prompting us find new types of paint to use as we become more informed about these risks. The initial popularity of eco friendly paints was not at all impressive when they first made an entry to the market during the 1990s.
So, will eco friendly paints become more popular with the heightened awareness of global warming? Those who are experts in painting have to be converted. The opposing positions mean that, according to some of these pros, paints containing the volatile organic compounds are better. The points the paint experts make are that paint that is Earth friendly is not as efficient to use. The paint industry has to think about the health issues pertaining to VOCs, including breathing problems like asthma and that people are going for green paints.
The relative impact of paint on your situation can be dramatic and cause issues of all kinds. It can be challenging to cover all possible scenarios simply because there is so much concerned. But I wanted to pause for a moment so you can reflect on the value of what you have just read. We are highly certain about the ability of what we offer, today, to create a difference. The last remaining areas for conversation may be even more important.
Water based latex paints which have binding qualities might be a way to deal with this problem. Since VOCs are not present, it means they are environmentally safe. Nonetheless, like just about everything, there is a downside: latex paints can’t be used to paint on iron due to them being water based, which ends up making the iron become rusty much quicker. Still, customers are turning more often to latex paints.
How paint is created and where it comes from, all defines if the paint is eco friendly. There are paints that contain Titanium Dioxide which can cover other paints since it is very white in color. Making Titanium Dioxide could lead to sulfuric acid to be produced. How the acid is discarded is environmentally damaging because the sea is its ultimate stop.
Smog can be the result of Titanium Dioxide reacting with the sun when used externally. What’s more, Titanium Dioxide has been tied in to a carcinogen that can cause cancer in humans. Titanium Dioxide can still be found in paints even though all of this evidence.
People are starting to use Earth friendly paints now that they are becoming more educated about the health and environmental implications of typical paints.
Did you realize how much there is to learn about paint? Most people are when they get down to reading about it.
These are powerful points, to be sure, and you can see excellent results as well. But there exists a great deal more than that about this. There is much more that can really produce the kind of results anyone would want. That is what is can be achievable when you continue to discover more.
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