Today I Built A Canvas


Today I built a canvas. (No its not the one in the photo, that's just a demonstration)

I will never look at a canvas the same way again.

First, before today, was a very long trip to home depot and an art supply store and over $300 spent.

Today in class I had my two pieces of 1x2x42 and two pieces of 1x2x54 and four 3''4'' half rounds cut to match the four pieces of wood. Once in class we glue down the three quarter inch half rounds with the edge facing out along the side of the plywood. Then you have to take 1'' nails and nail the 3''4'' round to the plywood. Have you ever had to nail on a rounded edge?

So thirty nails or so later you have all four pieces of wood with the attached 3''4'' inch round (around which you will stretch your canvas so it doesn't stick to the plywood). Then you put some goggles on and go to the saw and cut two 45 degree angles in each piece of wood (making sure that each side matches its opposite).

Then (on the floor) you get down and glue one corner to the other and take a corner support and glue it into the corner and then strengthen it with six or seven nails (that don't go in easy). All the while praying that all your angles match up and the wood pieces are all the same length.

Then you stand it up and add more nails for reinforcement.

Once you've been on the ground gluing and nailing for an hour its time for you to stretch your canvas around the frame. This is also done on the floor. After your hands are exhausted and sweat is pouring off your face you use what strength you have left to vehemently pull the canvas taut around the frame. You start in the middle and put down four staples (with staple gun that is hard to handle) and do the same in the middle with the other three sides eventually working your way to the corners. Then you do the corners (meticulously folded and stapled) and THEN you have to nail down the staples.

All of that took three hours but my canvas STILL isn't ready. It needs three coats of gesso to create a surface for the paint to cling to and protect the cloth of the canvas from eroding. Class had ended so I need to coat it sometime tomorrow between or around the 7 hours of class I have. If you don't gesso it right the whole thing will have been in vain.

It needs three coats and each coat takes 10-20 minutes to dry. Fun stuff.

Anyway, that was my canvas building experience oh and it was followed by another three hour class. Oh and I still have homework to do right now. EPIC

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