Canvas Forms
From stretched canvases to portable pads and custom rolls, each canvas form serves a unique artistic purpose. Explore the options that best support your creative process.
Annita Apostolidou Platis
Canvases are available in various forms:
Canvas panels
Usually made from primed cotton. Keep in mind that they don’t age well, but they are good for practice.
Stretched Canvas
Using stretched canvas reduces the chances that your artwork will be damaged as it holds the canvas in tact, and the stretching is done by cutting-edge technology rather than by hand.
Canvas pads
Pads are sheets of primed canvas that are bound within a book. Ideal for creating while on the move, the sheets used in many pads can be stretched or mounted at a later date.
Similar to canvas panels, however, they don’t age as well and are therefore best for practice.
Canvas rolls
If you want to prepare and stretch your own canvas or to create a very large painting, canvas rolls are great. Made from either linen or cotton, they’re generally sold by the meter.
by Annita A.
About Canvas & Art
From its ancient Greek origins to the Renaissance masters, canvas has long been the fabric of artistic legacy. Learn about its evolution and enduring role in art.
Annita Apostolidou Platis
Canvas is an extremely durable, plain-woven fabric. Usually made from cotton, linen or hemp, it’s popular as a painting surface when stretched across a wooden frame (called a ‘stretcher’) and coated with gesso to prevent the paint from coming into direct contact with the canvas fibres (which would eventually cause the canvas to decay).
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 has been used for Art since the early 14th Century,
and one of the earliest surviving oils on canvas is a French Madonna with Angels from around 1410.
It came into common usage in the 16th century during the Italian Renaissance.
by Annita A.
The 7 different Forms of Art
From painting to theater, the seven forms of art reveal humanity’s endless creativity and the timeless dialogue between culture and emotion.
Annita Apostolidou Platis
The definition of Art is covering many unique forms of expression.
However, there are broadly 7 Forms of Art that fall into the common collective definition of “the Arts.” Painting, Sculpture, Literature, Architecture, Cinema, Music, Theater.
Recognizing each of the distinct Categories of Art is a way to help us understanding the role of the Arts in our lives and history.
by Annita A.