When Oil Painting What Kind Of Support Is Needed

By Author: Anthony Keith Whitehead
Total Articles: 21
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In this article we consider the kinds of supports which are available for those painting in oils. The discussion includes all the varieties available. Wood, panelling, canvass etc., are all considered, as are their relative advantages and disadvantages. A support is essentially what a painter in oils puts paint on to. Many alternatives available (excluding painting on walls and ceilings and we shall not consider the problems of painting the roof of the Sistine Chapel!), Some of the alternatives are traditional, some developed much more recently. All will need priming (see below).

Canvass Supports
Cotton and linen are the traditional forms of canvass used in oil painting, the former being cheaper and increasingly stocked by many retailers who are not general suppliers of artist’s materials. Cotton can have knots in it and linen is generally regarded as being superior and for retaining its shape. But if better grades of cotton supports are bought they may well be free of knots. In either case, for beginners, cotton is an attractive surface for painting on.

Linen will no doubt be preferred as one’s expertise ...
... increases. In either case, canvass bought from artist’s material suppliers will already have been prepared and saves you a job – unless you want to improve the existing surface and introduce a coloured ground (since the great majority of canvass supports are finished in white. Hessian is an alternative to cotton or linen but it is extremely coarse and needs a great deal of priming.

Variety Of Boards
Manufactured boards used as supports are commonly masonite or hardboard. The latter is rather thin so the overall size needs to be limited to something which is rigid. Hardboard has some advantage in being thin and hence quite light. Although the reverse side is rough, it has a good, smooth surface for painting, once it has been properly sized and given a suitable ground. But it is prone to warping and really needs to have a frame fixed to it on the underside.

Chipboard is an alternative, although but ¾” is better than thinner sheets, yet still has a tendency to crumble at the edges and is susceptible to damage in these areas.

A better alternative is MDF. This material has increased in popularity in recent years for painting in oils, has a good smooth surface, is quite rigid and does not require cradling. Due to its rigidity, MDF is especially good for larger and can be purchased in different thicknesses. It is also ideal for paintings of an unusual shape, such as my painting of Scala Force, Yorkshire Dales. It is, however, rather heavy, a factor which obviously increases with its thickness.

Cardboard
Cardboard is a material which of which many newcomers are unaware, but this can make a quite effective support if thick and rigid enough. Laminated cardboard is sold for oil painting and can be obtained in quite large dimensions. Rather like MDF (see below), but without the same kind of weight, it can then be cut to whatever size or shape is required. It will need to be sized on the painting side and on the reverse side.

Wood Panels
A common type of support is the timber panel and has been employed for several hundreds of years. However, there are always problems with warping and splitting. Today, however, there are better alternatives available and types of support that are easier to use. Timber needs to be at least one inch thick, and even then, unless it is of very good quality (such as mahogany, which is very expensive) and is well and properly dried and seasoned, it may warp or crack. Hence it generally needs to be cradled. To properly season timber takes dozens of years and, although kiln dried timber can be purchased at lower prices, it is often inferior.

Plywood Supports
Plywood is an excellent support for painting in oil. It needs to be at least five ply (look at the edge of a sheet and count the number of layers). The more plies the better. Its surface is smooth, although you may want to sand it down, and is a stable material.

Exterior grade plywood (usually available from DIY retailers) has its layers much more securely bonded together (marine ply even more so) and is therefore less likely to warp or its layers to come unglued. Both sides, however, will need to be sized twice.

Other Possible Supports
There are on the market some types of boards which have been prepared with a canvass type of appearance. They are thin and therefore quite light, but some care is needed when buying to ensure that the surface is not over-glossy. If it is, recoat it with acrylic.

Sheet metal has also been used as a support, but this is not something the beginner would want start with.

And Finally…
As your experience develops, the kind and style of painting will tend to change and so will the kind of support and finish you prefer. So, in the early stages, it will be advisable to test a variety of alternatives so that you can make an informed choice.

AUTHOR: A K Whitehead
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All the paintings in oil here are by A K Whitehead, who is aself-taught artist, and are original oils and not copies. The approach is traditional, making use of various techniques, including impasto and glazing. This link will take you to the main categories of landscapes, seascapes, snowscapes, waterscapes and still life and all are provided with free frames and fastenings. Free delivery is also included within the UK.