What paint should I use on canvas? Watercolor, acrylic, oil?

Question

As a part of my New Year's Resolutions, I am starting a painting and working on it a little bit each day of the year, but I can't decide what medium to use. I've used watercolors before, and I prefer them to acrylics, but I'm worried about if it will hold to the canvas I currently have... I'm not sure it is a "watercolor canvas". Acrylics are fine, I'm just not a fan of permanency. And how do acrylics go on? Darker paints on first? Or lighter paints as with watercolors? I haven't used acrylics since I became obsessed with watercolors on paper, are there any techniques and tips you could give me? :) Last option: oil paints. I've never worked with oil paints, though I have some from an old art kit... not sure I want to experiment, I don't have thinner and the canvas is pretty big to try with oils. What would you suggest? Where do I even begin? Happy New Years! And thanks for any answers!

Answer 1

I would hesitate to use watercolors on canvas without being primed with a watercolor primer. There are primers for watercolor for use on canvas but I doubt you have one of them. Stick to paper for watercolor. You can paint either light to dark or dark to light with acrylics because they are opaque. The techniques are very similar with oils or acrylics. Oils dry slower so you have more time to work than with acrylics. With acrylics it's important to keep your work area and brushes wet and clean to keep the paint from drying. With oils you have to use oil and mineral spirits to clean brushes and as mediums with paint.

Good luck

Answer 2

Experiment for goodness sake! That is the whole essence of art you can buy small cheap canvases already stretch and primed, buy some and go crazy for a few days; that way you find what suits you - not other artists. Imagine wanting to paint your woodwork in your house, would you post a question - "I want to change my door from white to blue, which paint should I use?" No, you would get off your **** and find out by looking round the shops, reading paint cans and so forth.

Being an artist isn't just sitting there with a virgin canvas before you and a brush in your hand.

Answer 3

You can paint like watercolor on the canvas with acrylic paint. I do this frequently.



If you want the canvas to take watercolor use either Absorbent Ground (Golden Acrylics product) or Watercolor Ground (Daniel Smith product). I also do this frequently.

Answer 4

No on water color, just my opinion.



I have seen water color canvases but they are very light colored and can be very difficult.



I suggest acrylic, I like it a lot and has multiple uses.



A trick to acrylic is if you add a little water to the paint glob, you will save money by using less paint AND it will go on smooth and won't be rough like paint straight up.



I personally like that trick and is night and day because it even takes most brush strokes out.