Stretching a Canvas for Oil & Acrylic Painting: Step by Step for Beginners

Stretching a canvas for oil and acrylic painting is an essential skill for any painter. Additionally, there are many other techniques for preparing a surface for oil and acrylic painting: stretching watercolor and printmaking paper, preparing wood and masonite, using clear gesso, acrylic gesso, rabbitskin glue, and oil primer, and many more.
RISD Adjunct Professor Clara Lieu and Teaching Artist Alex Rowe walk you through every step of the several ways you can prepare a surface for oil and acrylic painting.
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Clara Lieu was an Adjunct Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design from 2007-2020. Her artwork has been exhibited at the International Print Center NY, the Currier Museum, Childs Gallery, the Davis Museum, and more. Lieu received an artist fellowship from the MA Cultural Council, has written for the NY Times, and lectured at Brown University, the NAEA conference, and in Vancouver & China. She has been profiled in Artsy, Hyperallergic, KPCC, & WBUR.
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[@SmillyDonut]

This in an incredibly informative video with a nice flow and relaxed presentation that makes it super interesting to watch. You don't feel the 50+ mins.

[@artprof]

Great, that's wonderful to hear!

[@scottquincy]

Ah, this is such a helpful video. You guys are very generous with insights for the inexperienced artist. Many thanks.

[@artprof]

Glad it was helpful! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@zbthunderwood]

It's so nice to see someone championing rabbit skin glue and oil primer. Once you try it, it's really hard to go back to acrylic gesso. The Utrecht primer looks great. I've only tried Gamblin and W&N. The W&N was my favorite but it was probably the most toxic smelling art material I've ever used.

[@apostalote]

I will say that most of my paintings recently have been on canvas paper (because I have a lot of it and my local art store is closed so I can’t by a canvas). At first, it was really bad. The paint just wouldn’t flow properly on the surface for whatever reason and it was really frustrating. So I primed it with my own gesso and then did a burnt sienna/magenta underpainting and found that the paint would then flow really well on it. I’ll Excited to try out stretching my own canvas

[@artprof]

I really don't like canvas paper, it's not a very sensitive surface, so blunt! Stretching your own canvas is soooo nice, you really can control the surface. Have fun! -Prof Lieu

[@shadowintolight5535]

This was so so so helpful, thank you for this video!!!!

[@artprof]

Wonderful! You can get lots of other helpful info related to this video here: artprof.org/courses/acrylic-painting/

[@fuchsfarben]

I never knew you could actually stretch watercolour paper onto a frame, guess you learn something new every day huh :)

[@snake4342001]

Great video, i avoided rabbit skin and was taught pva size then oil primer to get that gorgeous texture to paint oils on. Im glad Im not the only one with messy corners🐱

[@deniskomoda6423]

Love watching the videos, not only for the tips and techniques... but also because of prof. Clara Lieus' facial expressions!!! They are cute-fun!!!!

[@artprof]

Thanks for watching!

[@bees772]

The other day actually someone talked to me about canvas keys and my mind was absolutely blown...easy to say that after this video my mind is basically just shrapnel.

[@artprof]

Haha, hopefully you can glue it all back together! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@caitlinmartin4054]

Rabbit skin glue? Staples? Baumgartner would be disappointed

[@DustyMusician]

I was thinking the same thing lmaooooo

[@SailorVenus-iz6zp]

Caitlin Martin omg ikrrrrrrrr

[@lowslow3612]

I usually stretch my own canvas or use archival products and techniques to "glue" the canvas to a baltic birch plywood panel. I 100% always use canvas or linen glued to a plywood panel for plein air. Light coming through the back of a framed, stretched canvas is no bueno. When I use a pre-stretched canvas, I really like using oil primed linen from Masterpiece. Very well engineered and constructed. Extremely high quality! I've also noticed, as a rule of thumb, that the darker the canvas/linen, generally the higher the quality of the canvas/linen.

[@artprof]

Ooh that's very interesting, I didn't know that! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@dipa7289]

Extremely insightful. Thank you! Please keep making more of such videos.

[@karinmitschang9734]

Thanks for these Infos, I love it! Never would've thought of stretching paper over the wood 🤩

[@ARCH-INNERGY]

Great info!!! Occasionally a beginner paints a master piece. It doesn't happen often but when it does it's a super downer if you used less than quality canvas etc. If you're just going to test colors excetera that's one thing but if you're actually doing a serious piece even if you're a beginner I think it's important that you're using the right sellable gallery canvas. That's just my opinion.

[@artprof]

So true, I have totally been in that situation where I ended up with a painting I really did want to hold onto long term, but because I did a crummy job on preparing the surface it jut wasn't an option! You never know where an artwork you make might end up!

[@catherinemcgraw9039]

Excellent interpretation of the beautiful lavender field. Thank you

[@artprof]

I think so too! Thanks for watching :) - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@afafzabaneh3916]

Thanks to you prof Clara and to the artist Alex for this truly rich ànd informative vedeo...

[@DMilanBrudvig]

I'm in the RISD CE online program right now and just wanted to say that I super appreciate your videos and your great teaching ability. Thank you. I like the back and forth, too. I'm with you on not being a light touch! :D

[@artprof]

Glad to hear you're getting a lot from going back and forth between RISD CE and Art Prof for art instruction. Thank you for learning with us! -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@dougsundseth6904]

If you're working with acrylics on hardboard, particularly if you like a very smooth surface, enamel spray primers stick well and give a very nice surface for high-detail painting. Many of the professional artists I know prefer it for their work. Note that enamel primer is quite good as a vapor barrier and _tempered_ hardboard doesn't absorb anywhere near as much water from the paint, either. (This obviously supports a very different painting style than the ones I've seen here.) Oh, and I would really recommend using a rubber mallet rather than a steel hammer when seating plastic container lids. (Just sayin'. 8-) ) And mallets are a much better choice for seating wood finger joints as well, since metal hammers can damage the wood pretty easily.

[@xvirgomoonx]

You absolutely can reheat hide glue! Use a double boiler and keep it from coming to a boil. Bookbinders and instrument makers all reheat hide glue. And I love your vids!

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

Timeless video..thank you. So so informative

[@artprof]

I'm happy it was helpful for you! -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@artprof]

Many more resources on oil and acrylic painting on our main site! artprof.org/courses/oil-painting/

[@ancientintel4374]

Thankyou for this video. Very well put together and extremely informative.

[@artprof]

You're very welcome!-Prof Lieu

[@Meisuko]

Very helpful video for gesso paper stretching.

[@artprof]

Glad it was helpful! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@yarden116]

Omg it was so informative and helpful thank you soo muchhh

[@artprof]

Great! Check out our course on acrylic painting, more info there: artprof.org/courses/acrylic-painting/

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

Great info. Thanks.

[@artprof]

Thanks! You might like our oil painting tutorial, where we use these surfaces: kzbin.info/www/bejne/moHaaX1ofJyWp6s -Prof Lieu

[@lovejoyy]

I use acrylic on 140lb. watercolor paper. I gesso the paper first. I’ve had great success. I am thinking of returning to stretching my own canvases. I use watercolor paper in the interest of saving money but I’m not sure if it really is when you factor in framing.

[@artprof]

Art creation can be so expensive, it's insane! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@laurencrawford4212]

Thanks! Just discovered your videos.

[@artprof]

Thanks for watching!

[@M.Shepardbee]

Door frames are not square. Its an okay starting point, but measure corner to corner in an x shape to see if something is squared up. Also Masonite should be sealed on both sides so it doesn't pull. And if you notice all your frames are hard to put together, your house is probably humid. Its supposed to be snug at ideal temperature/ humidity. That slid in really easily.. its probably fairly dry where you are.

[@artprof]

That's a great tip! Once I tried the door frame trick and my frame turned out pretty wonky :/ it was probably my weak arm strength in the end, though! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@nataliaterra9381]

Hey! I'm curious, what is the gesso for? Love the video!!

[@MicheleMei1]

Would love if you talked about PVA size as an alternative to rabbit skin glue

[@sonjaleander3324]

I have never painted with oilpaint because of the huge amount of preperation for the surface. But the way you guys so beautifully explained makes me a lot more confedend and I will try it and start with the easy part, and the less expensive ones, and build up from there. Thanks so much. Ps: when will we see a tutorial again without ZOOM...I am sick of it. It was so fun to watch you interact with each other in a studio setting. I do know it is a lot more labore intensive to shoot these...but its worth it!

[@artprof]

I'm so glad these videos are helping you get into oil painting! The tutorials are pretty expensive to do on top of being labor intensive, so it requires a fair amount of financial support to do them. There will be a few travel tutorials coming up from Clara and Cat's time in Portugal. Also one person kindly sponsored these most recent printmaking tutorial videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZ3ImJeFhpibhrc Here is the form if you are interested in sponsoring a video for Art Prof: artprof.org/learn/sponsor-a-video/ -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@twizzls5582]

How do you pick out your brushes at a store?? What do you look for?

[@rsu1367]

Do you like to use the lip or bevel on the stretcher bars for the front of the canvas where you paint?

[@DMilanBrudvig]

Questions! If you have a chance, of course. Your preference of staples vs. glue at the corners of the stretcher bars--just curious about that. Rabbit skin glue vs. PVA size? Is it an artistic choice at this point? I guess some depends on what you grew up doing, too. The ridge of the stretcher bars...do you point them toward the canvas surface side or do you have a preference not to do that? (And I haven't been introduced to the keys before but I'm still fairly much a newbie...very cool since I just stretched a slightly larger canvas without pliers which should arrive today. Gah!) For most canvases, do you stretch face down on a table or floor (well, not the paper I guess)? Staples-- I bought a power stapler, being post-hand surgeries (cello playing did in multiple parts) but I still have trouble getting flat staples and it looks like that isn't necessarily a big deal. But I get squiggly shaped staples sometimes and it bugs me. I guess I'd best focus (if I'm going to worry about it) on the front, though. ;) Hopefully I will get more adept over time.

[@artprof]

In my experience, rabbit skin glue and PVA offer the same kind of sizing protection, but rabbit skin glue makes the canvas very taut and stiff. I haven't seen the same kind of rigidity with PVA. PVA is easier to work with though. Rabbit skin glue really smells bad. The ridge of the stretcher bars should be on the canvas surface side. The raise the canvas off of the wood so you're not constantly bumping into the wood with your brush when you press into the canvas. I recommend having a hammer nearby for the squiggly staples. I get them too and they're annoying, but you can just pound them in and they're fine. :) -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@aobarts]

Thanks for the amazing video! I have one question: I've seen some people advicing to gesso the canvas prior to stretching it, but you do the gessoing after streching it. For a cotton canvas, what is the best approach to end up with a nice hard surface to paint on? Thanks for your amazing videos!

[@artprof]

Imo doing the gesso after stretching gets the smoothest surface, as the gesso evens out any wrinkles. Although, I suppose you could gesso it again after stretching it! -Prof Lieu

[@aobarts]

@@artprof good idea! Thanks very much! And thanks for all your amazing videos! I really appreciate :) Have a good day!

[@neilagangitlog]

Wait, how can you cut the paper straight without any sort of ruler?

[@ji_k]

Thank you so much. This video is immensely useful. Can oil painting be done on Masonite?

[@artprof]

Yes, as long as you prime it with gesso! -Prof Lieu

[@ji_k]

I live in a dusty place and forever I struggle to protect my drying oil paintings. Please give me some tips on how to protect my oil paintings when they are drying. Thanks in advance.

[@artprof]

Maybe take a piece of plastic to make a little hood over the paintings? -Prof Lieu

[@ChannyNoyes]

I wonder if you were to reheat the rabbit skin glue using a double boiler method (say, as you would to melt ganache) maybe it might come out okay? Very informative video and such precise technique; for free education, the art prof. is a top notch find during the quarantine.

[@artprof]

Unfortunately you can’t reheat rabbit skin glue, it won’t work again. Glad you like our content! -Prof Lieu

[@guzzopinc1646]

Is he using the Frederix Canvas Pliers upside down? I know they have a notch on them on one side but I thought it was on the opposite side of cheaper pliers. Just asking because I recently bought the same pair and it was confusing to me but they don't work well with the notch side facing the stretcher bars.

[@westonfath8673]

When stretching watercolor paper both with the paper tape and on the stretcher bars, can you paint with watercolor and gouache on the final product or is it only for acrylic and oil paintings?

[@artprof]

Yes! Only difference is with watercolor and gouache you won't want to gesso the paper. Also, the paper will buckle while you are painting, but it will go back to being flat once everything is dry. -Prof Lieu

[@lesliesmith7312]

can you use the linen they sell at a fabric store?

[@artprof]

Depends on the fabric store, but I doubt it's the same thing. I'm going to guess the linen made for painting is a lot more durable than linen at a fabric store. -Prof Lieu

[@indoororchidsandtropicals358]

Not all canvas paper is pre-primed. Yeah I made that mistake. Had to buy gesso to make it paint-on-able.

[@olarosicka6375]

In my university (not in US)they teach us that dividers side is the painting side and back of wood is flat. We also make traditional primer with bone glue, Champagne's chalk and pigment (for example zink white). Anyone has had similar expirience?

[@artprof]

Wow, thank you so much for sharing! It's so cool to learn about art practices all over the world, and how they differ from one another :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@CapnBarefoot]

Aren't the stretchers upside down? The round side is on the back. Otherwise I'm very curios on the why, I have never seen it before.

[@artprof]

To my knowledge, there isn't a correct side on small stretchers; there is on the heavy duty ones. Hope I'm understanding your question correctly. -Prof Lieu

[@CapnBarefoot]

@@artprof I'm from the Netherlands. It's the first time seeing it without the round side up, we've learned the round side is because you don't want the frame work to become visible by the strokes when the canvas pushes against it. And the round side should prevent that to happen. Definitely going to stretch my next 'upside down', and will sell the piece with the title "Upside down ft. Prof. Lieu", prepare till futher notice ;) Thank you and you're doing great!

[@artprof]

Ooooh, yes, art supplies vary tremendously from country to country so it's likely the stretchers aren't the same as the ones in the US. -Prof Lieu

[@miilka487]

Just curious does galleries accept paintings made in canvas boards. Yesterday a colleague said stretched canvas are the best ones

[@artprof]

I would say generally yes, as long as the canvas boards are archival. But, stretched canvases are a lot more sturdy won't warp the way a lot of canvas boards do. Galleries really do care about longevity and good quality materials. -Prof Lieu

[@Emily-yd7mr]

Hi I loved this video, but I was just wondering who was the artist that's work was being shown throughout the video because I'd like to check her stuff out.

[@artprof]

I think you're talking about Alex's acrylic painting? Or maybe my oil painting? You can see these paintings in our acrylic tutorial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXe4fayKm5KFsK8 , and in our oil painting tutorial, part 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/moHaaX1ofJyWpw I and part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6rdqph3j65sqas -Prof Lieu

[@isabellas8832]

That was their artwork (hers and alex's)

[@lindalopez5951]

Question...why would I want to stretch my own large canvas when I can just buy it? Cost?

[@artprof]

One of the main reasons artists like to stretch their own canvas is so they can control the type of canvas (thin, thick, rough, smooth) and especially how many layers of gesso or oil primer are used. Whether you sand the surface, whether you layer on the gesso very thick or thin, etc. On a pre-stretched canvas that you buy from the art store, you don't get to control the surface. Pre-stretched canvases are really handy if you don't have time to stretch your own, but a lot of artists like being able to control all of those factors. Or, if you want to make a canvas that is an unusual size, you can do that by stretching your own canvas. -Prof Lieu

[@lindalopez5951]

Got it! Thank you...

[@ansika_art]

Mam I see old charcoal artist make canvas by paper what paper they use?

[@artprof]

This drawing curriculum page has a list of papers that you can use: artprof.org/learn/drawing-curriculum-1-supplies/ -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@ansika_art]

@@artprof thank you❤

[@monsymont9139]

oohhhhh so thats what a canvas key is

[@indoororchidsandtropicals358]

Also, not all canvas boards are created equal. Some very cheap ones, like those at Walmart, are a bit warped. Please realize that not all towns are big enough to have a real art supply store.