Friday, April 16, 2010

A brief on Canvas Stretchers – the reason behind many a beautiful artwork

Ever seen an artist at work? He blissfully paints on smooth and taut canvas without any unintended wrinkle marring the effect of his artwork. This leaves many a soul wondering that why a canvas follows the artists needs and remains unwrinkled the way it is required, sans those stubborn twists and turns. Well, the answer lies with canvas stretchers bars. The useful wooden or aluminum frame ensures that artists can focus their energies in creative pursuits without fretting too much about holding the canvas in place.

Canvas bars: What to choose?

There are many sizes that a canvas stretcher might be available in the market. From the varieties available, which one is to be chosen depends entirely on the kind of artwork the artist intends to create. The most common shape is rectangular canvas stretchers followed by oval shaped stretchers and then some rather unusual shapes and sizes.
For some very peculiar shapes, or to cut short the expenses, the artists can make their own canvas stretchers at home. This makes for some very interesting ideas and the pride of producing something on your own is nothing short of creating a masterpiece.
Things to be kept in mind while making your own canvas stretchers
Always pick high-quality wood with a smooth finish of protective material. It is very important that the wood does not start to rot or bend after few uses. If that looks quite costly, a better and cheaper alternative will be aluminum bars. Aluminum is very durable and yields easily to get into different shapes.

The edges of the bars should be slightly rounded so that no undue pressure is exerted on the canvas in the process of stretching.