How To: Stretch a Canvas

Рет қаралды 805,870

12 жыл бұрын

Ever wonder how to go about stretching your own canvas? Local artist and Opus Langley staff member, Colin Mitchell helps take the fear out of this DIY process. From picking the right canvas to how to stretch it properly over your stretcher bars; this informative walkthrough will help open new doors to the everyday artist wanting that little extra control.
opusartsupplies.com/canvasstretch
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Materials as shown in the video:
- Unprimed canvas
- Opus heavy-duty stretcher bars
- 4x corner gussets
- Golden GAC 100
- Opus Gesso
- Canvas pliers
- Staple gun
- Scissors
For more information on Opus's custom canvas service visit:
www.opusartsupplies.com/servic...
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Credits
Presented by
Colin Mitchell
colinmitchellartwork.com/
Produced by
Opus Art Supplies
opusartsupplies.com
Created by
Ryan Mund
Music by
"Impact Andante" Kevin MacLeod - incompetech.com
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

Пікірлер: 87

@pelementmaker 4 жыл бұрын

The canvas pliers is a must, i tried to stretch a fairly big canvas by hand and at first glance it looked decent. Untill i used paint thinner, its now a colorful curtain.

@angiel2710 7 жыл бұрын

Excellent tutorial. I saved myself $200 doing it myself

@daniellehamilton5115 7 жыл бұрын

wow

@outsidethepyramid 4 жыл бұрын

I saved myself $210 doing it myself

@thewestbound Жыл бұрын

@@outsidethepyramid I saved myself $220 doing it myself

@dep6898 Жыл бұрын

@@thewestbound i saved myself $230 doing it myself

@khunthate 8 жыл бұрын

love the GAC's... so versatile

@rolandosantisteban3754 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent video. I was able to follow your instructions and stretch the canvas myself saving about 170. Thank you!

@alansm136 10 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your input. You have enlightened me even more.

@sobrevida157 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Clear, concise. . .

@richenuff01 3 жыл бұрын

Wonderfully demonstrated...now I'm convinced that I'll pay somebody to stretch my new painting vs me doing it. LOL I love my new painting too much for me to not do a nice job. LOL

@ramonrodriguez4533 5 жыл бұрын

This is the best How To on Canvas stretching.

@John-vu8bo 5 жыл бұрын

This is exactly the method I learned in painting school 30 years ago. The only difference is that the professor wanted us to also make out own wooden stretchers which was a pain. But as a poor college student that’s all I could do. I doubt it would be any less expensive in today’s world.

@yashasvihanda6516 Жыл бұрын

Even my professor says build your own stretchers.

@Herb. 5 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Simple and effective! Thanks

@jtreasure5807 23 күн бұрын

So helpful. Thank you.

@lesaeickholdt4272 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Great tutorial!

@Josh-tt2wh 6 жыл бұрын

thank you for this tutorial!!

@RogersPhotographyGuilford Жыл бұрын

While I've printed thousands of images on different papers I've never stretched my own canvas prints. I always outsourced the printing. Now that I have a nice "new" 24" Epson 7900 I am doing my own canvas work. Thanks (11 years later)😉

@jellams1317 Жыл бұрын

Thank you. Well done

@TT-vv8xl 5 жыл бұрын

Great! Thanks a lot 😁. Simple and easy!!!

@MariusOberholster 7 ай бұрын

Thank you!!! Can't believe this is so long ago!

@virginiaromero4426 5 жыл бұрын

Very good, thanks

@northstarastrology3954 5 жыл бұрын

Very NICE !

@lucianocortopassi3098 Жыл бұрын

So good

@KalkiSubramaniam 8 жыл бұрын

very helpful.

@georgemacdonald5282 11 ай бұрын

Nicely explained viideo, thankyou.

@christines2451 Жыл бұрын

Great. Video thank you.

@lightmeupsigns5363 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the good tutorial like everything theres two techniques...............the right and wrong way

@LowCostCncRetrofits 8 жыл бұрын

Great video mate everything understood

@sashaco5660 5 жыл бұрын

This is a great video. Can I please ask how would you tidy up the canvas on the back so it looks more professional .

@sanfordpress8943 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@wineartlife 6 жыл бұрын

thanks!

@margaretmohally5433 4 жыл бұрын

super thank you

@dashiajames1882 Жыл бұрын

I literally learned how to finish the back correctly. And to make it look neater. Very teachable. Great tutorial...!! Loves alot...🙂🙂 P.S : Are staple better than glue..??

@lillianburton362 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks, you gave a lot of information; very helpful to me. What did you do with the excess canvas around the edges after you completed your stapling?

@colinmitchellartwork3486 6 жыл бұрын

I usually just make sure it's not loose so it won't catch on anything and leave it (usually about an extra 3 inches).

@normanmerrill1241 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks

@krissyfabz5867 3 жыл бұрын

thankie💕👍

@steemdup 4 жыл бұрын

I little intimidating but I think I could do this. Thank you

@waynethebarber1095 4 жыл бұрын

Very nice video, I want to paint but it's not the right time right now. I learned a lot just from your video. Thank you for taking the time to show us how it's done right. And how easy it can be. I hope I can put this to good use sometime soon..... Again, thank you for your time.....

@ji-jo Жыл бұрын

Just do it!

@LowCostCncRetrofits 8 жыл бұрын

Does polyester digital canvas stretch much the same way with the same technique applied ?

@hamnalabeeb 5 жыл бұрын

Can I please know the size of staple pin used in the staple gun? I just got a new one with 23/8 staple pins and need to know if that is good enough.

@bobski5028 4 жыл бұрын

Also, the stretching pliers are not properly used. The long knob on the pliers that sticks up is actually supposed to be pointing down on the inside face of the stretcher wood so you can utilize it (if need be) once you pull the canvas taught. If you gauge properly the knob will hold the pliers in place against the inside of the wood while you staple so the pliers don't slip back. I'm pretty sure that's how it goes.

@londavis6355 9 жыл бұрын

Great video. I do have one question however: How do you stretch a canvas or linen that is already primed? I've been trying for the last week or so, and cannot get the double primed linen to stretch " tight as a drum " as I can with the raw linen or canvas. The raw stuff I prime afterwards of course. Thank you.

@opusartsupplies 9 жыл бұрын

Lon Davis Hi Lon, thank you for your question. There are 2 techniques you could try to tighten primed fabrics: 1. Lightly misting the back of the canvas with water after it's stretched can often help to tighten it up. 2. Use stretcher bar keys (triangular wedges of wood often sold with stretcher bars). These are placed in the corners of the bars and gently tapped into place to expand the stretcher frame and tighten the fabric. If you use these, it is a good idea to hold a piece of cardboard on the back of the fabric (between the material and the keys) so that whatever you use to tap them in place does not dent the canvas, which could potentially cause the gesso to crack. This technique is usually done after a painting is finished, as the act of painting will often cause the canvas to become more slack. Note that over the years this naturally occurs as well. Ultimately you will rarely get the drum tightness with primed canvas or linen, nor should you really try to stretch it that taut. You want to be careful not to overstretch it as it will weaken or even crack the gesso. However, both of these techniques used in conjunction should help you get the results you are looking for. Hope this helps!

@londavis6355 9 жыл бұрын

Wow...thank you!! I never even thought about how " drum tightness " as it relates to cracking the gesso. I didn't even think about that.... And yes, I do have those wedges. So, I'll be aiming then for firmness, or general overall firmness...but not drum tight. Wow...thank you for that insight. That clears up a lot of confusion I was having...!! Cheers.

@mcassity 4 ай бұрын

Nice work. I wonder how many canvases you've stretched over your lifetime?

@corin164 Жыл бұрын

I thought you apply a few coats of Gesso first and then the acrylic paint. Which is the right way?

@pappyfiddle 10 жыл бұрын

Nice video in contrast to some that advocate some rather silly stuff. It doth not matter what it's stretched on as long as it holds it nice and flat and tight, and also there's consideration for aging. A homemade frame is great if it's neat, solid construction. The fancy frame around the painting is going to hide whatever stretching frame you have, and may even cover a little bowing in of the stretcher bars. Just remember tho, a few people (buyers and critics) are going to look back there so it shouldn't look flaky. So commercial stretcher bars like this might be a good place to invest a little money.

@evabarnett8131 5 жыл бұрын

What staple gun and staples do you use?

@joseph2832 4 жыл бұрын

so helpful thank you so much! Instead of gac-100 use gloss medium that's what golden is saying these days~

@peohbe 6 жыл бұрын

What type of unstretched canvas would you recommend for painting with acrylic?

@colinmitchellartwork3486 6 жыл бұрын

There are many variables to think about… the size of the painting, how much detail there will be in the painting, etc… Generally however, a 10 oz canvas is a good average weight.

@mandiquinn585 6 жыл бұрын

So I'm using a roll of canvas to stretch ( it's been rolled up for a while so it has kind of a waviness to it already). As I'm stretching it there's some scalloping happening that I can't seem to get rid of even when my staples are super close together. Any advice? Thanks!

@eagillum 5 жыл бұрын

What happened? Can you update us?

@oneshadowone 8 жыл бұрын

how about stretching a canvas that has been painted any suggestions about that

@colinmitchellartwork3486 6 жыл бұрын

You can definitely do it, just don't pull as tightly as you would for an unprimed/unpainted canvas, as that will cause the painting to crack.

@harrisonponce3418 5 жыл бұрын

Or just glue it on to a wood panel

@RobDucharme 9 жыл бұрын

Great video. I'm looking to get in to this, as I was once pretty damn good with art back in high school. I understand it so much more now than I did back then. While I want to eventually build from scratch, I figure I should start with pre-made stretchers. I'm too independent to buy pre-made canvasses. What I don't get is the nine (9) dislikes. These must be the same people who go on to Yelp and give a 1/5 star review for a business they love and have visited a hundred times, but had one bad experience, so they rate them on that one thing.

@moldlives 9 жыл бұрын

Rob Ducharme Its either room temp. i.q. individuals who'll dislike anything liberal related, or they truly know how to accomplish this with more perfection.

@jacintoguevara2692 Жыл бұрын

What size staples?

@outsidethepyramid 4 жыл бұрын

My flaps are bigger than yours and so my fabric is bulging more than it should. Have u got any advice? I can send you a photo.

@outsidethepyramid 4 жыл бұрын

I see an issue here. Ok so next you need to seal/ prime the canvas with a liquid and then the canvas goes a bit baggy. The thing is on your oil painting stretcher you have not got the small pieces of wood that you hammer in to take on the bagginess.

@marcellaulrikaulltjarn5406 Жыл бұрын

Como se llama esa herramienta para sostener y estirar la loneta?

@opusartsupplies Жыл бұрын

Hello Marcella, we believe you are referring to the tools used to pull the canvas. We carry these tools at our stores and they are called "canvas pliers". We hope that helps!

@marceltzara3253 2 жыл бұрын

a reasonable attempt - but never staple any wooden elements together - it is a strainer not a frame; all the parts need to be able to move very slightly to maintain tension. Also do not pull the canvas too much, it will distort the weave and give you a wavy weave appearance. The keys, which you omit to mention are the elements that will maintain the tension.

@c-3po543 Жыл бұрын

sint mai multe variamte de a pune pinza de pictat pe un cadru depinde cat de buna este pinza nu poti sa tragi prea tare de o pinza fragila

@kendralafleur4248 2 жыл бұрын

How do I add subtitles...I can't hear you 😔🥺

@Apollo_Blaze Жыл бұрын

I do not have a canvas stretcher tool : (

@khunthate 8 жыл бұрын

What if you don't have canvas pliers? Any 'home-made' solution, alternative to that? :)

@baddong4392 7 жыл бұрын

Peter Gašperan elbow grease

@seanc3362 7 жыл бұрын

Peter Gašperan Welding flat blade pliers might work. They look similar.

@lyndabrain385 7 жыл бұрын

Sean Connolly

@MrPrentissDJones 3 жыл бұрын

Well I did this part worng, got to go pull all those staples out

@puppshades2554 2 жыл бұрын

thanks to teach me how to use the tool it come with the frame , think it was to make omelets

@ririka4526 4 жыл бұрын

why need to stretch a canvas?

@tyzon1988 4 жыл бұрын

you said stretch is as much as you can and now the frame just broke.... so dont stretch it ithat much xD

@susanwhittle9549 5 жыл бұрын

But isn't he using the canvas pliers upside down?

@garyrowe58 Жыл бұрын

yes ;)

@paulmct27 2 жыл бұрын

So easy when you have specialist tools 🤣

@bobski5028 4 жыл бұрын

It's a good tutorial, not excellent. There's about 30+ seconds missing after the 3rd staple gets put in. Lucky I'm common sensed enuff to fill in the gap.