Artists’ Canvas Panels/Boards or Artists’ Stretched Canvas 

Ever wondered which is better, canvas panels or stretched canvas? This blog will help you decide which and guide you through the intricacies of the different kinds of canvases. Is it better to use a canvas panel, or is stretched canvas still the way to go?  

The two painting surfaces of panels & stretched canvases may look similar from a distance, but the differences become apparent once you observe them more closely. 

Should you spend a couple of extra pounds for a stretched canvas, or are canvas panels sufficient? 

Canvas Panels vs. Stretched Canvas – Which is Best for Artists? 

Before we go into the advantages of canvas panels vs. stretched canvas, that will assist in differentiating one from the other, let’s discuss the details of these painting surfaces and brief descriptions. 

What is an Artists’ Stretched Canvas? 

A stretched canvas is a piece of canvas cloth tightly stretched and stapled over a wooden frame. Artist’s use stretched canvases because they are lightweight, and the textures feel great to paint on. Also, very convenient for students creating pieces of artwork for assessment – once complete, you can un staple the canvas and fold up for easy posting. However, because the canvas is stretched tightly over a wooden frame, the painting surface is quite fragile and easily damaged. 

Advantages of Stretched Canvas 

So what are the differentiating features of the stretched canvas that make it better than the canvas panel? Here are some clear answers: 

Springy/Responsive Painting Surface - Stretched canvases provide a responsive ‘spring-like’ painting surface, which is great for when you are using brushes and painting knives. This will allow you to get lovely effects and detail when you bend the brushes. 

Larger Painting Surfaces - Stretched canvases, thanks to their wooden frames, can be as large as 60” x 120”. Obviously quite heavy, the bigger they get, but the frame will also be stronger so the canvas will still have ample support. 

Easier Shipping/Posting - If you ever need to ship or post your finished painting, you can unmount the canvas from the frame and put it in a protective tube. You can then just remount the canvas on a new frame or simply spread out. This is not possible with canvas panels as you cannot roll them up or fold them, so shipping them will be quite expensive. 

What is a Canvas Panel? 

Canvas boards/panels, just like stretched canvases, also use canvas cloth. However, instead of being stretched over a wooden frame, the fabric is attached to a solid base (typically mdf or cardboard), which offers firm, rigid support. Canvas panels are much thinner than stretched canvas, meaning they are lighter to carry around and often preferable when painting outdoors or away from your home or studio. 

Benefits of Canvas Panels 

Here are some of the distinctive and unique benefits of canvas panels, that make them better than stretched canvases: 

Do not Loosen or loose tension - One of the biggest issues of stretched canvases is that they tend to loosen over time and will need to be re-stretched. This can also happen when the season change, like from summer to autumn, or when you move the painting to an area that is significantly colder or a change in humidity. This is a common problem that artists have when they need to transport their artworks from one art gallery to another. It does not happen to canvas panels, as the fabric comes firmly glued onto the backing board. 

Easier to Mount - If you create your own stretched canvases or remount old paintings, you have to use a bit of effort. This gets more difficult the larger the painting. On the other hand, it is easier to make canvas panels as you will only need to affix the fabric onto the backing board. 

No need for Stretcher Bars - Since you will not be mounting the canvas fabric onto a wooden frame, there is no need for stretcher bars. Stretcher bars are required for stretched canvas frames to enable the frame to hold its shape and provide tension. 

For bigger stretched canvases, you have to add supporting crossbars for more rigidity. 

Minimal Surface Movement - The surface of stretched canvas tends to move when it experiences sudden changes in ambient temperature and vibrations. Over time, these slight movements will disturb the paint layers and cause them to crack eventually. 

This is not an issue with canvas panels because the fabric comes securely fixed on the backing board. There is no amount of vibration and temperature changes that will move the canvas. 

Portability - Canvas panels are more suitable for small paintings, making them ideal for outdoor painting. Also, as light cannot shine through the backing board of canvas panels, like stretched canvases, it is easier to judge the colours. 

You can also prop up canvas boards on anything – a park bench, against a tree, and anywhere else. Meanwhile, stretched canvas needs to be placed on an easel. 

Durability - As its name suggests, the canvas fabric comes stretched tightly over a frame in a stretched canvas, which makes the painted surface easy to damage. If you do puncture a stretched canvas and you are unable to patch up, the hole will get larger. On the other hand, even though canvas panels are still at risk of damage, they will not be near the same extent as stretched canvas. 

Ease of Cropping - If ever you need to crop a canvas panel, you can do so without that much preparation. For stretched canvas paintings, you have to remove the canvas from the frame, then construct a new frame for the cropped canvas and then stretch the canvas over it again. 

Easier to Store - In terms of size, canvas panels are more compact than stretched canvases and you can store several canvas panels in the space provided for just one stretch canvas painting. Also, since canvas panels are more durable, you do not have to worry about damaging them while in storage. 

Based on these comments, you will probably conclude that canvas panels are the more convenient choice. Stretched canvases have their benefits though, and are for more experienced artists. 

Can You Frame a Canvas Panel? 

Yes, you can frame a canvas panel, but not usually in the same way as you would a stretched canvas painting. It is not advisable to frame a canvas panel under glass as it can touch the surface of the canvas and ruin the artwork. You should apply a sealant or varnish over the artwork and leave out the glass panel altogether. 

Conclusion

When it comes to canvas panel vs stretched canvas, the better choice for most people, particularly beginners, would be the canvas panel. Canvas panels are more affordable, more forgiving, convenient to use, and durable.

Once you gain a bit more experience with painting on canvas, and become a proficient painter, you can then start using stretched canvas. There is just something about painting on a stretched canvas that makes it look more professional and the painting experience is more lively. 
 
Canvas Rolls

If you’re planning on creating a stretched canvas that’s a bespoke size, or that you will need to roll up and transport, then you will need to purchase canvas from a roll, either by the metre or the full roll. You can purchase different weights which indicate the density of the thread, pre primed or unprimed. Canvases with a heavier weight are more suitable for work that requires lots of blending.  

Using canvas from a roll will require more work as you will need to prepare and stretch the canvas yourself. You will also need to explore which canvas stretcher will be most suitable for the artwork you want to create.  

The majority of stretched canvases available are already pre-primed, saving you the trouble of doing it yourself, but you may prefer to use an unprimed canvas, which will give a less vibrant, more textured appearance to your artwork. You may also choose to add an additional layer of primer to a pre-primed canvas in order to create a less porous, smoother surface and improve the lifespan of your end product.