Hi,
Planning to try my hands on oil painting.Does anyone know how to make canvas at home and from where we can get the raw material as the readymade ones sold here are too expensive.

Sorry..forgot to mention the location.Looking for shops in Basel.

Do you already have a loom? You will need one for weaving the canvas. A mechanical loom will give you a more even-textured fabric but I suppose you could start with a hand one. Lots of work though.

Other than that... well, you need a good source of cotton, I suppose, and a spinning wheel and maybe one or two other odds and ends...

Are you sure this is going to be economical?

Probably best to buy an old but useless oli painting at a flea market and simply paint on top.

Old Masters are always doing this.

@Mathnut..I guess I used all wrong jargon..

I have the cotton cloth with me..i guess the appropriate word woud be stretching ..not sure though.

Want to know how to turn that cloth into a canvas(finished white colored one on which we can oil paint)...need frames and some coating of i think primer needs to be done on the cloth...

Any idea how to do this plus where to get the stuff required in basel at cheaper rate:-)

@Maximus..thats a great idea but how to remove the old paint first ..i mean cant just paint on old painting as the new wont be that nice then I guess...or theres a technique somewhere

You can buy frames and canvas. If you have canvas, you can easily make frames, or get them made.

Tips:

- If you make frames, reinforce the corners so as to prevent buckling.
- Staple the canvas to the frame, leaving it some slack
- Take the framed canvas to the bath or shower and spray with cold water. This will make the canvas taught on the frame
- Prime the canvas so make the material less absorbent. Your paints will determine the primer

Another tip

You are not going to hang all your paintings, so get one or two frames made, mount your canvas, paint, let it dry and then remove the canvas, roll it up and use the frame for another painting.

PS. There are many tutorials on YouTube about how to mount and prep canvases.

Good luck!

__________________
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few

I have oil and acrylic paints with me..wanted to know where to get the frames(they are ready made or have to prepare?) and the primer in basel.

Basically I am unemployed,part time student with scholarship or stiphend..so you understand when time and again I say cant afford readymade framed canvas and would like to make at home from cotton cloth which I have..hoping that the cost wud be reduced here drastically.

If you're that strapped for cash, why not paint on cardboard or masonite board? I would source canvas in France, get someone to help make a frame or two and re-use the frame to stretch canvasses, removing the canvas when finished.

You could buy old/bad quality paintings in a brocki for next to nothing, (always plenty to chose from...), remove the old canvas stretch, your own using staplegun (or strong thumbtacks even), prime with a commercial acrylic primer, and fire ahead. When you finish remove dry painting (with oil it could take some time...) and start over and over...
You could do the same with a plain board instead of a stretcher if your local brocki has no budding artists' rejects.

Don't bother removing the old paint first, my missus continually paints over old paintings that she did years ago that she's now bored with. Just put a rough base coat over the old picture first (use a big wide DIY-shop type brush).

If you really want to try oil painting and need to save money by building your own frames and stretching canvas, then I suggest you try something else such as water colours as the cost of canvas plus frames is nothing compared with the cost of the paints. Plus, if you do your own then you need to factor in the cost of gesso.

However, two things to consider: where are you looking? The prices for canvases in the DIY sheds is not bad at all - they start at about 10CHF. The quality is fine if you are just starting out.

Do you need to paint on canvas? - Priming off-cuts of hard-board will cost you next to nothing.

Painting on canvas makes the paintings easily transportable as they can be rolled up. (always remember to roll the canvas with the painting facing outward to avoid cracks when unrolling)

Why not just stretch your fabric over a piece of good strong cardboard?

I am amazed when seeing how cheap ready stretched canvas on stretcher frames cost here! The big d.i.y shops carry them ... from Sfr3.60 upwards depending on size... all primed and waiting to be painted on!

Thanks guys a ton.Appreciate all the inputs n tips..
I dont know any DIY shop in basel as such and in jumbo n 2 more shops canvas was costing more than 20chf..
anyways shall also look for old paintings to begin with and paint over that.

www.opitec.ch

They have a good selection of reasonably priced canvases. You can pay by invoice as well

Hi Again,

One more doubt.So finally yes. went to coop bau n hobby for canvas stuff.Searched for gesso\primer but cudnt find one and therefore decided to ask one of the repres...well after half n hr the guy gave us acrylic white paint as he couldnt understand what I was asking.

Was told that gesso is gesso though I couldnt find one.Any pointers?Any otherthing which can replace gesso\primer?

secondly also found some tubes with label acrlylic glaze- matt and gloss..what are these used for?

Thanks.

White acrylic paint

You can find this info on the web but glazes basically thin acrylic paint to make it less opaque and allow you to build up layers of colours. Glazes work better than water as water dilution can make the paint chalky.