Oil Painting Medic

Every artist fears canvas warping over time as this may cause the oil painting to crack and buckle. Prevention is better than cure, but once the oil painting has warped, what can the artist do to rectify the problem? A Cure for a Warped Oil Painting Unprimed Canvas Oil paints are remarkably robust, but improper care can still show up in the painting. One such problem is a warped oil painting. This article focuses upon oil painting on canvas. Firstly, what causes canvas to warp over time? There are several causes of canvas warp which can be any of the following: The wooden stretcher on which the canvas is stretched upon is warped itself. This might be due to damp or extreme temperature variations causing stresses in the wood. If the painting is large (over 2.5ftx2.5 feet) lack of support via crossbeams at the back of the painting may cause the canvas to ‘droop’ in the centre which could exacerbate over time. The canvas has been improperly stretched in the first place. Pres...

The last thing the artist needs is canvas warp occurring over time, particularly if the oil painting is large and ambitious. What can the artist do to prevent canvas from warping once the oil painting has been applied? Problems with Stretching Canvas Common culprits of canvas warp can easily be avoided with proper preparation of the art support prior to embarking the painting. (Read my article on what to do about canvas warp if it has already occured). Of course, the artist may purchase ready-stretched canvases from art shops. But if seeking a size not available or a particularly large canvas, the artist may wish to cut the cost of buying stretched canvas by preparing one’s own. The image below serves as a guide on how to stretch canvas by rotation, beginning with point 1. How to stretch canvas Cheap Stretched Canvas by Stretching Your Own If preparing a large painting, prefer thicker canvas to the thinner variety, as the ratio of thickness to dimensions will mean t...

The under-drawing forms an essential component of painting. Regardless of the art technique used, a wonky ellipse or an impossible vanishing point could draw the eye in undesirable ways and spoil the finished painting. What is the best way draw accurately for oil painting without the fuss? Draw What You See Not What You Think You See The artist cannot get away from the drawing aspect of painting when exploring non-abstract art. Composing the drawing accurately will enhance the result of the final painting. However, during my term teaching, I came across many students who struggled to draw. This problem inevitably undermined painting exploration. For this reason, I have written a book designed to help the ‘picture dyslexic’ overcome this problem in the most painless ways. Learn to Draw Well for the Beginner My book, Draw What You See Not What You Think You See, begins at the very beginning with distorted perception in drawing. A test and questionnaire serves to inform on how ou...