How to Stretch a Canvas for oil & acrylic paintings, giclees and prints 

You can buy nice fabric at the fabric store and stretch that for decore. Stretcher bars come in pairs and you could make say t. 6'x16 or some rectagle of wonderful fabric to hand on a wall or small colored squares... skys the limit. So after you stretch your canvases, you can have fun with this skill in a lot of ways.

Wow, thank you!

+Everard Alcindor thank you. Now I have to mention something I did not have to worry about when I made the original video Be sure to check the wood bars for warping. I am seeing wooden stretcher bars that may have not been kiln dried properly mixed in with others. Lay them on a flat surface and make sure they lay flat before you buy them. (I really see this on pre-strethched canvases alot.)

Agreed going to buy stretcher bars =)

Great as it is very simple to do.

+Ed Richard Mens hands usually have more strength in them too, so you could probably stretch a bigger canvas than I could with out stretcher pliers. You have to be careful with pliers too because they have the potential to tear the canvas it it is a light thread count and you get a little forceful. I often will wrap mine with tape. .

Awesome

If you are doing watercolor buy some Absorbent Ground from Golden and coat you stretched canvas with 2 coats. Then allow to dry and paint on it with your watercolors just like on paper. Aso look for the Ampersand watercolor boards /panels.

So glad this was helpful. Before I knew how to do it I has a kid at Michales do this for me 25 yrs ago.... he did it wrong and the canvas was too tight and your are right, it was expensive even back them. If you are doing a wider stretcher bar allow about 3 inches extra canvas to wrap around.

did you buy oils or acrylics? use the contact us on my website if you have any questions. www.gingercooklive.gallery (but while the paint is still wet smudge it a bit. )

awesome. It really is something you can do your self.

Its hard to paint on an unstretched canvas. But sometime people will buy a painting from China or Europe that is just rolled up or needs to be stretched. When I was painting in France I took the stretcher bars appart in the bottom of my suitcase, put them together, stretched a canvas and painted it. Took staple remover and took itoff the bars and rolled the canvas up in my suitcase in a tube with the others I painted. I was able to travel and paint large canvas painting that way and still ge tthem home.

No actually you can paint on unstretched canvas.(small sizes work best) but often people will have prints made on canvas too and need to stretch them.

Art stores sell canvas by the foot or role. It comes pregessoed in different weights or thread count. The heavier canvas needs stretcher plyers. Too thick and its hard to stretch. You buy the stretcher bars too. on line try Jerry;s Artarama. Allow two inches to wrap and staple on wide bars and less on thiner ones.

Well look how old this video is... about 15 yrs I think. It was the first video I ever made, and done by a friend.

Works like a charm. just make sure you have enough to wrap around the edge.

I have been doing this a long time but this was the very first video I ever had filmed and my not be perfect.. You be sure to mark all the corners. Yes and Yes?

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful! If you try a larger canvas you might want to use canvas stretcher pliers made for stretching canvas

so pleased you found this helpful.

I am glad this was helpful

Thank you, its a very hand skill to have. If you do a large canvas having stretcher pliers is very nice too.

You are so welcome! Its really easy and on larger pieces, just buy some stretching pliars.

not if the canvas entire size of the painting is 14x28 with no border. then you need at least another inch if stapling on the sides and 2 inches if stapling on the back . so you would want smaller bars. it will depend . on how much of a border they gave you. if no border you need smaller bars.

NO never. You will probably do a much better job on it. On larger canvases, buy the stretcher pliers. 😀

YES AND YES

+Tom Meehan I was very sorry that it was taken down also by the lady that did the filmiing of it for me and originally posted it up on her site, as it had 750k views..... but I am glad you found it again too, and thanks for writing, ginger

I so appreciate your positive feedback. If you do a larger canvas you will need special canvas pliers to stretch it tight.

You are welcome, glad you liked it.

+Amanda Tipton Yes you should have them just in case. Your hands may not be strong enough. A guys hands probably are for that size....sorry if I sound a bit sexist. don't mean too.

+Ginger Cook Thank you for the advice, I'll look for them the next time I'm in the art supply store :)

You're so welcome! If you are doing larger pieces you will need stretcher pliers

You're so welcome!

ah, well this is a good video to know how to do stuff. very old.

Hey thanks for the positive comment and appreciate the feedback.

+S Thunda Canvas is a heavier cloth, even though thread ount may vary. While you can stretch any fabric. ( there was a swedish artist in the 60s who made a great living selling thin cotten silk screen paintings that were on huge stretcher bars) you have to make sure when you gesso it (because you would need to do that) that it did not shrink too much) but you can paint acrylic on anything. I would make sure that you had pre shrunk the fabric first.

On small paintings you dont but on larger canves yes and yes, a good set of stretcher pliers is a must have. I appreciate your taking the time to comment. This was the first video I ever did,12 yrs ago, and another person who did not paint filmed and edited it for me....

I believe that they are 3/8", but I want to check for you. It also depends on your stable gun. Please use the Contact Us on our website so I can write back to more specific information. gingercooklive.gallery/contact-us/

ok thank you.. been reading more up on it , seems 3/8 or 1/4 inch are the 2 most used sizes. still have to buy the staple gun

Sure. Most people will stretch a canvas for an odd size they want to paint or for a print on canvas they bought or an oil or acrylic painting that they buy out of the country (china, russia, France) and bring it home. easier to take a rolled something into the country than ship a big stretched canvas half way around the world..

Glad it was helpful!

Dallas is lovely in the spring

😊yes it is, I've been there in the HOTTT temps as well as Christmas time. I would love to move there. Indiana weather is horrible

Thanks so much. it just a thing artist should know how to do and so glad you found this helpful.

You are so welcome!

You're welcome!

+STEPHANIE SCOTT Absolutely so pleased you found this helpful.

I did this years ago. thanks

Thank you. i am glad you found this useful. Ginger

10 yers ago. time flies when you are having fun. LOL

Art hugs from Texas

Thank you

well this was filmed by some friends over 10 years ago, and I had no control over editing or production....

I have one, it's more like what not to do but very funny and I think helpful. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gOGdjnI70Q0.html