Chris Campbell Watercolors: Watercolor Canvas

Painting on Watercolor Canvas

Painting on watercolor canvas is completely different from most other surfaces I've used. (This is high quality canvas treated with a ground that accepts watercolor.) The paint sits on top of the canvas instead of being absorbed into the paper, so it stays bright. You don't get backruns. The paint can be lifted over and over again. But I have to admit, it feels weird at first.

I can't say I'd use it for a lot of the things I paint, in particular portraits. But landscapes, sunsets, and still life would be my choices for this.

I made the mistake of buying a PAD of Fredrix watercolor canvas instead of board.

Loose canvas DOES NOT act at all like paper. The minute a brush touches the canvas, it curls and warps. A LOT. It's impossible to paint on. So...you either have to attach it to a gatorboard .....(see below)...with staples...

Or glue it to some heavy surface. I tried gluing it to the heavy board from the back of an empty watercolor block, and also to some wood board.

To stretch it to a gatorboard, wet the canvas -- I mean soak it for 15-20 min-- and staple it to the board. Dry –you can use a hair dryer.

Or dampen the canvas and glue to a panel with YES paste, or heavy gel, which is more archival. You can also try matte medium, but that won't be as permanent a glue as gel. You will need to flatten it and dry it overnight before using.

*I also tried some of the spray glues....you would not have to wet the canvas before gluing it to a board. It seemed pretty successful, and I didn't have to wait for it to dry.

I purchased the pad because I thought it would be more economical for a class project. (About $22 for a pad of 10 12x16 pieces....about $10 for one 11 x 14 board...and about $18 for a 12 x 16 stretched canvas) So even with the glue and board support, it was still more economical. Just more work than I anticipated.

Watercolor Tips and Tricks from Tom Lynch

Tom Lynch is a watercolor artist who has been experimenting with watercolor canvas from Fredrix for at least 15 years now. Below is a link to several pages of tips to make your experience with canvas a lot easier. (not a video, although you can find some of his videos on youtube)

https://fredrixartistcanvas.com/archives/1874

The ones you most need to remember are:

If you are using a canvas pad, you MUST stretch it onto a gatorboard or glue it to a hard surface. By itself, it buckles and curls too much to be used.
After stretching (or attaching to board) Wipe it down with water and a cloth rag before painting on it. This will also help lighten your pencil lines. Then dry with hair dryer or air dry for 10 minutes.

The first thing you will notice about painting with this is that you can remove paint easily. This is a plus for removing mistakes or making changes; a negative for glazing processes. So if you want to glaze, you have to use a soft brush and very few strokes, otherwise the lower paint layer will lift.

Wet on wet acts a little differently. You still get blends, but it's just different.

You don't have to worry about hard lines that much. They are easy to soften and lift.

It seems to "pill" when you paint on it. That is lessened if you wipe it down with water and a rag before painting.

FINISHING: After the painting is dry, it should be varnished if you don't want to put it under glass. I use Krylon's Kamar Varnish, which is a spray made for watercolor, acrylic, or oil. To apply it, spray lightly for a first coat. This sets the watercolor. A heavier first coat could rewet the paint and cause it to run or smear. After the first light coat has dried, you can apply one or two more coats. Dry and pop into a frame.

Here are some results from class: