Where can i buy cheap canvases?

Michael’s, maybe?

I have gotten them at AC Moore, Michaels, and JoAnn Fabrics for pretty cheap before.

Jerry’s Artarama and ASW are companies owned by brothers and they compete with one another on pricing canvas by the case. I prefer the Centurion Linen to the rougher cotton canvas but each artist has their own preverence.

Creative Coldsnow is currently my favorite vendor- they are meeting or beating prices as compared to ASW and Jerry’s they are smaller though and are just now adding more and more inventory. I like that they are a small town store and their customer service is incredible.

I’ve bought cases of them on eBay…due to the recession, MANY art stores are going out of biz & selling their stock online.

does anyone know how to do it themselves?

As in stretch your own canvases or primer your own boards ?

Both are labor intensive but both can be done.

Keep in mind that you get out what you put in. If you use cheap materials they may not be archival and they can peel, crack or rot.

Is there an Artist and Craftsman Supply near you? Their canvases are incredibly cheap compared to the other art supply stores around here. You can buy from their website too, but it’s always more fun to go wander around the store if you can…

Utrecht is famous for their canvas. Generally they have a huge sale at the beginning of traditional university semesters (Fall and Spring.) Right now Utrecht is having sales, but you might also try Dick Blick, Perl, or The Art Supply Warehouse. Those are just a few major companies I know and trust.

If you’re painting anything beyond (and including) 3.5’ x 3.5’, then stretching your own canvas really becomes more economical (after the initial tool investment.) Smaller than that, you should definitely purchase them pre-made.

For a measure of material costs, just yesterday I went to purchase a pre-assembled/primed canvas at 4’x5’, but it would have run me $75 minimum, and $90 for decent quality (@sdeutsch, this was at A&C supply mind you and included the 70% discount, so it really must vary by region.) Instead, I purchased some raw canvas and stretcher material for about $50.

At large scale, however, it’s really important that the stretcher is well constructed and braced with corners and/or cross bars.

I’ve yet to find a decent tutorial/reference for you regarding larger scale stretcher construction, so I might have to post/make my own. I’ll keep looking, and get back to you if I find a decent article or get around to posting my own.

@Beta_Orionis I must admit, I’ve never priced out the larger canvases at A&C – I usually buy the smaller ones (like, less than 18” square), which are often cheaper than I’ve found them at other art stores. Good to know that the larger ones aren’t as good a deal! You’re in Pittsburgh, right? I assume you went to the A&C on Hobart – that’s about three blocks from my house… ;)

@sdeutsch indeed! Small world! It’s… various numbers of blocks from me! I’m over near Wilkins and Dallas.

@Beta_Orionis Welcome to the neighborhood! Next time you’re going to the A&C, drop me a note – you can stop by my house for tea and cookies on the way back!

@sdeutsch heh. I’m not a terribly recent edition. I’ve been here for going on three years. I used to live in 1914 Murray, but I appreciate it nonetheless! Tea and cookies sounds fantastic! :)

@Beta_Orionis Oops – sometimes lines blur a little bit and I forget that recent addition to fluther does not equal recent addition to real life places! ;)

@sdeutsch heh. Totally reasonable. I do similar things pretty often. Out of curiosity, did you hang out with my roommate last weekish?(empresspixie) Then it’d be a super small world!

@Beta_Orionis Yep, the Empress and I had a lovely dinner at Aladdin’s last week – small world indeed! Maybe we should all get together for tea and cookies…

@sdeutsch :)

Blick has a 70% off sale twice a year ..going on right now thru October