Art Painting

 Art is not just about putting pencil or brush to paper and making something beautiful. It is about unleashing your sense of expression and entering a state of creativity where you can dig out the deepest parts of your imagination, expressing your ideas freely and apply them to whatever you desire to create something wonderful. It is also about the artistic process; brainstorming for your next project and preparing your materials. It is important that you are fully prepared before you start a project which means having all the correct apparatus.

Do not fear canvas. It is an incredible way to awaken your artistic spirit and discover endless possibilities of creativity. At Reeves, our canvases are 100% cotton, acid-free and double primed so all you have to do is create your desired palette, dip your brush or palette knife and start making magic right before your very own eyes.

Getting organised for a project can be one of the most exciting aspects of art as you can choose every little detail to make your vision become reality. One of the most important materials in your project preparation is your surface. Art comes in many forms and choosing what you want to create your piece on is a vital part of the outcome of your project and what you have envisioned.

A favourite for many Reeves customers, canvas is a classic support medium that has been used for hundreds of years dating back as far as the 14th century. Not only does canvas serve as a great surface for artists of all levels, its basic and blank composition allows your possibility of ideas to be limitless, giving you the freedom to take your apparitions anywhere you desire.

Understanding Canvas

At Reeves, we believe you must know the story behind canvas before you begin working on it in order to deepen your understanding of your chosen surface and expand your art knowledge. Canvas is stretched across a wooden frame and luckily ours come pre-stretched. Our canvases are made from 100% cotton but when they were first introduced hundreds of years ago they were made from linen. Linen is particularly good for oil painting and is commonly used by professional artists. Cotton canvas is nowadays more commonly used and deliver fantastic results.

Before use, canvas is coated with gesso; a primer for your paint. Gesso protects the fibres of your canvas as well as your brushes and creates a surface for the paint to adhere to. Reeves canvases come double primed and ready for you to begin crafting. This is extremely important for oil paints as they will not bind to the canvas without gesso. Acrylics will adhere but the colours will be brighter and more prominent if gesso is applied beforehand.