One of my paintings is right in the display window! It's a proud feeling :)
Speaking of Painting!
Here's my little tutorial of the week:
I wanted to continue this week with another surface tutorial. Last week I explained the idea of primed plywood, this week I'd like to show you one of the laziest shortcuts you can make as an artist while still avoiding pre- primed canvases. Stretchers bars!
All they are are pre- measured/cut pieces of wood cut into perfect interlocking 45 degree angles
They are relatively inexpensive, come in most standard sizes, and can be purchased at Dick Blick, A.C. Moore, or really any art supply store. Except Michael's I learned this weekend!
These really are quite idiot proof to assemble, it goes a little something like this:
1. Select your canvas size (remember to get 2 of each size to make a complete shape)
2. Apply a small amount of wood glue to the joint
3. Wiggle the bars together, they should fit perfectly!
Now you have a quick and easy frame on which to stretch really any material you like! Examples: canvas, linen, silk, anything! Just make sure to prime the surface in order to avoid absorption and warping.
Now, here's the truth about stretcher bars:
They are very useful for a quick stretcher. But they are not always the best solution. I really would not recommend using these for paintings bigger than 24 inches because they are not as sturdy as a hand-built frame and could crack under pressure. These work well for smaller paintings. One annoying thing about them is that they only come in certain sizes. So this makes super precise sizes difficult. Stretcher bars can also become pricey, they are by far more expensive than lumber. But really, you are paying for convenience with these. There are some varieties that come with connecting joints in the middle of the bar, do NOT get these. I have seen them prove to be disastrous on multiple occasions. Basically, if you would like to make a small piece and do not wish to spend the extensive amount of time to make a stretcher from scratch (I don't blame you) these are a great solution!
In other, not-art-related news, the Superbowl happened! Anyone who knows my boyfriend and me, knows we are not sports fans. It's just not something I ever got into, I'm a dancer so I'm much more interested in Dance Moms :) and Zach is much more interested in being athletic than watching athletes. He loves to mountain bike and run. But, because it was the ravens, we tuned in!
My Aunt Sam had a party so we joined the festivities :)
We had a ball but I had to get back to Philly this morning, I had class! So Zach dropped me off at the train station, it was rather stressful to be honest. Thankfully my last class for today was cancelled for some reason! So I got a second to get it together before dance practice tonight!
I hope this inspired you to give painting a try!
stressful??? You had a whole 8 minutes to make the train haha
ReplyDeleteHaha I can't believe you read this love :) You know how I like to collect myself :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that Zach reads and comments on your blog posts. :)
ReplyDelete