Friday, July 22, 2011

Stretcher Frames and Bars

If you are somebody who has to work with canvases of various sizes or if you are an artist yourself, you are probably no stranger to stretcher frames. These contraptions, used to stretch canvases and frame them, are an integral part of working with canvases. Canvas stretcher frames usually stretch the fabric in case of needlework or the canvas in case of painting to help an artist fabricate the artwork of his or her choice. These stretchers help an artist work freely without any trouble of the canvas rolling up or the fabric getting warped or wrinkled. In other words, these stretching bars help an artist work effortlessly and produce the desired results.


All said, one needs to ensure that stretcher frames are of a very high quality because poorly constructed frames can lead to a host of problems afterwards. One of the most common complaints involving stretcher frames and bars (often erroneously referred to as ‘strecher bars’) is that they can sometimes bend or warp under the enormous amounts of pressure that they are typically subjected to.


This is the reason why some of the best stretcher bars (or strecher bars) available today use short splines and other ingenious designs to improve the stability of the frames. Most of them are available in a wide range of sizes and strength, and are well suited for most purposes. Just pick the right one for your job and you can rest assured that your canvases will stay stretched without any problem.





Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Finding Better Stretcher Frames

What is the worst nightmare of every canvas stretcher or canvas framer? If you’ve tried your hand at canvas stretching before, you probably know the answer to this one. In case you don’t, let me tell you. It’s a stretcher frame that gets warped and twisted after it has been used to stretch a piece of canvas. Just come to think of it; you’ve had that newly acquired piece of canvas beautifully stretched and framed and proudly displayed in your home. Now you call in your friends to show them your prized possession. All goes well until you (and your guests) discover that your masterpiece has become a tortured exhibition of nasty warps and twists, and your canvas now has more waves on its sad face than the Atlantic!

It’s easy to see then why selecting good quality stretcher frames is so important. Buy a low quality stretcher frame and you stand every chance of spoiling not only the framework, but the work of art it showcases as well. The search for stretcher frames for different canvas sizes is not a hard thing these days. While you can always get them at the local art supply store or the superstore in the neighborhood, buying them online is even easier and a lot more convenient too. Just try searching on Google for stretcher bars for canvas and you’re sure to find thousands of sellers in a matter of seconds. You can get them at wholesale rates! If you’re considering a bulk purchase or wish to buy the entire year’s supply all at once, wholesale rates will let you save big on them.