Stretching Canvas: A challenging prospect
When working with oil, I really like to have my canvas taut. It's nice to have feedback from the surface. Almost to simulate painting on a springy board. Acrylic paint on the other hand is already quite voluminous and when dry especially, has such a stretchy plasticity, that it doesn't call for any prep at all.
Having said that, stretching canvas in Cochin is nearly an impossible task. I have tried everything from making the frames and stretching the canvas myself to buying off the shelf, 'company-supplied,' stretched canvas. The latter are already warped from transportation. DIY ready stretcher bars are not available in India, so we would buy used pine palettes, have them sized by carpenters and knocked together. This part of the process somehow accomplished I would struggle to single-handedly achieve a firm stretch . Add to all this our very humid weather and the result is just a canvas nightmare of bendy frames and flappy surfaces.
Setting up my studio again after the masters course, I decided to approach the local art shop. This provided a tiny glimmer of hope. Apparently they import sized bars from Indore!! A canvas could now be stretched easily and quickly. And though I felt it was asking for too much, I went ahead and specified 'deep-edged.' They were surprisingly very obliging considering my small sample quantity.
When the frames arrived I was pleasantly surprised that the 'deep-edge' spec was, in fact, deep edge. But the canvas was still a bit slack. The shop manager was however very sympathetic to my requirements! We examined the frames together and decided that it was not the stretch that needed to be tighter but the chamfered edge needed to be more extreme. And this, coupled with a tighter stretch, would give us the elasticity we were aiming for. He very kindly said they would redo the entire lot in a week.
Applying Ground: Priming the Surface
By the next weekend, I was set. Six taut canvases, ready for the application of ground.
By the next weekend, I was set. Six taut canvases, ready for the application of ground.
Canvas laid out flat to avoid dripping-ground effect
Ground is made by mixing chalk powder with hide glue that's been soaked in water overnight. If you're interested in the traditional recipe for ground, a good resource is here. This is done in a double boiler, very carefully, to avoid air bubbles. The mixture is then applied, while still warm, to the canvas. I do about 6 coats but this is just a personal preference.
The importance of this step in the process cannot be understated. The layers of ground when allowed to slow-dry provide a surface resembling the skin of a tabla. One coat of ground applied to the back of the canvas also shields it from moisture and fungus, a serious problem in this hot-wet climate.
This is a 2-day old mix that I reheated before application
Chalk powder ground
In my experience, chalk powder gives a grey result so I have substituted it with a white pigment powder. I did like the grey, it produces a lovely texture. I liked it so much that I found myself not wanting to cover much of it with paint, which could potentially be a problem. I decided to save it for a time when the concept calls for this lovely jutey texture.
Left: Primed canvas; Right : Just canvas
Just before I start painting on the primed surface, I sand it down with the finest grade of water paper, careful not to work the surface too much. Dry brushing will suffice to remove the dust from the canvas before it can be painted upon.
