The best oil paint canvas
All the best oil paint canvas options available now.
Picking the perfect oil paint canvas is crucial for your process. Standard paper isn't enough to stand up to oil paint, so a high quality canvas will support your painting and allow your vibrant colours to sing. On this page, we've chosen a variety of ready-to-use canvas options for experienced and beginner artists.
To make our selection, we've used a combination of our own tests and experience, as well as user reviews from around the internet. If you're not sure what type of canvas you need, then scroll to the bottom where you'll find the key things to consider when choosing an oil paint canvas.
The right oil paint canvas will be no good unless you pick the right paint and easel as well. Our guides to the best oil paints and the best art easel will help you on your way. But for now, here are our top picks for canvases for your next oil painting.
The best oil paint canvas available now
Why you can trust Creative Bloq
Best overall
+ Very high quality
+ Easily adjustable
- No extra large sizes
Winsor & Newton's professional canvases offer a heavyweight, quality surface, coming in at 480gsm (16.9oz). The frame is made of pine, with a cross brace in larger sizes, making it less likely to warp. The cotton surface can be stretched very tightly. These stretched canvases are a bit pricier than student quality ones, but their quality makes them a solid option for more serious projects.
Built to last
+ High quality surface
+ Sturdy frame
- Lacks smaller sizes
The Masterpiece Elite line offers very high quality canvases. These provide an excellent surface to work on, and have solid construction. They also have very tightly wrapped corners, giving the canvas a crisp, professional look. The surface is primed to show colour well. These canvases are of archival quality, meaning that they will last a very long time and are suited to high-end professional projects and commissions.
Best value
+ Excellent quality
+ Lightweight
- Very textured
Winsor & Newton's Artist's canvas boards offer quality at a fair price. The board is stronger than a lot of canvas boards, and doesn't bend easily. However, it is still thin enough to be lightweight. The surface takes paint well, though it does have a strong canvas texture that can interfere with details. If you prefer smoother surfaces, it might be a bit much at small sizes, but should be fine for the larger panels.
natural tone
+ Neutral tone surface
+ Good quality for price
- Only square-shaped
- Limited sizes
Pebeo's canvas boards use a natural linen that offers a neutral warm grey to work on. They are fairly tough and handle heavier paint well. The surface quality is excellent, as the texture doesn't interfere with the painting either. The backing board is strong and sturdy, and doesn't show any signs of warping. The only big downside to these canvas boards is that they only come in square sizes.
Oil paper
+ Very sturdy surface
+ Easy to use
- Surface a bit slippery
- Less suitable for finished work
Canson's Figueras oil paint paper is affordable, but strong enough to handle fairly heavy paint. It has a canvas-like texture and is easy to cut. It holds oil paint well and doesn't curl or soak through. It does have a slippery-smooth feel that is common to oil paint papers, though it has more tooth than most. Canvas papers are good for studies and beginners, as they are easy to use and don't take up much space – just tape to a drawing board.
cotton paper
+ 100% cotton surface
+ No slippery texture
- Fairly absorbent
- Not so good with heavy paint
Arches oil paint paper is an excellent surface to work on if you prefer oil paint papers. It is 100 per cent cotton, so it should last well, and comes ready to paint on. The paper feels more like watercolour paper than other oil papers as it has less texture and a more absorbent surface. The paper has a nice tactile feel, but may cause more oily mixtures to 'sink' and lose their lustre a bit. Otherwise, the lack of texture makes applying flat colour and details a breeze.
What should you look for when buying an oil canvas?
Canvases are made out of cotton or linen. Linen is tough and handles thick paint well, but cotton is more affordable. Remember, while cotton can be stretched tightly for a taught surface, it may loosen in larger frames.
Traditional canvases comprise of canvas stretched over a wooden frame, creating a slightly springy surface. These are the best oil paint canvases for larger artworks, as they can be taken off the frame for storage, are lightweight, and stable over time.
Canvas boards are comprised of canvas stretched over and glued to a solid board. These are much thinner than canvases, and have a firm surface.
Canvas papers are specially treated papers for oils that emulate canvas. They are great for beginners, or quick studies, as they are affordable, and won't take up much space.
Does oil paint need a special canvas?
General paper isn't strong enough to hold up to oil paint so you'll want a special canvas to work with. Linen and cotton canvases are the most common, although canvas papers are available.
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Lancelot Richardson is an artist, painter, and freelance illustrator based in Brighton, UK. He tutors life drawing at independent art school Draw Brighton, and teaches in their online Patreon courses. He is also a freelance writer, producing articles on art and drawing. He works in both traditional and digital mediums.
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