Before you start painting, you will need to stretch the canvas so that the paint falls flat on it. If you're an artist, learning how to stretch the canvas yourself can save you money and do something useful. In this article, you will learn how to choose the right items, how to stretch the canvas, and how to prepare it for work.

Steps

Preparation

Buy a stretcher or make your own. There are special stretchers with ready-made slats that clamp the canvas. This is the fastest and easiest way. Most artists use stretchers.

Buy a canvas that is the right size. The canvas should extend beyond the stretcher by at least 15-20 centimeters (it all depends on the width of the frame). The canvas must be larger than the stretcher, otherwise it will not be possible to pull it correctly. Measure the dimensions of the stretcher, or figure out what size painting you need, and buy a canvas a little larger.

• It is much easier to stretch a raw canvas (not covered with gesso) than a prepared one. Your best bet is to buy an unprimed canvas and apply gesso to it later.

1. Buy any other tools you need. You will need some simple tools for this job. Prepare the following:

   • Spray bottle with clean water. Wet the back of the canvas that you are pulling over the stretcher. When it dries, it will shrink and stretch tighter.
   • Hesso. This primer is often used to treat the canvas after it has been stretched. Gesso is a white mixture of plaster, chalk, and other substances sold in many painting supply stores.
   • Special tongs for stretching the canvas. You can buy them in almost all specialized stores. These tongs have a flat surface that allows you to stretch the canvas without leaving holes in it.
   • Stapler. Conventional staplers are not suitable for this purpose. To securely hold the canvas in place, you need a special furniture stapler.

2. Cut the canvas. Cut an area 8-10 centimeters larger than the frame, taking into account the width of the frame. You will need these extra pieces of canvas to hold onto as you pull the canvas. Having purchased all the necessary tools, a stretcher and canvas, cut the canvas of the desired size from the canvas using a special sharp knife.

   • Tearing the canvas creates a smoother line than cutting. Cut the canvas with a knife, and then tear it along the grain to create a flat area.

   How to stretch the canvas

   1. Center the frame on the canvas. Lay the canvas down on a work surface and place the frame on top. Try to flatten the canvas as much as possible.

      • The fibers of the canvas should be parallel and perpendicular to the rails of the frame. If they lie at an angle, the frame will deform and the edges will begin to curl upward.

   2. Stretch the canvas along the long side first. Take the long side closest to you and tuck it inward. Use three staples to secure the canvas to the frame from the inside (that is, you need to wrap the frame with canvas and secure it from the inside). There is no need to fix the canvas around the edges yet - you will do it later.

      • Rotate the canvas with a stretcher or walk around the work surface on the other side and do the same for the other side. Stretch the canvas tightly, wrap the frame around it and secure with three staples.
      • You need to fix the canvas from the middle to the edges. Do not start at the edges, otherwise the canvas will warp and sag.

   3. Lightly dampen the canvas if necessary. If you are stretching an untreated canvas, you can spray it with water to tighten it after drying. After securing the long sides of the canvas, slightly dampen the back of the canvas.

      Stretch the short sides. Grasp the unsecured side, pull the canvas tightly, tuck it under the frame and secure with two brackets to the frame. Do the same for the second side.

      Stretch the edges. Go back to the first side you started stretching the canvas from and secure the edges. Pull the unsecured section of the canvas towards you, stretch it and clamp it with a staple. Work slowly, trying to pull a small piece at a time. Continue securing the edges, gradually moving from one area to another.

      • You can insert staples near the corners, and then also between the center and the corner. Continue working until you have about 10 centimeters of loose canvas from the corners.

   4. Fold and secure the corners. Tuck one corner, pull tight so that there are no waves anywhere. Hold the canvas firmly. This is the final touch and the most important. It is necessary to do everything so that the canvas is flat and tightly stretched.

      • Sometimes it is helpful to make a small cut diagonally so that the canvas stretches better and fits neatly in the corners. The corners should look even, so trim the canvas if necessary.

   5. Finish the job. Run a hammer through all the brackets so that they fit snugly against the frame. There should be no sharp protruding edges anywhere. If you think you need to add a few more staples, do so.

Sometimes an inexperienced beginner asks: why make a canvas with your own hands, because in shops for creativity you can buy canvases of different types and sizes. So it is so! But there are situations when making canvases with your own hands is simply necessary!

For example, you have have a great idea for a cityscape with an evening city, but the store does not have such a canvas format 50/100 cm. But for drawing you need a canvas of a unique shape, which does not exist in stores. Or you have conceived to write a modular picture on several canvases, but there is simply no way to pick them up in finished form.

The idea of ​​\ u200b \ u200b painting on a custom canvas

And besides that, ART stores sell primed canvases in rolls, so why not make a picture with your own hands right from scratch in the format you need? Read more about how to choose a canvas in the article, where I described everything in detail.

The main difficulty of the work awaits at the first stage the required format of the stretcher. Make a stretcher yourself without special skills and tools are unlikely to work. Therefore, here it is necessary to decide which is better:

• buy a ready-made stretcher
• order the manufacture of a specialist, usually from a carpenter
• purchase prepared modules (strips) to assemble the stretcher yourself.

By the way, stretchers are usually made from well-dried pine wood, but there are some brave artists who make stretchers out of plastic! Pictures on such a stretcher do not deform even after many years!

Now I want to notice that canvases bought in shops for artists, already glued and primed, even those sold in rolls. So after pulling it onto the stretcher, it is quite possible to get to work.

Important: all stretchers for painting should be movable, that is, the slats should not be glued together. As a rule, they are sold with 8 blades, which are inserted from the back and, if necessary, can push the slats a few millimeters apart.

How to make a canvas with your own hands

Until recently, the canvas was fixed on a stretcher with nails, now everything is simplified thanks to such a thing as a stapler! A great thing for fasteners, quickly and without unnecessary damage to the fabric from nails.

To make a stretcher, we need: a suitable stretcher, primed canvas, hammer, stapler, scissors, tape measure or ruler. And of course, self-confidence!

Stapler for attaching the canvas to the stretcher

So, a step-by-step progress of work:

First, you need to determine the dimensions of the canvas on the stretcher. It is necessary to cut the canvas with a margin of 5-6 cm on each side, so that the edges of the canvas are well wrapped on the back side of the stretcher.

Put the canvas on the table, place the stretcher on top so that so that the strands of the web are parallel to the slats of the stretcher. This is very important so that the finished canvas does not deform in the future.

Important: The stretcher must be placed on the canvas correctly so that the sides are not accidentally confused. The sides on the stretcher are not the same, we put it with the sawn side inward. So that it is aesthetically beautiful and there is no touch of the canvas with the stretcher, and such cuts of the slats are needed. The photo below shows that the stretcher slats do not fit snugly against the fabric. This is how it should be ...

Canvas stretch example

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that pulling a primed canvas onto a stretcher is more difficult, since the fabric no longer stretches so well under the layer of glue and primer. Therefore, some artists slightly wet the canvas from the back side to make it more elastic and pliable. Do not worry, after drying everything will return to its place and the fabric will stretch even tighter! In this case, it is advisable to make an additional layer of soil, as micro ruptures in the soil may result when wetted.

By the way, it is believed that it is impossible to wet the canvas from the back side, let me disagree with this ... Light moistening does not hurt, unless, of course, soaking so much that water flows from it

Fold the edges of the canvas and fix them with a stapler. Work with the long side first, starting from the middle of the subframe bar. Outline the fastening with 3-4 staples and turn the canvas 180 degrees. Secure the fabric on the opposite side. Make sure that the distance between the staples is no more than 2-3 cm.

Now fasten the canvas to the short slats of the stretcher. It is good to stretch the canvas, fix it step by step with a stapler. Work with the corners of the blade last. This is the most critical area of ​​work, and the appearance of the future picture will depend on it. Gently pull the fabric, tuck it in and secure with staples.

Important: you need to pull the canvas more tightly from the center

Inspect the result, tap the staples with a hammer, add more fasteners if necessary. Turn the canvas right side up and check the quality of the work.

What to look for:

• the tension must be uniform
• folds and creases of the canvas are unacceptable
• when tapping with your fingers, you should feel the drum surface.

If the canvas is loosely stretched, there is sagging or other imperfections., do not worry, all the amendments are in our hands! We have to be patient, remove the staples and redo the work where there is a need for it. Every artist knows that under the weight of paints there is a colossal load on the canvas. This means that it will stretch even more.

On a note: if you have to make a canvas for drawing a large size, then it is difficult to do without special pliers (tongs for stretching the canvas). These can be purchased at art stores.

Tongs for stretching canvas

If you want to stretch the canvas that is not yet primed, then it is better to do as shown in the photo below. First, we pull and fix the center of all four sides crosswise, gradually pulling the canvas trying to keep the lines of the fabric parallel. Use the same tension to avoid overtightening the fabric.

Do not forget that the fabric stretches, and if you drag in one place, it can sag in another .. At least this applies to large canvases, if you stretch it alone. I had to do this, ... If something still went wrong, I advise you to drag the canvas before you continue making the canvas.

Picture with an example of stretching the canvas

The photo shows an example using nails for fastening to the side of the subframe. In the store you can find these, this is how they used to be done. The main thing is to remember that the tension is uniform and the threads of the fabric ran parallel to the slats of the stretcher

Gluing

And now we will talk about if an ordinary fabric was originally purchased, that is, cotton, synthetic or linen. The information will be of interest to those who do not have the opportunity to buy ready-made canvases, as well as for those who who wants to go through all the steps and make the canvas completely by himself!

It is difficult to paint a picture on unprepared material, and most importantly, it is not practical, because the paints will be absorbed through the holes in the interweaving of the threads. In addition, paints on non-primed canvas tend to crack and shed over time.

Therefore, the next step is gluing it!

Why glue the canvas? Firstly, sizing makes the fabric base stable, secondly, it protects the canvas from passing the binder from paints and soil to its back side, and thirdly, it “clogs up” the pores in the fabric, preventing the paint from seeping inside.

In addition, after gluing, the canvas acquires an elastic, durable film. The primer is better applied to the glued canvas, the gluing prevents the oil from being pulled out of the paints. This means that it increases the durability of the painting and prevents paint fading. Do you know that more than one painted canvas has suffered from improper gluing and primer!

You can buy the gluing or do it yourself.
Sizing in the art store is a paste made from natural resins and glue that is water-soluble. As a rule, store-bought ready-made glues contain special substances that prevent the growth of mold and mildew on the canvas. This is also very relevant, since over the years the fabric can suffer from mold, if, for example, the room has high humidity.

It is easy and simple to work with it. A wide brush or trowel, table or other horizontal surface is required to apply the sizing to the canvas. Apply a thin layer of paste with a spatula or brush without pushing it through the fabric. Dry for 3-6 hours. Repeat one more layer if necessary. In any case, the jar says how many times to apply the sizing.

Ready-to-use canvas sizing

And remember how artists used to glue the canvas without special means! For sizing with canvas, many artists themselves cooked wood glue or fish (sturgeon) and casein glue. A very time consuming and time consuming process! Moreover, this glue was applied only once and in a thin even layer. If the canvas is re-glued with samovar glue, then it becomes hard, and even cracks may appear with subsequent load on the canvas.

Today, many artists use edible gelatin for sizing. To do this, fill the gelatin package with water so that it is completely covered, mix and leave for a couple of hours. After the gelatin has swollen, pour boiling water in the same proportion.

It is applied with a spatula, so it turns out exactly. Dry for a day, and make a second sizing. There are holes on a poorly glued canvas (not glued pores of the fabric). Therefore, to determine the quality of gluing, look at the canvas through the light, if it is translucent, glue it again.

Sizing the canvas with gelatin

Semi-liquid PVA glue is also used for gluing canvases, although the reviews about such gluing are far from forest ones. I know that PVA-glues are used for cardboard. Many artists consider the best glue from sturgeon, that is, fish, so I think that gelatin is the best alternative, as it is a natural glue from the connective tissues of animals!

In France, where I have lived for the past 17 years, rabbit glue made from rabbit skin is used to glue the canvas. I think that each country has its own preferences for the adhesive composition, the main thing is that it is natural! If you are interested in painting, then you will be interested in an article with a charming charm! After all, acquaintance with painting begins not only with canvases, paints and brushes, but also with the wonderful creative world of artists!

Note that there are artists who don't do gluing at all, and slowly tighten the pores, holes only with soil. Whether it is correct or not, only the lifetime of the painting will tell. By the way, what brings the picture to a deplorable state, and how you can restore it

How to prime canvas

Why do you need a primer on canvas? It is important an intermediate layer, a "strong conductor" between the base and the painting, so that it can firmly adhere to the canvas. It also helps to create the necessary texture and color tone. The primer can be bought ready-made, as well as gluing, or you can make it yourself.

Canvas primer can be glue, emulsion, acrylic, oil, semi-oil, synthetic. Those canvases that are on sale are covered with an emulsion, acrylic primer. For example, on our canvas they write: « Acrylic primer Gesso covered the canvas 4 times "in French

Therefore, the most optimal choice is an acrylic, emulsion primer for canvas. It is versatile, great for painting with oil, acrylic and gouache paints.

Acrylic primer for canvas

Although there are artists who criticize such soil and believe that it is not suitable for oil painting. I will say that only these are sold here…. sometimes I myself make an additional oil-based primer on top of acrylic. There are many primer options, and each master prefers his own recipes and secrets in this matter.

The primer itself consists of two or three stages, so you should not force events and strive to prime the canvas in one go!

For the primer, you can use acrylic paint for construction work and make the primer yourself (see the recipe below) or buy ready-made primer at an art store. For the first layer, dilute the paint a little with water. until the consistency of very liquid sour cream. Sometimes it is recommended to add a little sizing to the first primer, which was mentioned earlier. This increases the adhesion of the ground to the canvas.

So, apply the primer to the canvas with wide strokes with a flute or a wide brush. Try not to run the brush several times in the same place and not make sags. To get a super even primer, you can use construction wide trowels or a mini-roller, quickly and with less primer.

Uniform roller priming of the canvas

After drying the first layer of primer, apply the second one. Dry and inspect the canvas. Drying time 12-14 hours depending on the humidity of your room.

On a note: Make sure there are no drafts during drying! According to the observations of many artists, this is not beneficial for the canvas.

If you are satisfied with the texture of the canvas and its background, then you can complete the work on this. If necessary, add a few more layers of soil.

Well, if you decide to make a primer yourself, then here is a great recipe for good adhesion, that is, adhesion of the paint to the ground

• 200 g of building emulsion
• 1 yolk
• 2 tsp glycerin, that is, 10 g as a plasticizer
• ½ packet of gelatin, pre-soaked and diluted
• 5 tsp linseed oil, which will make the soil more elastic
• 1 tsp semi-liquid honey as a natural antiseptic

That's all! The canvas is ready for painting! Paint your colorful pictures and be filled with the energy of color, because it is known to do real miracles! About all the charm of color therapy

Output: as you can see, you can assemble a canvas with your own hands in different ways, you can look at things conservatively, correctly, or you can approach things creatively, not in a formulaic way .... The main thing is that the canvas turns out to be aesthetically correct and the result of your labors delights you with the brightness of colors for a long time!

Remember: "There are never big things without big difficulties"- so said Voltaire, French poet, philosophers, historian

Friends, so that the article does not get lost among many other articles on the Internet, save it to bookmarks. She will always be at hand if you want to return to her!

Ask your questions below in the comments, usually, I answer all questions quickly

Ways to stretch canvas on a stretcher

Stretching the canvas on a stretcher - from 1 hour no surcharge for urgency. The stretching of paintings or canvas on a stretcher of any non-standard size occurs during the day. From 20x30 cm to 150 x 200 cm and more. If there are a lot of canvases, the production time is by agreement.

We stretch large canvases on a pine stretcher with jumpers inside the stretcher, or even with a lattice of jumpers, so that the stretcher does not get pulled over time from a strong stretch.

We can arrange a stretched canvas in a baguette frame in 1 hour. There are 250 variants of wooden and plastic moldings for urgent production of frames. And 3000 samples of a baguette under the order.

Stretching the canvas on a stretcher (tension + stretcher) From 1 hour, without surcharges for urgency	Size in cm	Stretching on the stretcher, depth (thickness) 2 cm, with the cost of the stretcher	Gallery, flatbed stretcher, depth (thickness) 2 cm, with the cost of the stretcher	Gallery, flatbed stretcher on stretcher, depth (thickness) 3.5 cm, with stretcher cost
	30x40	406 r	469 r	RUB 679
	40x60	RUB 580	RUB 670	RUB 970
	50x70	696 rbl	804 RUB	1164 RUB
	60x80	812 rbl	RUB 938	1358 RUB
	60x90	870 rbl	RUB 1005	1455 RUB
	100x150	1450 RUB	1675 RUB	2425 RUB

For canvases with gallery stretch from 80 x 120 cm and more, we recommend stretching on a stretcher depth of 3.5 cm (Euro frame).

Benefits of using a 35mm thick stretcher to stretch large canvases:

Firstly, the likelihood that the stretcher will “drive” is reduced. Even the highest quality wooden stretcher can change its geometry due to strong changes in humidity, which is not uncommon in St. Petersburg. The canvas stretched on a 35 mm thick stretcher is guaranteed to adhere tightly to the wall, without bending under a strong change in humidity.

Secondly, large canvases with a gallery stretch of 80x120 cm look more harmonious with a thick stretcher.

Banner of old canvases and paintings on a new stretcher.

Rendering old paintings and canvases onto a new stretcher is a very complicated process that can only be entrusted to a very experienced baguette designer. As a rule, the need for a constriction arises when the canvas is completely sagged, or the old stretcher is warped, or the stretcher has become dilapidated.

Our master filler carefully removes the fasteners of the old canvas to the stretcher, as a rule, these are nails. Further, after the canvas is removed from the old stretcher, the master makes a new stretcher on which the old canvas will be stretched. And here, when stretching a canvas, especially a shabby one, the experience of a master is more important than ever. It is necessary to stretch the canvas as tightly as possible, while being able to feel the limit, and not damage the canvas. Especially difficult cases are when the canvas is dilapidated, and there are practically no fields for stretching. But our experienced specialists with 8-15 years of experience in stretching canvases can cope with any tasks.

Gallery stretching of the canvas on a stretcher.

Gallery stretch is a way to frame a canvas without a frame, in which the canvas is stretched over a stretcher so that the image on the canvas extends to the sides of the stretcher itself. With a gallery stretch, the canvas is neatly wrapped in the corners and secured to the back of the stretcher.

The advantage of gallery stretch canvas is that you don't have to think about which frame to frame the canvas in. In addition, if you are decorating a canvas for a gift, then the person to whom you are giving the canvas can later choose a suitable baguette frame for the already stretched canvas, in accordance with his taste.

Stretching modular paintings on a stretcher.

If you have ordered on the Internet canvases for a modular painting from China, and you are holding a roll of canvases in your hands, not knowing what to do with it, please contact us. Within one day we will stretch your modular picture with a gallery stretch on a stretcher. Or order from your photo with us.

Feature of our wooden stretcher:

- solid pine
- humidity 8 + -2%
- knot-free, spliced ​​on a mini-pin, does not deform over time
- grade Extra
- sustained geometry.

15.03.2016

How to properly stretch the canvas onto a stretcher

FRAMEWORK

The stretcher serves as the basis for stretching the canvas. There are 2 types of stretchers: modular(prefabricated, wedge) and deaf.
Modular (prefabricated, wedge-shaped) stretchers can be purchased at almost all art stores. They are sold in slats of 2 (in increments of 5 cm in length) and are slightly more expensive than blind stretchers. As a rule, for a medium-sized painting, the thickness of the stretcher is 1.8 cm.
Modular stretchers have a huge advantage: their corners are not rigidly fastened and when the picture sags, you can fix everything at home, you just need to knock out the wedges. This must be done very carefully so as not to spoil the canvas with a hammer and not to overtighten it.
In deaf stretchers, the corners are rigidly connected and if the canvas sags, then it will have to be dragged. The banner of the canvas should only be done by a specialist!

FRAME AND PRESERVATION OF THE PICTURE

A poor-quality stretcher has a negative effect on the preservation of the painting. The paintings of modern painters very often have bad stretchers. Unfortunately, not all artists attach great importance to the quality of the stretcher. Defects of the stretcher do not allow the canvas to be properly stretched on it, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the soil and the painting layer of the painting. A high-quality stretcher is the basis for the long-term preservation of a painting.

LET'S CONSIDER THE MAIN DEFECTS OF THE SUBFRAME:

§ blind connection of corners, which makes it impossible to adjust the tension of the canvas, which causes deformation of the canvas and its sagging

§ on the "blind" corners of the stretcher, artists nail plywood triangles, which make the stretcher even more rigid and motionless

§ no cross or crossbar - for large paintings. The subframe with the cross or crossbar will not skew and the corners will remain straight

§ absence of bevels on the inner sides of the stretcher, which causes creases and debris of the paint layer

§ fragile stretcher that skews when stretching the canvas

§ stepped, loose connection of the strips at the corners and on the cross. With this defect, the canvas is deformed, creases and debris of the paint layer appear and it is impossible to tightly connect the picture to the frame.

§ the stretcher is made carelessly, from raw wood, as a result of which, after a fairly short period of time, the stretcher will "lead" and it will have to be replaced (in some cases, the frame has to be replaced as well)

§ the stretcher is made of wood with knots. Even a well-made stretcher, on which there are knots, in time will surely "lead" and it will have to be replaced

§ stretcher with grinder beetle. Thanks to the activity of these insects, the tree decays, turning into dust.

§ the stretcher is moldy

STRETCHING THE CANVAS ON THE MODULAR STRETCH

§ Measure the diagonals of the subframe, they must be the same !!! Staple the corners (2 brackets per corner)

§ Place the picture of the picture on a stretcher exactly horizontally. If you just have an unprimed canvas, it is important to position it so that the direction of the canvas threads is parallel to the edges of the stretcher.

§ Using the stretching tool, staple the canvas on the 4 sides as shown in the figure.

§ Fasten the canvas with a stapler every 2-3 cm around the entire perimeter of the stretcher, moving from center to edge, as shown in the figure

§ You need to stretch the canvas with a tool to stretch the paintings evenly with the same effort

§ Continue to stretch the canvas over the stretcher as shown. At the corners, the canvas is neatly tucked in and shot with a stapler

§ When stretching, do not wet the canvas from the non-primed side, this may lead to delamination of the soil !! So here we go! .

To stretch the canvas onto our stretcher, you will need a flat, clean surface, a pencil, a tape measure, a mallet, a hammer and a furniture stapler.

Before ordering a frame and stretcher kit for your canvas, it needs to be measured correctly.

Measurement of the canvas

Place the canvas on a table and measure the width and height of the image. This measurement should correspond to the front of the painting.

The rest of the canvas will go to the ends of the picture and to the curl. This remainder should be 3-4 cm on each side.
If the remainder is less than 3 cm, then the canvas will have to be stretched with the staples fixed to the end of the stretcher, which will negatively affect the quality of the tension. As an alternative, it is worth considering reducing the size of the front of the picture with a partial approach of the image to the ends.

The resulting size of the front of the painting should be used as the inner frame size when ordering a set from a frame with a stretcher.

Assembling the subframe

The modular subframe kit includes perimeter strips, cross strips (for larger sizes) and wedges. For assembly, you also need a tape measure and a mallet.

Connect the subframe rails by inserting the tenon into the groove. Make sure that the border of the subframe is on one side of all the planks.

If the kit includes cross or longitudinal planks, install them before securing the last perimeter plank.

Attach all joints as much as possible with a mallet, make sure that the strips are joined strictly perpendicularly.

To check if the assembly is correct, measure the diagonal of the subframe with a tape measure. When properly assembled, they should be equal. If the diagonals are different, align them with a mallet.

When assembling and leveling the subframe, avoid strong impacts and do not use a hard hammer to avoid breaking the perimeter planks.

Stretching the canvas

Lay the canvas face down on a clean, flat surface.

Using a simple pencil, mark on the back of the canvas where the corners of the front of the painting are.

Lay the stretcher upside down on the canvas. In this case, the corners of the stretcher must match the pencil marks.

Stretching the canvas slightly, wrap it in the center of the side bar of the stretcher and use a furniture stapler to nail it in. First on one side, then on the opposite.

Make sure that the canvas has not moved, if necessary, slightly tighten and fix the other 2 sides - with a cross.

Use a stapler to staple the canvas onto the stretcher from the center to the corners around the entire perimeter of the stretcher. Finally, carefully wrap and secure the corners.

Insert the wedges into the grooves in the corners on the inside of the stretcher and achieve acceptable canvas tension by hammering the wedges in a circle with a hammer. If the subframe has longitudinal slats, wedges must also be inserted and driven under them.

Measure the middle on the upper bar of the subframe and screw the gear hanger with self-tapping screws.

The picture is ready, you can put on the frame.