|
Archival Quality: Fredrix Watercolor Artist Canvas is manufactured with acid-free materials and is guaranteed to be 100% Archival Quality.
No Buckling: Fredrix Watercolor Canvas on stretcher strips and Fredrix Watercolor Archival Boards will not buckle like watercolor paper. Watercolor canvas sold on rolls and in pads, do have a propensity to buckle. Therefore they should be stapled or taped either wet or dry to a ½ -inch thick Gatorboard® to prevent buckling.
Lifting Capabilities: Because of the durability of canvas, the lifting capabilities are uniquely superior to that of paper. Unlike paper, watercolor washes can be lifted by simply wetting the area to be recovered with a damp brush or moist cloth, and then blotting or brushing off the color. And with Watercolor Canvas, you can even wash out a complete image and start over! If you wish to remove a complete image, it’s best to do it before the image is completely dry. In addition, some pigments may stain or “ghost” more than others. Be sure to experiment.
Lift Your Signature: You can sign your painting in the traditional manner with ink or paint, but with Watercolor Canvas, you can literally “lift” your signature. Apply clear water with a brush and then blot.
Glazing and Layering: Because of unique lifting capabilities of Watercolor Canvas, layering or glazing of pigments may have a tendency to remove previous layers of color, and special techniques may be required: Be sure first layer of color is completely dry. To totally prevent lifting, you may use transparent fluid acrylic colors as glazes. Use Krylon #7120 Finish Spray or acceptable substitute to “fix” each layer when using watercolor pigments. Always try these techniques on a separate Watercolor Canvas to see which one works best for you.
Highlights or “Whites” Recovered: Friskit can be used on the watercolor canvas, or you can (simply and easily) remove pigment by wetting area to be made white with a damp brush. Blot or dry area with a tissue or paper towel.
Durable: Fredrix Watercolor Canvas will not tear like paper does, therefore scratching or scraping the surface will not harm canvas, and removing canvas from supports (like Gatorboard and stretchers) will not damage your artwork.
Collage Techniques: Acrylic matte medium or acrylic gel medium may be used as a glue for collage work (follow directions on bottle of medium). Apply medium to canvas surface (may remove watercolor paint from surface-brush gently) and to collage material and apply collage to canvas. Canvas may take longer to dry than paper.
Wet on Wet Technique: Fredrix Watercolor Canvas can be brushed with water on one side (or both sides), and will perform like wet watercolor paper. The canvas will stay damp longer than paper, so some experimentation may be necessary. Pre-stretched canvas and Archival boards will NOT buckle like paper. Canvas sheets will buckle, so we suggest that you staple to Gatorboard®.
Wet on Dry Technique: Watercolor paints can be applied to dry canvas, as on paper, remembering that canvas has a rough texture. And for stronger colors, use more concentrated paint. Also, be aware that pigment will “lift” if you go over previously painted area with a “heavy hand”. “Lifting” will not occur if you use fluid acrylics or waterproof inks.
Plein Air: Fredrix Watercolor stretched canvas and canvas boards are excellent for painting outdoors (plein air), especially since you will not need to bring any supports, as you would for watercolor paper. And, as stated before, NO buckling!
Gatorboard® is available at Michaels. Regular foam core is too soft, and will not work with this technique. If you cannot get Gatorboard, you may tape the canvas to an alternate waterproof surface although stapling works best with canvas.
Please visit our framing department for information on framing watercolor projects. How to use Gatorboard® with Fredrix Watercolor Canvas Pads and Rolls:
Attach dry watercolor canvas to Gatorboard by smoothing the canvas out flat on the Gatorboard which is slightly larger than the piece of canvas.
Using a regular desk stapler, opened up, staple in the middle of each side of the canvas very close to the edge, while stretching the canvas with your hands toward the location where you will put in the next staple.
Continue stapling and stretching the canvas until all four sides have been stapled down, with staples approximately one inch apart all the way around the edges.
Watercolor paints may be applied to the stretched canvas using either wet on wet or wet on dry techniques.
|
)
)
)
)
