There are a lot of canvases out there for artists to use, and walking into an art store to choose a canvas can be overwhelming. 

What size?

Do I want square, rectangle, round…?

Thick or thin?

Black or white?

What about weave, cotton or linen?

Honestly, it is endless.

 

My personal choice is Mont Marte Double Thick Premium.  When I first started painting, I did use a single thickness canvas, and sometimes I will still use them for testing techniques or to try something new. Now my preference is the double thick as I like the way the sides of it resemble the blocks I use, it’s what is right for me.

I also like the double thickness as I am not entirely sure how I feel about framing my work, for me the edge of the canvas is part of the painting and the frame itself, maybe I will change my mind on this at a later date, but for now, I like the canvas edge.

I choose Mont Marte because they are a Brisbane based company, very affordable and there is ease of access in purchasing them, I can buy them from my art school store at Lilly-Lee Gallery and Studio, from my favourite art supply shop, Art Shed Brisbane and directly from Mont Marte and have them delivered to my home or studio. They also supply to hundreds of stores around Australia, so I can always get my hands on them.

There is also a consistency in their quality which is helpful and they have a variety of sizes, I paint on their 10cm square right up to the 101cm square.  I keep a variety of sizes in my studio so that I have them on hand for my next project. Being an oil painter, there is always several paintings in varying states of progress, and of course there is always the new idea brewing.

I do recommend you quality check all your canvases when you purchase them by laying them on a flat surface, even the shop floor, to make sure there are no warps or twists in the frame, or dents in the canvas that can’t be fixed with a splash of water.  Carefully look over them front to back to make sure there are no obvious knots in the stretcher bars or marks and stains in the canvas itself either side. And if you can’t check them yourself, I have always found the wonderful team at Art Shed Brisbane will check them for me behind the counter where they have room.

Next time you are thinking of painting, don’t be afraid to give them a try, don’t let the affordable price point have you think that they are lower quality.  I have bought expensive canvases in the past that were not worth what I paid. Mont Marte have a range of canvases from Discovery, which are great for kids and testing ideas on, through to Premium which is my choice.

 

Helpful links:

Double Thick Premium Canvases – Professional Double Thick Canvases – Mont Marte Australia

Stretched Canvas – Affordable Artist Canvas Selection | Art Shed Brisbane

Please note I do not have paid affiliations with Mont Marte or Art Shed Brisbane, I am sharing my artistic processes, the materials I use and where I purchase them from to assist other artists in decision making for their processes.