I will use just about anything as a surface when I am painting- walls, kitchen appliances, furniture, objects, pumpkins, eggs, rocks, sticks, canvas, paper, wood and anything else can all be treated as potential for an art making surface! Today I thought I would share some of my favorite surfaces when it comes to painting.
CANVAS is obviously one of my favorites! I have been painting on canvas since high school and am pretty comfortable with the nature of canvas. What I have discovered over time is that canvas can be used for all kinds of different projects. Art for the wall, accessories (once it is painted it is durable and flexible and can be cut up and used to create earrings, necklaces, purses and more), sewing projects, collage and more. I typically purchase yardage or raw canvas that I paint and then repurpose and redefine. You can find canvas sold by the yard and any art supply store or at the fabric store.
CRAFT PAPER is another one of my favorite surfaces to paint on. It is really cheap and it will withstand lots of layers of paint. I also like it because you can roll it out and you have a large surface area to create with- it's a really cheap way to work large!
I use all kinds of different PAPER when I am working on drawing and sketching projects and I will used just about anything. I always keep a sketchbook on hand (in the car, in my purse, in each room of the house, etc)
I love using the Melissa and Doug jumbo pad of easel paper- I originally bought them for my daughter Lucy's projects but now I use them when I want to draw on a bigger surface
When it comes to painting on paper with acrylic paint or watercolors, I like to use a nice thick paper, typically watercolor paper or mixed media paper. These papers are thick enough to work with wet media (water, watercolors, acrylic, etc) and will withstand lots of layers.
Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor Pads- HERE
Canson Watercolor Pads- HERE
I typically use a Strathmore all purpose sketchbook that measures about 6.25 x 8.5 as a place to work through my ideas. When I am ready to create something that is more than an idea or more than practice, I purchase the appropriate paper or surface for my project.
Oil and acrylic paper is a great affordable alternative for working on canvas! The surface is thick, has a great texture and is made to hold lots of layers of paint.
WOOD is something I have been creating with since college. When I was painting on a budget, stretched canvas was expensive so the next best thing was plywood. You can purchase wood panels from most art supply stores but home supply stores or hardware stores will cut it for you in the store or you can even raid their scrap bin for discounted wood cuts. I will use wood for paintings, drawings, wood burning projects, even mixed media projects!
Thank you for your words about kindness. My tag line since about 2000 on all my emails is "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle" - Philo of Alexandria. I try to remember that everyone is going through something and needs my love. I think if all of us treated each other this way, many of the problems of the world could be helped. I don't mean to say I manage to act this way all the time and every day, but I TRY, and when I am able I know I have helped to make someone ele's day a little better. I know how grateful I am when someone does this for me, especially on days when I am really in need of some kindness or understanding. Thanks for reminding us all that we can do something, even when bad and evil seems to be everywhere, we can bring light and hope!
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