Painting with acylics, - Stretched Canvas

[KurriKurri]

I've been doing some acrylic paintings on stretched canvas boards, they come with a little pack of flat wooden things attached to the back of the board - does anyone know what these are for?, - I assume they are something to do with framing but can't work out how you use them.

Also - if you were displaying a painting on stretched canvas in an exhibition, would you frame it or just attach string to the back and hang it as it is?

TIA

Those wooden things are for stretching it if needed. I've never used them.

You don't normally frame them. I put mine up with a small nail in the wall and hang on that so you don't see it.

Am sure someone will come along soon with more advice?

Oh thank you CuriousMama - that's a mystery solved ( I doubt I'll use them either, the canvas doesn't seem to be loose)

I hope I can get away with not framing, - as I think that would be a bit complicated. I think they look fine without frames. Do you paint the edges of your boards? - I've gone over the edge a bit with the paint on mine and I think I need to neaten them up.

Yes I was told by a pro it's best to paint over the edges. I was at an exhibition recently and the ones who had painted over looked much better.

What are you painting? I've started doing flowers. I tended towards landscapes but am trying to get out of my comfort zone. Even doing animals, mainly birds. I try with watercolour too but it's a difficult medium. With acrylic you can go over it

Just realised one of my paintings is still on my profile if you want a peek? I did it for a friend's mum.

Those poppies are gorgeous CuriousMama, you're very talented

I mostly do pastels - oil and chalk, but I've just started doing one or two acrylics - as you say you can go over mistakes! I can't get to grips with watercolours, I'm not a delicate enough painter - I just make a mess when I try.

I paint all sorts - some landscapes, animals and birds, and more recently I've started doing some people too, - the one I'm putting in the exhibition is from an old photo I found of DH as a toddler sledging with his Dad

People wow, wish I could manage them. I did try but the pastel portrait I did of dcs made them look like the children from Flowers in the attic

Thanks, I did enjoy doing those poppies. She liked them too. I did sunflowers for her as well.

I hope you post some of yours?

I'll try - but I'll have to get DH to photograph them and he's engrossed in some war programme on the TV atm, - I'll see if I can get him to do it tomorrow (just as long as you don't expect anything brilliant )

Oh good looking forward to that Do you have a camera phone? That's what I use.

No - I'm a terrible technophobe, my phone is the most basic thing you can get, - no camera I'm afraid

Kurri those little wooden things are to push into the corners of the frame if the canvas looses its tautness - they will re- stretch it. I've never used them but they're there if you need to use them.

i had a painting on canvas in an exhibition recently and had to paint right round the edge to tidy it up. It did look better, i must admit but i did think oh for heavens sake how is this being 'arty', as i liked some of the off the canvas mistake splodges.

I mean what if Tracy Emin had been told to make the bed!!!??

Well done piratecat for getting your painting in a exhibition. i prefer those blocky type canvases as you then don't have to frame them, i've seen where people paint the edges white - maybe with medium. I am doing a painting on canvas at the moment and it is hard for someone like me who's messy to keep the edges clean and i am getting quite conscious of my messy edges :)

thanks! it was my first painting in yrs. just a local exhibition but it really gave me a bit of confidence.

I like the blocky canvas too. Not sure how you exhibit with the thinner canvas boards.

i went round the edges with white acrylic, a few coats and it was fine, but take your time otherwise it can get a bit messy with the finger prints!!

Ok well if he gets round to it will look forward to seeing it?

I did a really bright painting at art class today. I tried it once before but it was crap didn't turn out as I liked Much better version today, just needs finishing off. Only took just over an hour.

Sorry everyone - I've been out a lot over the last couple of days, - have managed to put a few pics. on my profile now. The shell at the end isn't finished yet - I need to do some sort of background, but haven't quite decided what to do. The sledging picture is acrylics, the rest are oil pastels.

OOps sorry - they are underneath the seal photo on my photos.

Thanks for posting them they're great You must like colour like me? Although the latest one I did at art class is very bright. I'll put it on here when I finish it.
Do you use white spirit with the oil pastels? I've done a couple of simple paintings with oil pastels and used white spirit with a cotton bud to blend. I prefer acrylics to anything though. What's your favourite medium?

Yes - I love colour CuriousMamma - I think that's why I'm quite hooked on the oil pastels atm - the colours are lovely, I'm half way through a picture of some blue gentians which are very bright! - I'll put it up when I've finished. - Looking forward to seeing yours

I like both kinds of pastels - chalk and oil, and acrylics - although I've only recently started doing the acrylics. I do sometimes used white spirit, or some stuff called 'blending and glazing medium for oils' on the pastels - your get a nice translucent effect with it I find. But sometimes I like the textured finish you get if you just leave them as they are.

I do a bit of blending with one of those little pointed wrapped paper blending tools, - but you can't move the medium around as much as you can with chalk pastels.

I went to a talk at an art group I go to on Tuesday, by a woman who paints in acrylic inks - have you seen them? - they have beautiful colours, really vibrant, but very liquid more like a watercolour, - I'd love to have a go with them, - but as with all these things they are expensive!

Thanks for kind words about my work

Oh my art group is (or was) on Tuesdays too. It's ended for now but it'll come back. Yes I've seen the inks some people I know are very good with them.

Looking forward to the blue gentians I haven't had time to tweak mine yet. It's soooooooo bright I copied it from a greetings card that my art teacher brought in.

Useful thread, marking place :)

How lovely to see peoples' work!