Tips for stretching your canvas for an oil painting

                                                                                         

Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about stretching the canvas for oil painting? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about stretching the canvas for oil painting.



The best time to learn about stretching the canvas for oil painting is before you're in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable oil painting experience while it's still free.

While you do get previously stretched canvases these days off the shelf, many artists who make portraits from photos prefer to stretch their own canvas themselves.

Getting the frame correct

One of the first things you will need to do is to ensure that the frame measures perfectly. You could start with one that has an already cut frame length with a tongue on either side. Make sure all the corners on the frame have the correct angle as otherwise stretching the canvas will not turn out proper. Before making a portrait from photo this is a crucial step.

Stretching process

You will need to start with a staple gun and hammer as well as tacks and of course the canvas itself. Before you start with the portrait painting make sure to cut the canvas in rectangular shape keeping an extra margin of 2 inches on all sides. You need to place the frame over the canvas on the floor. Take each side of the canvas and pull it backwards till the right tension is achieved. Then use the tacks to pin the canvas down. Make sure to attach the tacks with a distance of 1 or 2 inches apart from each other.

Continue pinning down the canvas on all the remaining sides and tacking them until it is finished. Keep checking on the tension as you go to ensure the stretch is appropriate. This will make sure the portrait from photo comes out perfectly. So if you follow these steps carefully you can be sure to have a perfect portrait that looks better than even the photograph itself!

About the author:
Douglas C. Ames http:/www.anythingpaintedoncanvas.com

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