The substance of choice for Pet Paintings is oil, and the material best suited for oil is canvas. Canvas 'drinks' the paint so the brush strokes hold their true and never shimmy. Furthermore, oil provides full luster.
It is interesting to note that canvas wasn't always the choice of professional painters. Before 1400 the most popular material of the portrait artist, and other artists, was wood. Wood was fibrous, it 'drank' the paint, but it was expensive to make and prepare.
The renaissance arrived, new horizons opened up, and new technologies were found around the earth. One particular technology was linked to the moving of sailing boats, and this was to prove a boon to all painters. That's right, that stiff canvas used to catch the wind and push wooden ships and iron men over the oceans turned out to be the perfect replacement for wood.
Canvas was originally woven from hemp. Hemp is another word for cannabis. The material was originally made by weaving the cannabis plant fiber in a tight pattern.
Canvas was probably first stretched over basic wooden planks. This was probably around 1500 AD, and the practice exploded in popularity. Every artist worth his salt, and a few who weren't, were ecstatic over the new material.
As has been indicated, canvas 'drinks' oil, but that was only the beginning of the benefits. Canvas was also light, easy to transport, and much cheaper. Interestingly, because canvas is so easy to use it became possible to paint larger works, and the size of portraits literally exploded.
The next big happening, in the development of this painter's medium, was in the type of material used to make the canvas. During the industrial revolution American Cotton was less expensive, and therefore became more popular. The top tier of portraitists, the more famous artists, still preferred hemp, for it lasted longer, was stronger, and, here's something to think about, was less prone to the effects of mildew.
Today's canvas, preferred by professional portrait artists, is usually made of cotton duck, this because of the large popularity (and decreased expense) of acrylics in painting. More accomplished artists, which would be to say those fellows and gals who actually make a serious living through their work, prefer linen, and this is because the top notch painters work with oils. Whatever the medium, however, the true test is in the skill of the artist, and this especially holds true for the art of pet paintings.
It is interesting to note that canvas wasn't always the choice of professional painters. Before 1400 the most popular material of the portrait artist, and other artists, was wood. Wood was fibrous, it 'drank' the paint, but it was expensive to make and prepare.
The renaissance arrived, new horizons opened up, and new technologies were found around the earth. One particular technology was linked to the moving of sailing boats, and this was to prove a boon to all painters. That's right, that stiff canvas used to catch the wind and push wooden ships and iron men over the oceans turned out to be the perfect replacement for wood.
Canvas was originally woven from hemp. Hemp is another word for cannabis. The material was originally made by weaving the cannabis plant fiber in a tight pattern.
Canvas was probably first stretched over basic wooden planks. This was probably around 1500 AD, and the practice exploded in popularity. Every artist worth his salt, and a few who weren't, were ecstatic over the new material.
As has been indicated, canvas 'drinks' oil, but that was only the beginning of the benefits. Canvas was also light, easy to transport, and much cheaper. Interestingly, because canvas is so easy to use it became possible to paint larger works, and the size of portraits literally exploded.
The next big happening, in the development of this painter's medium, was in the type of material used to make the canvas. During the industrial revolution American Cotton was less expensive, and therefore became more popular. The top tier of portraitists, the more famous artists, still preferred hemp, for it lasted longer, was stronger, and, here's something to think about, was less prone to the effects of mildew.
Today's canvas, preferred by professional portrait artists, is usually made of cotton duck, this because of the large popularity (and decreased expense) of acrylics in painting. More accomplished artists, which would be to say those fellows and gals who actually make a serious living through their work, prefer linen, and this is because the top notch painters work with oils. Whatever the medium, however, the true test is in the skill of the artist, and this especially holds true for the art of pet paintings.
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