prepping canvas

LOL, dnt get it at artstores, go buy it from bunnings, 1 x 6mm sheet or thicker if you like, I often paint on the 3 mm so its easily moved around, normally 2400x1200 is a lot of smaller boards. Get that on special and I doubt few canvas suppliers besides the reject shop maybe will be a cheaper option, prepped MDF is a much more controllable surface and not far off your higher end clayboard and synthetic paper alternatives, erasing is also fine on it in comparison to canvas which can be easily overworked, if you want texture, then use your canvas, more towards traditional methods, but the amount of prep time to get canvas ready to paint high end work is prob a few hrs in each board, consider that also in your costing factor if planning to do such for sale, the mdf by comparison is prob about 3 minutes a board to prep is a solid non moving surface which if you want it to last years prob a better surface also in that regard. but ultimately canvas is for oil painters LOL

aside from digital media and pencil, my background is oil/canvas going back to me college days. all this acrylics/reducers, airbrushing etc is new to me.

i see mdf at bunnings, but its still more than bulk rolls of canvas. i guess if you want to avoid the prep work, paying more may be worth it to you. i guess it couldnt hurt to sample a piece of mdf in the future. thanks for your input
 
they (Bunnings) do smaller pieces as well is you just want to try rather than commit to a large piece. Also look out for search out old drawers, the bottoms of the drawers and the back of the unit will likely have thin mdf that you can play around with.

by the time you cost in the frame for the canvas and the gesso, does it still make it cost effective when you can just as easily roller some house paint on the mdf and you're ready to paint.
As you are likely aware, Gesso is another item that will give you 'sticker shock' here in Australia . . . lets just say freight costs have a lot to answer for.
 
they (Bunnings) do smaller pieces as well is you just want to try rather than commit to a large piece. Also look out for search out old drawers, the bottoms of the drawers and the back of the unit will likely have thin mdf that you can play around with.

by the time you cost in the frame for the canvas and the gesso, does it still make it cost effective when you can just as easily roller some house paint on the mdf and you're ready to paint.
As you are likely aware, Gesso is another item that will give you 'sticker shock' here in Australia . . . lets just say freight costs have a lot to answer for.

i dont think ppl appreciate aus sticker shock as much as i do. theres not even a dollar menu at maccas.

i wont be buying frames, and i can make gesso. i have frames i can use on easels or even stretch with tape in a pinch but the goal is to pawn off my pieces frameless...but yeah those are costs to factor in for sure. good tip on looking for old wood pieces, i frequent the local tip from time to time looking for gold. i will add mdf to the search.

still seems like it would be easier and cheaper to package and ship canvas pieces too
 
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i dont think ppl appreciate aus sticker shock as much as i do. theres not even a dollar menu at maccas.

Thats the best reason I've seen to avoid Macca's, I haven't been to Macca's or any other fast food outlet other than Pizza for more years than I care to remember. lol
The biggest shocks are comparing Aussie prices with those overseas, even when you convert to Aus $ and factor in freight its often still significantly cheaper to buy overseas. :depressed: Its not always possible financially to buy local.
 
Thats the best reason I've seen to avoid Macca's, I haven't been to Macca's or any other fast food outlet other than Pizza for more years than I care to remember. lol
The biggest shocks are comparing Aussie prices with those overseas, even when you convert to Aus $ and factor in freight its often still significantly cheaper to buy overseas. :depressed: Its not always possible financially to buy local.

i hear ya.. its usually aldi or bust in my house.. but some coles and wools.... we dont eat out a lot.. just special occasions... unless we catch the local chinese place closing down for the day and trying to rid their products cheap.. we r buying then..

i tell my friends and family back in the states ill never own a truck again.. because a new chevy truck costs 130-140k over here brand new.. they dont believe me.. guess i need to look at used great walls.. they never believe how expensive it is until they visit...
 
aside from digital media and pencil, my background is oil/canvas going back to me college days. all this acrylics/reducers, airbrushing etc is new to me.

i see mdf at bunnings, but its still more than bulk rolls of canvas. i guess if you want to avoid the prep work, paying more may be worth it to you. i guess it couldnt hurt to sample a piece of mdf in the future. thanks for your input

Yer just keep checking m8 and also don't buy too thick, it will come on sale and sometimes buying 2-3 bigger sheets and cutting em down to suitable sizes will get ya a years worth of painting boards all ready to go for one days work if that. You gotta remember its not just a cost comparison between the mdf and the roll of canvas, I'd figure close maybe to the same price for surface area you get but then you still have to build your frames, stretch it, gesso or prep etc, but as a hobby time isn't really a factor but if wanting to sell that work, 3 hrs prep time into one canvas has to be accounted and worked into the price, when your dealing at times with tight profit margins already, any dollar saved is a good business principal be it in material cost or time costs. Try Jackebs thought about scrouging some up is generally pretty easy crud to find on most hard rubbish collection days as are old washing machine panels and the like if you also want to play with metal in the future, start collecting now ;) LOL. Well wrth your time to try and it may be a surface you really like or one that may at least answer for you if canvas is the way forward in your airbrushing as some do really like canvas. Good luck...
 
Know any one chucking out cheap furniture or have a recycling centre/dump nearby? Grab the backs of wardrobes, bottoms of drawers etc. Free paint surface right there.
 
Know any one chucking out cheap furniture or have a recycling centre/dump nearby? Grab the backs of wardrobes, bottoms of drawers etc. Free paint surface right there.
That's funny.....but true! I was driving in the country yesterday and saw an old, old wringer washing machine out for garbage pick up. I thought that would be some great metal to paint on. Than I remembered the size of my car. Lol.
 
i dont think ppl appreciate aus sticker shock as much as i do. theres not even a dollar menu at maccas.

i wont be buying frames, and i can make gesso. i have frames i can use on easels or even stretch with tape in a pinch but the goal is to pawn off my pieces frameless...but yeah those are costs to factor in for sure. good tip on looking for old wood pieces, i frequent the local tip from time to time looking for gold. i will add mdf to the search.

still seems like it would be easier and cheaper to package and ship canvas pieces too

Don't know what your market is but I do wonder if trying to sell frameless work will be more difficult compared to selling a 'ready to hang' piece?

If you think Aus compares badly to US prices, don't move to Europe !!!!
 
Don't know what your market is but I do wonder if trying to sell frameless work will be more difficult compared to selling a 'ready to hang' piece?

If you think Aus compares badly to US prices, don't move to Europe !!!!

Many canvases are hung without a frame and its generally not a thing all artists will finish their work with as framing often is a choice more of the person who purchases the art to perhaps then better suit the decor of their own home, if obviously the artist does gallery viewing type work he may choose the frame that best suits the art, if I frame I do tend to choose to suit the art rather than decor, plus it can be very expensive framing something properly and to do it justice, often adding such a cost prior to sale for the artist isn't possible...I only ever sell unframed work but do offer the alternative and if I sell that work thats been gallery shown and sold, the framing comes at an "extra" cost as often the consumer may like the work but NOT the frame LOL :) but often you can make a hanging box for the mdf panels or the canvas anyway so most canvas can be hung as they are.. Most decor I see these days feature a lot of frameless art.
 
Many canvases are hung without a frame and its generally not a thing all artists will finish their work with as framing often is a choice more of the person who purchases the art to perhaps then better suit the decor of their own home, if obviously the artist does gallery viewing type work he may choose the frame that best suits the art, if I frame I do tend to choose to suit the art rather than decor, plus it can be very expensive framing something properly and to do it justice, often adding such a cost prior to sale for the artist isn't possible...I only ever sell unframed work but do offer the alternative and if I sell that work thats been gallery shown and sold, the framing comes at an "extra" cost as often the consumer may like the work but NOT the frame LOL :) but often you can make a hanging box for the mdf panels or the canvas anyway so most canvas can be hung as they are.. Most decor I see these days feature a lot of frameless art.

Interesting points. I guess that buying an artwork unframed, as opposed to frameless, the buyer is implicitly taking on the costs of framing themselves. I'm also guessing that shipping unframed work is cheaper and 'safer'.

The 'frame to suit the decor' probably goes further into 'artwork to suit the decor' in a lot of cases.

I think the framing has to be sympathetic to the work and I wished now I'd paid more attention to my old uncle who was an artist but used to do a lot of picture framing.

Many years ago in Bali I saw an oil on canvas painting of Cranes I really liked. So we started 'discussing' price, (too long ago to remember how much), the compromise price was agreed without frame, (I had to get it back to the UK in my suitcase), the vendor then took out a claw hammer and parted the frame from the canvas.
 
Interesting points. I guess that buying an artwork unframed, as opposed to frameless, the buyer is implicitly taking on the costs of framing themselves. I'm also guessing that shipping unframed work is cheaper and 'safer'.

The 'frame to suit the decor' probably goes further into 'artwork to suit the decor' in a lot of cases.

I think the framing has to be sympathetic to the work and I wished now I'd paid more attention to my old uncle who was an artist but used to do a lot of picture framing.

Many years ago in Bali I saw an oil on canvas painting of Cranes I really liked. So we started 'discussing' price, (too long ago to remember how much), the compromise price was agreed without frame, (I had to get it back to the UK in my suitcase), the vendor then took out a claw hammer and parted the frame from the canvas.

Needs to be sympathetic to both as it can connect the artwork to the room, walk into most peoples places and if they like gaudy furniture they will likely use the old guided gaudy style framing If you walk into a person who likes modern boxey furniture the frames around the house will likely reflect the same tastes but yes it also has to suit the style or the work itself, seen many people say love the art hate the frame or love the frame, hate the art LOL thats why framing can cost so much LOL (maybe not in bali LOL), but really in most cases if your selling your work at a few hundred a canvas, to do framing properly can cost about the same so its a big cost adding aspect that may actually detract from someone buying it as 9/10 they'll figure they can get it framed cheap LOL. if your buying $20 frames no issue :)
 
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