Eric Alexander Santoli
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Stretching a Canvas Step-By-Step!

3/6/2018

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This is a step-by-step guide for anyone looking to learn how to stretch a canvas!  The steps are written out along with corresponding pictures.  I'm making an 8" X 10" canvas, but these steps work for any size canvas, big or small.

Materials needed:
  -Canvas
  -Stretcher Bars (assemble by fitting together each piece to form a square/rectangle)
  -Steel Cut Tacks
  -Staple Gun
  -Hammer
  -Canvas Pliers
  -Ruler
  -Pencil
  -Scissors

Steps

​1. Lay out your canvas, ruler, pencil and scissors.
2. I'm using Claessens double primed oil ground for this demo, but feel free to use any canvas you prefer.
3. Lay your stretcher bars onto your canvas. Make sure your stretcher bars are stapled in the corners so they don't shift while you stretch your canvas.
4. Using a ruler, measure a 2" border on each side of your stretcher bars.  You need at least 2" of extra canvas in order to stretch it around the stretcher bars.
5. Trace the outline of your stretcher bars to make sure it's centered.
6. Once you have measured out 2" around your stretcher bars, then cut out the rectangle.  I am using 8" X 10" stretcher bars so my canvas is 10" X 12".
7. Flip the canvas over so the white side is facing down. Stretcher bars have a flat side and a side with a groove running towards the inner edge.  Make sure that the flat part of your stretcher bars is facing up.
8. I use steel cut tacks for assembling my canvas, but you can also use a staple gun.
9. Choose one side and hammer a tack into the middle of the stretcher bar.
10. Go to the opposite side of the canvas and use canvas pliers to pull the canvas tight. Hammer one tack into this opposite side. After you tack one pair of sides, then tack the next pair of sides. This should create a diamond shape on the front of the canvas.
11. Alternate back and forth between the two opposite sides and hammer tacks on either side of the first center tack.
12. Use the canvas pliers to stretch and hammer tacks all the way to the edge of the canvas. Check the tightness of the canvas by tapping the front.
13. The canvas should now have tacks all along each edge.
14. Next, we're going to fold the canvas corners.
15. Start by folding the right edge towards the center.
16. Next, fold the bottom edge upwards.
17. The bottom edge should look like this.
18. Use a staple gun to secure the corner.
19. Fold and staple each corner facing the same direction. This will be important if you plan on framing your finished painting.
20. Staple the middles of the canvas to the stretcher bars as shown.
21. The front of your canvas should be flat. If you find any bumps, you can remove the corresponding tack and stretch and re-tack the loose spot.
22. Now you're all ready to paint!
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"Peanuts" - Preparatory Work + Canvas

1/15/2018

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  Did some compositional sketching and stretched a new canvas for this commission.  I'm using Claessens double oil-primed linen, which I used previously on the portrait of my girlfriend (pictured in gallery below); I really like the Claessens and put a tone down on it with some earth colors and Gamsol.  The tone will be dry by tomorrow so I can sketch in the underdrawing and then get to work!  
The first time I used Claessens was on this portrait of my girlfriend
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