Canvas Paper/Pads

I've found a fabulous oil painting support to practice on.  It's canvas paper/pads.  I have quite a bit of experience with the Canson Canva-Paper as this has been my primary support for several small studies.  I've purchased the 12x16 pad size and cut the sheets down to size:  5x7s and 8x10s.  I can actually use a cutting board to cleanly cut the sheets of paper.  Any odd-sized shape scraps are used for documenting colors used in a painting so I can re-create the colors at a later time.  I also use them to paint test colors I mix before committing them to the real painting.


This Canson Canva-Paper is fairly stiff (136 lb paper) and has "the look and feel" of cotton canvas imprinted on the paper.  I like using this paper because of the stiffness and once I've completed a painting I can leave it on a display easel without the paper sagging or curling.

Before I start to paint, I mount the Canva-Paper on a hardboard.  Any firm/stiff board can be used for the backing.  To keep the paper from moving around, I tape the paper down using blue painter's tape.  This tape also helps where I can freely paint to the edges and not get any paint on the hardboard backing.  As you can see, I've used this painter's tape before on another painting project.  I just turned the tape around so the clean side is touching the new project.  

After a few days and when the painting is dry to touch, I gently peel off the blue tape.  I can then leave the painting on a display easel to dry further.  

Another "canvas pad" that I've purchased, but not have used yet is Fredrix.  I can't call this paper as it actually feels like true cotton canvas.  When I lifted the first sheet on the pad, it felt like cloth.  The sheets are not stiff, but flexible.  I guess I should not have been that surprised as the word "paper" is not mentioned/advertised on the pad.  Instead, it reads "genuine artist canvas".  I purchased a huge 16x20 pad at my local Michael's (w/coupon) and had to literally hand cut a canvas sheet down to four 8x10s.  Sharp scissors worked nicely.  

I'm undecided how I'm going to mount this canvas before I start to paint on it.  I've heard other artists use a hardboard (e.g. 8x10) and glue the canvas to the board.  I may have to try that.  This Fredrix Canvas Pad will be a good alternative to use after I graduate from using the canvas paper.

Here's paper cutter similar to the one I use to cut my Canson Canva-Paper: