You can have lots of fun using watercolor to add effects to a mixed-media painting. But trying to create a complete artwork on canvas using watercolor could drive anyone nuts.
These Are The Best (and, Ugh, The Worst!) Paints To Use on Canvas
Your canvas is ready, and so are you. Time to create your masterpiece! But there’s a big decision you still need to make: what kind of paint to use.
The rows of gorgeous-looking paints at your art-supply store are giving you all the feels, and you kind of want to buy everything you see. But before you binge, keep in mind that only certain types of paint work well on canvas. The wrong ones will either ruin your artwork or fade over time.
Don’t learn the hard way. Let’s review the kinds of paint out there, so you can pick what you want and start painting ASAP!
Best paints for canvas
Acrylic
It’s no surprise why acrylic paint is one of the most popular for canvas. It’s easy to work with and it dries quickly. Plus, all you need to paint with acrylic is a primed canvas and a brush or palette knife.
You’ll see thick and thin varieties in the acrylic paints aisle. The thicker type (sometimes called heavy body) works best on canvas. If you’d rather use the thinner kind (aka fluid acrylic), just know that you’ll need a lot more paint to create an opaque layer—and the thin fluid will usually drip downward if you’re painting on an easel.
Oil paint
Oil paints and canvas are made for each other. The thick, viscous texture of oil paints calls for a heavy-duty surface to rest on — one that won’t be degraded by oil — and a primed canvas provides exactly that. You can choose from traditional oil paint or the water-soluble kind. Either way, you can use a brush or a palette knife to apply the paint, same as you would with acrylic. You can even skip the tools and use oil pigment bars, which are sort of like oil pastels.
So-so paints for canvas
Gouache
Gouache paint is like a cross between acrylic and watercolor paint. It’s made from color pigment and a binding agent like gum arabic, and often has a solid white pigment (chalk or even acrylic) mixed in. The blend gives gouache a much heavier texture and higher opacity than watercolor alone, but not quite the opacity of acrylic.
You can use gouache on canvas, but you’ll want to apply a fairly thick layer and keep the water to a minimum. Gouache works well on smaller paintings, or for effects like the gouache resist technique. But if you’re painting on a big canvas, you’ll use up the gouache super-fast. For those large paintings, choosing acrylic instead is a smart move.
Tempera
Ever heard of “egg tempera”? Ages ago, tempera paint was made by using egg as a binder for the pigment, but now tempera paints are just pigment mixed with water-soluble binder.
Even though tempera does work on canvas, it’s not always an ideal choice. Like fluid acrylic, tempera paint can drip downward if your a canvas is set on an easel.
Also, tempera paint usually isn’t permanent or archival. So even though it’s inexpensive and fun to experiment with, you’ll want to choose another kind of paint if you’re creating an artwork for the ages.
Latex paint
Fact: Picasso used house paint to create many of his masterpieces. Hard to believe, but true — and actually, house paint does work pretty well on a primed canvas. It’s usually fairly opaque and lightfast, and you can buy it in bulk for relatively cheap.
The problem? House paint isn’t designed for painting on canvas, and its longevity can vary hugely, depending on the brand and other factors. Acrylic and oil paints are designed to last for centuries, but the same can’t be said for house paint. So if you’re looking to create a masterpiece you can hand down to your grandchildren, steer clear of that stuff.
Oil Paint
If there is a paint that works best with canvas, it should be the oil paint. The thickness and the texture’s viscosity of oil paints need a strong surface which the canvas provides. Canvas is strong and will not degrade once the oil is put on the surface.
Also, you do not need many colors to start painting oil on canvas. You only need to use a few basic colors to get started. Oil painting on canvas also allows the painter to mix colors easily. Oil painting on canvas will let you experiment with different color combinations making your painting session more fun and enjoyable.
Oil pains when applied to canvas also dries slowly, so you can stop your painting sessions anytime without worrying much. Then, the colors of oil paint will stay true once it dries on the surface of a canvas.
Another advantage of using oil paint on canvas is the room for making mistakes. If you make a mistake, it is not a big issue because you can easily paint over it. Painting oil paint on canvas is fun. So, once you start using oil paint, you will never go back.
Acrylic Paint
There are many reasons why acrylic paint is so popular among painters painting on canvas. First, it is easy to use on canvas and only needs minimal supplies. The versatility of acrylic paint also makes it perfect for canvas painting.
Acrylic paints also dry quickly when used on canvas. This feature will allow you to finish your painting project quickly. Using prime canvas will be the best fit for acrylic paint with the use of a brush or a palette knife.
In addition, acrylic paints are also more lively once painted on canvas. The colors of acrylic paints are brighter and bold, making them more intense. The paint lays well on the canvas, making lines and other details very clear.
Another upside when using acrylic paints on canvas is its affordability. Buying a full acrylic set is affordable compared to oil paints. Acrylic paints are also non-toxic, which means it is safer for you. This type of paint is easy to clean especially if it is not dry.
Watercolor Paint
Watercolor paint is also an excellent paint for canvas. This water-based paint provides a unique quality that no other paint can provide. But it is essential to use watercolor canvas as it is specifically made for watercolor paint.
Also, watercolor paints, when used on canvas, will allow you to mix and match different color blends allowing you to create beautiful and impressionist paintings. Watercolor paints will also rest longer once applied on canvas compared to other mediums.
Using watercolor for canvas will also mean that sizing will never be an issue. Canvases already come in different standard and non-standard sizes, giving you plenty of options to choose from when it comes to sizes.
Lastly, using watercolor paint on canvas will also give you affordability because watercolor paints are relatively cheap. Watercolor paints are also easy to use and are easy to clean even if the paint has already dried up.
