Every high-quality painting on canvas starts with a good foundation, and at the heart of that foundation lies the stretcher. Although hidden from view, it is crucial to the shape, durability, and overall appearance of the artwork. In this simple guide, we’ll explore what a canvas stretcher is, how it’s assembled, and how to stretch...
Titanium, zinc, transparent… Why are there so many types of white paint, and what is each one used for? To answer this question, we will examine the type of paint that offers the full range of white shades, namely oil-based paint. Titanium White Titanium white paint is the most common type of white paint and...
Health and Safety Before we look at the proper ways to dispose of waste after painting, here are some important rules for maintaining hygiene in the art room or studio: Work in a well-ventilated room, preferably near a window. You can use a fan to draw the fumes from the canvas away from the artist;...
The Most Common Brush Shapes Every hair arrangement is reflected in the brush stroke, which is also influenced by the type of hair used. Glue is usually applied to the brushes to protect them during shipping—so their shape may be slightly different after the coating has been washed off. Pointed Round Brush In pointed round...
A Brief History of Brushes Brushes have been used since the time of cave paintings, which were created using bundles of animal hair tied to a handle. Instead of animal hair, the ancient Egyptians used crushed and shredded reed stems and fibers. Although it is still In the 14th century, Chenino Chenini described in detail...
Like traditional, water-mixable, or water-soluble oil paints, these are made entirely from oils that can be thinned with solvents such as white spirit and turpentine.However, their formula has been modified in such a way that these toxic thinners are actually unnecessary, having been completely replaced by water. In order for the paint to be diluted...
Oil paints are the most complex to use from a technical standpoint when it comes to their durability. Generally speaking, every oil painting consists of: preparation of the base paint application and varnishing. The Foundation The quality of the preliminary preparation is of great importance for the longevity of the painting. The painting surface can...
Before choosing an easel… As some of the most durable and expensive art supplies, easels are an important investment for artists and should therefore be chosen carefully. To choose the tripod that best suits our needs, we first need to ask ourselves a few questions: What will the easel be used for—for painting or for...
Flax The best professional canvases are made from high-quality linen canvas, with the smoother and rougher varieties being more expensive than those with medium texture. Their high price is also due to the origin of the raw material—flax is primarily grown in Western Europe, and the best one is made in Belgium. Furthermore, Flax fibers...
Adhesion Adhesion refers to the degree to which a painting medium adheres to a surface, as well as the way in which this adhesion manifests itself. Opaque paints adhere to porous surfaces not only on the surface but also deep within the material. Wetter paints penetrate mainly into the surface, while solid media, such as...
Lightfastness The degree of lightfastness reflects how much a coloring agent is affected by ultraviolet light. UV light is present in both natural daylight and artificial light, and it breaks down pigments, causing colors to fade. The time it takes for this to happen depends on the stability of the dye and the amount of...
Ingredients Paints (as well as pastels and ink) are made primarily from pigments and binders, supplemented by fillers, solvents, and other additives. We can classify colorants into pigments and dyes. The color, opacity (or transparency), and lightfastness of the paint depend on these. The binder protects the pigments and determines the adhesion (the paint’s ability...
Flaxseed oil Flaxseed oil is obtained by pressing flaxseed and has been the most important binder for oil paints. It is one of the so-called drying oils. In contrast, other types of oils produce less durable layers of paint, darken significantly, or dry too slowly. Although no single oil can fully meet every requirement, linseed...
Colorants are essentially dry powders. If they are soluble in liquid (like sugar in water), they are called dyes, and if they are completely or nearly insoluble, then they are pigments. For the artist, dyes and pigments differ in one much more significant way, and that is their lightfastness. The degree of lightfastness determines how...
Before we begin cleaning a painting, we must first make sure that it is in good condition and does not require the intervention of a professional restorer. In other words, the canvas must be intact, with no warping, holes, or wear, and the paint layer must have no deep cracks. Once these conditions are met,...
