Reddit mentions: The best pre-stretched canvases

How much are you willing to spend to get started?

Painting doesn't have to be an expensive hobby at all, so if you wanna just try it and see if you like it then here's what I would do:

Canvases

Go to a craft store like Michaels, Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby (I actually DON'T shop at hobby lobby for political reasons, but I want to list all the stores I can think of for a rounded example) and look for sales on canvases. They almost always have some size that is 1/2 price or buy one get one free. I prefer stretched canvases, and you can usually find ones sized 12x16 or so for a couple bucks (You might need to buy a 3-pack or something to get a good price...really depends on the store and the day) if you wanna go REALLY cheap you can get canvas-boards. The one thing I would say is don't buy something too-small or too-big until you REALLY know what you want to use it for. Trying to come up with something on a 3'x4' canvas will leave you feeling exhausted and frustrated and trying to make something nice on a 8"x5" can be really hard for a beginner. I would look for something around 9"x12" up to 12"x16" to start with. (for reference, a "regular" sheet of paper is 8"x10")

You can also shop online for canvases, but in my experience you can usually find a better deal at physical stores. However, here is a link to Amazon just to get an idea of the kind of [canvas to look for:] (https://www.amazon.com/Artlicious-Pre-Stretched-Cotton-Acrylics-Painting/dp/B01FOYPERU/ref=lp_12896241_1_14?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1484149402&sr=1-14) Higher quality canvases can get really expensive so don't be daunted if you go in and only see $30 canvases...look for the cheap ones.

Paints

For a beginner, I would stick to acrylics. I have actually only used oils a few times and there is a lot of cleanup, waiting, and in general I find them a lot harder to work with. (I also haven't given them much of a chance so if anyone disagrees with me I won't put up much of a fight.) I actually PREFER the cheap acrylics that are a bit liquidy. (Apple Barrel, or CRAFT.... here's a link just to get an idea of what container they come in: Apple BArrel Set They are usually about 1$ apeice for a 2oz bottle. You should also get a bigger 8oz or 16oz of black and white as you will probably use those a lot more than others. (If you end up painting a lot you will probably want to get 8oz sizes of your basic colors too..) For starting, I would avoid the acrylic tubes...they are more expensive, smaller usually, and (I think) a little harder to work with texture-wise. IF you don't know what you want to paint yet, or if you just wanna try a lot of different stuff, that color set I linked to is a decent palette to start with and there's enough there to mix in order to make just about any color you want. (That set does NOT contain black or white though...so if you go for that be sure to also get black and white).

Brushes

Here's the one thing I WOULDNT cheap up on. Get a decent set of brushes. Get at least one or two TINY brushes, then 3 or four of intermediate size up to about 1" wide. Any bigger than that is useful for covering a lot of canvas, but not REALLY necessary. I don't have any real tips about which brands to buy...if you go to a physical store, just look at them...if they look like super soft, furry, cheap, "kid" brushes, I'd avoid them. Look for ones with firmer bristles..clean crisp points or lines. Sometimes you can find a nice set...I think I usually spend $2 or so apeice (depends on the size) and then I have a few nicer ones I like, but it will take a while to get a feel for what your personal favorite brush size is so don't bother getting better quality until you know you will use it. I like to pick up an extra brush every time I head to the store, so I have a ton now of all sizes but at first expect to spend ~10$ to get an okay set.

Inspiration

I like to do a google image search based on a generic word. Then in the advanced image search tools you can search by color...I find a lot of interesting things that I will then either paint, or use as inspiration for a painting. I think everyone finds inspiration differently, but this is just my own way. I would avoid starting with any people/portraits/etc as the human brain is SUPER critical of any errors we detect in faces, bodies, hands, etc.. YOU can paint a car that is 95% accurate and it will look AMAZING but if you paint a face that is only 98% accurate it will look like a hideously deformed mess. (Im making up these numbers...I dont even know what a percent accuracy would mean for a painting, but I think the general idea gets across).

Technique

Whatever works for you...youtube videos, just trying it out, taking a class...I dont know! I'm self-taught and Im sure I've picked up a LOT of bad habits, but a few things I do that might be helpful that arent obvious:

• Feel free to draw lightly with pencil on the canvas for a start, sketch out your basic shapes and proportions. It's a lot easier to erase (or ignore) a pencil line than it will be to rearrange your picture once you start painting it.
  
• Paint the background/sky/etc first. Even if you have a big foreground object, it will be a lot easier to make a nice sky with a fluffy cloud or whatever that is then partially covered by your cool sailboat than it will be to try to paint the cloud JUUUUST up to the sailboat's sail, and then fill in the little bit you can see between the mast and the sail and then continue the cloud on the other side, than it would have been to just paint the stupid cloud first, and then paint your awesome sailboat over the top of it.
  
• Don't get attached to a part of your work. (This is the hardest thing...) If you are painting a face, and you paint this AMAZING eye, but once you finish it you realize its kind of too far to the left...you can't keep it...you need to move the eye. IF you are painting to LEARN, then you need to rework this in order to gain good skills. IF you are painting to make AWESOME ART then you need to rework this because the eye is wrong and it wont be awesome! (Hey! Why are you painting a face in the first place?! I told you not to do that at first!)
  
• Whiskey
  
  All that said, good luck! Hope you like it!
  

Hi there! I think Acrylic paints are a great starting point for anyone as they allow experimentation with layers and dry really quickly, in around 10-15mins actually! Here's a small list of starting equipment I think would be best:

• Set of basic acrylic paints containing at least the primary colours. This should be fairly cheap to pick up.
  
  
• A starter pack of half decent paintbrushes. Make sure they're of good quality as fraying brushes are a nightmare for detailing. There are some good sets on Amazon for around £10-£15.
  
  
• A pack painting boards or canvas. Painting on paper with acrylic causes it to warp and curl when it dries so boards or canvas are the best. You can get a pack of 5 quite cheaply.
  
  Other from those basic things there are a few other supplies needed which you may already have such as; jars or cups for water and a ceramic plate or plastic pallet for mixing the paints.
  
  I've included a few links to brushes and things below. Have fun and good luck my friend!
  
  Brushes
  Paints
  Boards

I'm gonna be working Black Friday, but lets be real, Cyber Monday is what it's all about! I can't wait to buy a present for my little sister. She has down syndrome, and loves movies, singing, cats and being silly. I may buy her this she had a Lilo bobble head that was part of her everyday set up (she has a specific set up for the play room, where she queues up the next 3 movies she is going to watch, the last one gets covered by a pillow-I like to think to keep it a surprise), the Lilo was set up on the floor on top of The Lion King CD. I'm pretty sure our dog trampled the toy, and I know she'd be thrilled with a replacement. This looks like it has much more stability. And, she's 24, so it's classy and age appropriate. Betcha weren't expecting a novel! I'd love a canvas!

If you have any craft stores that sells oil paint, they might have coupons, or start ordering on amazon now!

• you're gonna need a canvases, I recommend 16x20, since they are cheap but fit the size needed for landscape, again, craft stores may sell them in packs of 5 for $20 or 25 AUD. Or https://www.amazon.com/US-Art-Supply-Quality-Stretched/dp/B01KOND892/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492312761&sr=8-2&keywords=16x20+canvas
  
  
  
• liquid white, a 236ml cam should be good, I doubt any craft store other than hobby lobby, (but that's an American store)has it. https://www.bobross.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=R6207
  
  
  
• 200ml Windsor newton paint is the best for your buck, it's uncommon for craft stores to have it, I would get sap green, titanium white, phthalo blue, van dyke brown, cadmium yellow. https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Winton-200-Milliliter-Titanium/dp/B0044JPSDW/ref=sr_1_1_sns?ie=UTF8&qid=1492313012&sr=8-1
  
  
  
  
• For the paint brushes, it would be extremely expensive buying 10 brushes, so maybe your local hardware store has horse hair brushes, they should be $8 USD each (10 AUD) http://www.homedepot.com/p/Purdy-1-in-XL-Dale-Angled-Sash-Brush-144080310/100386391
  
  
• And amazon has fanbrushes and knifes. https://www.amazon.com/Martin-F-Weber-Number6-Blender/dp/B0027AEDLI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492313813&sr=8-1&keywords=6+fan+brush
  
  
• Your crafts store may these for less. https://www.amazon.com/Loew-Cornell-J-23-Painting-Knife/dp/B0009RNUR4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1492313993&sr=8-4&keywords=Painting+knife
  
  
  
• Paint thinner, you're local hardware store should have it in the painting section, buy at least 2 of the one gallon jugs (3.78 litres x2)
  Then while you're there too, you should get a few bucket to put it in.
  
  And you're pretty much set, if you have any questions let me know.

Primary Items:

• 7-pack of 11x14" Canvases: $17.98

• 1 qt Floetrol: $6.97

• Silicone oil: $14.99

• Liquitex High Gloss Varnish: $13.32

• Acrylic Paints: ~$1 each (I bought 4)

• Popsicle sticks: ~5.00

• TOTAL COST: $62.26

​

It's a tad pricy up front (I got most of this for my birthday), but several of these things will last me many pours. The canvases (obviously), the floetrol, the silicone oil, and the popsicle sticks will last for quite some time. It's possible the varnish will as well - I'm not sure yet, I haven't varnished my first canvas yet. Really the paint seems to be the thing that will run out the fastest unless you buy large sizes. I did cheap paint for my first pour, just to get kind of an idea, but I really liked how it turned out so I'm not inclined to buy anything more expensive for now. There are some other things that I had on hand an don’t have prices. Items like gloves, plastic cups, a butane torch, and the garbage bag I put under it.

Whoa, that one is super expensive. They have it here on Amazon for 35, available for free shipping too if you use Prime. I don't see why I can't do more than 1 as long as you aren't hard pressed for a super quick turn around time. So far I've only gotten 1 PM so yeah the offer is totally still up :)

> What do you paint on?

16x20 stretched canvas; i buy them in bulk on amazon, usually i can get them at around $2.50/each.

You might find niel's video helpful, he started painting on hardboard near the end and he says he just sanded it and then did four coats of gesso (no primer), but off the cuff it sounds like what you did would be fine as well.

It would just look like art on the wall. Canvas is usually stretched over a wooden frame so the back is hollowed out. Leaves space for something on the wall to fit in behind the canvas. I used one to cover an old phone jack in my last apartment. This link has picture of the back of a canvas to explain it better https://www.amazon.com/CONDA-Artist-Stretched-Canvas-Pack/dp/B01IBRF25G/ref=lp_12896211_1_12?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1542400355&sr=1-12

Ironically it was a leftover from a megaman one that I did. I got a 10 pack of them from amazon it was like $20 or so

Edit: it was $30 for the set of 10 but it looks like they sell singles as well, Here is a link to it

Big set of 48 acrylics-$36
Royal Brushes-$6
*6 Mini canvases 2x2-$12

A little over, if you only have $50 you could opt for the smaller set of acrylics
In my opinion the extra 12 colors is worth the $4 (:

I used to use a box I made out of stretched canvas boards I used whatever I had for lights (most often it was just a regular desk lamp). I DID upgrade to a clamp light (like what you'd use to light a garage, or keep poultry warm.) I could use the light pointed at the canvas board, but because it was a thick material, it would diffuse beautifully. And the boards were cheap enough, that I could throw one out if it got dirty-or if I wanted to paint one black. It was essentially a DIY softbox studio.

My apologies for the quality of the images-these are YEARS old and were taken with a kodak DX7590

Example 1-Orange in a bowl

Example 2-Strawberry

You can buy mini studio's now, some with integrated lighting. They are usually inexpensive. I always preferred to make my own, because I could control some aspects of the light. (Angle, intensity, color, etc)

Good websites with interesting and weird info are great time suckers. Since you’re into Disney, check out Yesterland and Lost Epcot!

If you’re into crafty nonsense, maybe make a vacation planner!

I’m also a huge fan of wasting time with logic puzzles.

Edit cos I thought of more:

Make tiny paintings!

Idk how to link it but download the Sky Guide app and get lost in the stars. Seriously, it’s fascinating.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T48L2EW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_L9VGxbC6BBAE0

$12 + $5 shipping https://www.amazon.com/Masterpiece-Canvas-Concepts-Hexagon-Pack/dp/B00F6B0Q34/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1502612927&sr=1-1&keywords=Hexagon+Canvas

I was thinking of grabbing some of these

Sargent Art 90-2002 18x24-Inch Stretched Canvas, 100% Cotton Double Primed https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0027PA1U0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3YjxDbDM3Q3ET

that's about right... bought these canvases
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015QWZL0/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
then bought all the necessary colors here:
http://www.eksuccessbrands.com/perlerbeads/Products/1000_Beads__See_All_Colors_041500P.htm
I've done other projects so had a lot of the colors already, so don't know the exact $$ but as I said, you're about right in the $30-$40 ballpark

oh and fiance already had the paints...

Salome Idea 25x25CM (10x10 Inch) Artist Square Stretched Canvas, Middle Size Pre-Stretched Cotton Canvas Panel Boards 5-Pack, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y5ZQ4D2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_B98iDbJMF47XN

"Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be."

Kurt Vonnegut

for art!