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The Range Art collection
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Message
Posted
Hi Carrie, I use a number of different surfaces and I find buying bulk is best if you want quality and value, Ive just bought a 10 metre roll of canvas from Jacksons and I have a large selection of stretchers to make up my own canvases, but this is not an option for many people.
My experience with cheap of the peg canvases is also mixed I have some that are excellent and some that are dreadful, the main problem is keeping them taught, tipping a glass of water in the back draining and letting it dry works quite well but is sometimes temporary.
However the surface I continue to come back to because of its value is simple MDF or medium density fibreboard.
The method I'm going to explain was a favourite of my students as it was so cheap, they used to club together and so could bulk buy between them.
I go to my timber merchant and ask for 6mm or 9mm thick sheets which are 8 foot by 4 foot. Obviously probably too large for you but for a small fee they will cut them to the sizes you want, I have my own saw so I do it myself but a sheet that costs less than £20 can be cut into 30,40 or 60cm strips that with a cheap panel saw you can cut to size yourself or again ask the staff at the timber merchant. In the end you can end up with 10, 20 or more panels. If you want to try first ask as they may have offcuts or a small piece available to buy or for free if you smile at them.
The next thing is the ground this is possibly more important than the surface because you want the paint to stick. For Oil painting I use Gamblin ground which I thin down with Gamsol or Shellsol or any other thinners and then apply with a roller that I got from my local Screwfix, or you might get one at your local 'grey pound' store. You can then prime it with the ground of your choice. I use the Gamblin ground which is oil based and much better than the usual acrylic ones and in my experience allows you to take paint off more easily. This ground is about £40 a litre but lasts a long time when using a roller and thinned down and there are cheaper oil based options I'm sure. You need to leave the boards to dry between coats and for a week at least before you use it so you need to plan a bit first. I find this in an excellent surface to work on you don't of course have the spring that you get with canvas if thats what you like but it will give you lots of surface cheaply.
Obviously there are many other solutions in fact a friend of mine paints with oil on cardboard, as did many of the impressionist painter in their time. But this is my offer for a solution to your problem and hopefully not let you be too held back by traditional thinking, after all we are just making art here and having fun with it aren't we?
On a side note I have just repainted my mums garage door and bought a 2.5 Litre tin of White Leyland Trade undercoat that is oil based. It cost £26 from screwfix so a lot cheaper than the Gamblin. Im going to try it and post here in the future.
Posted
Hi Carrie Ive just had a look at the Range to be honest I'd never heard of it and it turns out there is one quite near to me so I shall certainly nip in. I had a look online and what they offer seems really quite good and I would certainly consider looking there in future thanks for the heads up. We used to have an art/book shop in Hanley called 'Webberleys' but it closed down years ago and like most people I succumbed to online shopping with Jacksons and Cass art so it will be nice to be able to walk in and have a mooch for a change.
Posted
Hi Carrie Ive just had a look at the Range to be honest I'd never heard of it and it turns out there is one quite near to me so I shall certainly nip in. I had a look online and what they offer seems really quite good and I would certainly consider looking there in future thanks for the heads up. We used to have an art/book shop in Hanley called 'Webberleys' but it closed down years ago and like most people I succumbed to online shopping with Jacksons and Cass art so it will be nice to be able to walk in and have a mooch for a change.
Posted
I’m glad it was useful information Justin :) We don’t have any art shops near us and I do love to see the stuff in person, so we used to travel to hobbycraft at the east side of Glasgow which is many miles away from where we are. So I was delighted when I came across the art section in the Range just up the road from us. Plus with the Range being open all the way through lockdown it was nice to have that option.
C x
Posted
W&N putty rubbers are rubbish! They leak oil and quickly go hard. I think they are made of putty that you would use for a window! Beware! I agree System 3 brushes are great for acrylic.
I guess I won’t bother with cadmium free paint then. I’ve got enough reds and yellows to last a lifetime anyway.
Cheap canvases can be a nightmare - I remember one that acrylic paint would not adhere too- unbelievable!
Posted
Might be worth re-stating this - I have said it before, but I never get tired of the sound of my own voice....
Some painting boards, the cheaper ones imported from various places outside of Europe, are treated with a fungicide - and that's probably true of cheap canvas as well (I assume it's a fungicide, because I can't think what else it might be). If (unfortunately you have to take off the celluloid cover to see this, which you can hardly do prior to purchase) you hold the board/canvas up to a raking light, and you see shiny bits in the weave, it will prove a very poor surface for acrylic, especially, but in the longer term oil too, unless you wash it off with cool water, getting in to every bit of the fibre, then let it dry, re-inspect it for any shiny bits (it might need a toothbrush to remove some of it) and then prime it with your own preferred priming - I use Cryla or System3 "gesso", usually.
But better still, don't buy these things at all. Not a lot of point in saving money if your paint subsequently rubs off or lifts - which has happened to me.
Posted
Hello Carrie, I purchase the majority of my ‘stuff’ from Jackson’s. I’ve just unwrapped a delivery of Fabriano Acrylic paper, 400gsm. It’s really good and will stand any amount of gels and thick paint. I’ve also used their own brand canvas boards and acrylic paint, which I found really good. I think good brushes are a must, even if you can only afford to buy one and use it to death. I’ve got black hog acrylic brushes I’ve had for years, and they’re still going strong. I wipe them clean on kitchen roll first, then wash them in warm soapy water.
Ken Bromley is worth looking at too.
Edited
by Ellen Mooney
Posted
Carrie , Ellen...who has just commented has just put her finger right on it. saying all the stuff she has just unpacked . Jackson’s, Great Art , Cass art Ken Bromley are all on line and all have wonderful choice ,plus I think they are pretty well priced .I certainly think the Range has its uses and some bargains but I do like the choices and stuff you get from all the big names art dealers . Though when I am near a Range I do go in and look . But it’s a long time since I was in the vicinity of one. Just have a look at some of the other dealers .
Posted
Carrie , Ellen...who has just commented has just put her finger right on it. saying all the stuff she has just unpacked . Jackson’s, Great Art , Cass art Ken Bromley are all on line and all have wonderful choice ,plus I think they are pretty well priced .I certainly think the Range has its uses and some bargains but I do like the choices and stuff you get from all the big names art dealers . Though when I am near a Range I do go in and look . But it’s a long time since I was in the vicinity of one. Just have a look at some of the other dealers .