Canvas painting
is a long-standing tradition in fine art. Most canvas paintings are done in acrylic or oil paints. Acrylic paints are fast-drying and bold, while oil paints are slow drying and may take on a more muted quality because they blend more easily. Although canvas painting is a standard practice in art, it can be rewarding for an artist to stretch the boundaries of what canvas painting entails.
Canvas Creation
Stretch and prime the canvas yourself. Your investment in the piece you're making will begin with the canvas itself, giving you a feeling of deeper connection to your craft. If you are going to be painting in acrylic, you may wish to stretch the canvas without priming it. This is an excellent experiment, but it is not possible with oil paint because oil paints will cause raw canvas to break down overtime. Take extra care to stretch the canvas tightly over the stretcher bars if you choose this route, as the gesso often stretches the canvas as it dries.
If you do gesso the canvas, you may wish to leave the gesso textured, instead of smoothing it with the brush. This should be done discretely--a little bit of texture goes a long way.
Dimensions
Make your canvas of strange dimensions--very long and narrow or very wide and short. Or plan a painting that will span over several canvases, either as a series of images, or as one integrated image. Remember that if you choose to paint your painting in a series of panels, there must be a reason for it--the panels should have significance. For example, if you were to paint two people, you might consider making the painting two panels and put one person on each panel, to signify a rift between them. Likewise, what would it signify to paint both people on one panel and leave the other relatively empty?
Multimedia
Some artists have enjoyed gluing or sewing materials to the canvas. Items such as newspaper articles, advertisements, poems or fliers may add interest while reinforcing meaning in your paintings. You may sew cloth to the canvas before priming it. You may even consider stapling the canvas. Be wary of using oil paints with materials that may decompose over time (such as paper). Research the materials you are using to investigate their archival qualities. If you are going to mix paper with oil paints, try painting over the paper with a clear glaze or gesso before beginning to paint.
Canvas Distressing
This is a risky endeavor, but you may wish to try tearing or damaging the canvas before or after you paint on it. This will give your image a dimension of turmoil or distress, so if you attempt this, consider carefully the subject of the painting, and your rendering of it. Whatever you do to the canvas, it must be integrated with the design and flow of the image. Plan your painting carefully. Whatever you do to the canvas should be done deliberately. You may wish to distress a test subject before attempting any action on your actual painting.
Finishing
Although you may choose to frame your canvas, this is not a necessity. Many artists choose to paint the sides of the canvas and leave it otherwise bare. The color you choose for the sides of the canvas should match or relate to the color scheme in the painting.
