Painting surfaces: Canvas, Paper & Wooden Panels

Painting surfaces, or supports, include common options like canvas, wood, and paper, as well as less common ones like metal, glass, and plastic. The best surface depends on the type of paint you are using and your artistic goals, and it’s important to properly prepare the surface for durability and to prevent cracking or other issues.

Canvas Rolls & By The Meter

Canvas rolls offer artists the freedom to work at any scale, from intimate studies to monumental large-format pieces. Available in cotton, linen, or synthetic blends, rolls can be purchased in continuous lengths or by the meter, making them ideal for custom stretching or mural projects. Artists choose this format for its versatility, cost-effectiveness, and ability to control every detail—from surface texture to priming.

Stretched Canvas

Stretched canvas provides a ready-to-use painting surface mounted on wooden stretcher bars for optimal tension. Pre-primed and available in countless sizes and profiles, it is the most convenient option for artists who want to begin painting immediately. Its balanced surface makes it suitable for acrylic, oil, and mixed-media work, and its professional presentation is favored for exhibitions and gallery display.

Canvas Stretcher Bars

Stretcher bars form the structural foundation of custom-made canvases. Crafted from kiln-dried wood, these bars interlock to create a stable frame over which canvas is stretched and secured. Available in various thicknesses—from lightweight profiles to museum-grade deep bars—they allow artists precise control over scale, tension, and archival quality. Ideal for large pieces or artists who demand specific dimensions.

Canvas Boards & Panels

Canvas boards and panels feature primed canvas mounted onto rigid backings such as MDF, cardboard, or hardwood. They offer a sturdy, portable alternative to stretched canvas and prevent sagging over time. This makes them especially popular for plein-air painters, students, and artists working in high detail. Their durability and affordability also make them excellent for studies, workshops, and travel.

Canvas Pads

Canvas pads contain sheets of primed canvas bound together like a sketchbook, giving artists the feel of traditional canvas with the convenience of a tear-off format. Ideal for experimentation, practice, and mixed-media studies, the sheets can be removed for stretching or display. Lightweight and versatile, they are a favorite among students, beginners, and artists producing fast series or concept explorations.

Canvas Samples

Canvas samples provide small, curated swatches of different canvas types—varying in weight, weave, material, and priming. These allow artists to test surfaces before committing to a full roll or stretched canvas. Samples are essential for understanding how a surface responds to different media such as oil, acrylic, or heavy impasto, making them a practical tool for professionals seeking the perfect match for their technique.

Paper Sheets

Individual paper sheets offer artists maximum flexibility in format, weight, and surface. Available in cotton rag, cellulose, handmade, deckle-edge, and specialty textures, paper sheets are ideal for fine art, printmaking, watercolor, drawing, and archival work. Their larger size options make them a preferred choice for professional artists, studios, and exhibitions.

Sketchbooks

Sketchbooks provide a portable, bound format for drawing, planning, ideation, and on-the-go creativity. Available in hardbound, softcover, layflat, and travel-friendly designs, sketchbooks come in a range of paper types from smooth drawing surfaces to heavyweight mixed-media pages. Perfect for daily practice, visual journaling, and capturing ideas anywhere.

Gummed Pads

Gummed pads contain stacks of loose sheets bound at the top with gum adhesive, allowing for easy, clean removal without tearing. They offer convenience for students, designers, and illustrators who want smooth sheet extraction for scanning, framing, or sharing.

Paper Blocks

Paper blocks—or glued watercolor blocks—are sealed on all four sides to keep the sheet perfectly flat while painting. This eliminates the need for stretching and prevents buckling during wet techniques. Ideal for watercolorists, gouache painters, and artists working with heavy washes.

Spiral Pads

Spiral pads feature a wire binding that allows pages to lie completely flat or fold back on themselves. Rugged and highly portable, they are favored by students, sketchers, urban artists, and anyone who needs a flexible, easy-to-flip working format. Excellent for drawing, mixed media, and field studies.

Stitched Pads

Stitched pads are bound with sewing rather than spirals, offering a sleek, minimal profile and extra stability. They prevent pages from loosening and provide a more refined, archival-quality format for artists who prefer structured organization. Ideal for professional sketching and presentation.

Paper Boards

Paper boards combine high-quality art paper laminated onto rigid support like chipboard, MDF, or archival board. They offer a firm surface resistant to warping—perfect for detailed work, wet media, display, and plein-air painting. A favorite among illustrators, watercolorists, and mixed-media artists.

Digital Printing Paper

Digital printing paper is engineered for inkjet or laser printers, ensuring accurate color reproduction, sharp detail, and professional print quality. Available in matte, glossy, satin, and fine-art finishes, it is used by photographers, designers, digital artists, and galleries producing archival prints and giclées.

Paper Rolls

Paper rolls offer long, continuous sheets perfect for murals, large-scale works, installation projects, and classroom use. Available in kraft, watercolor, drawing, and printmaking varieties, rolls provide freedom for oversized creativity and economical bulk production.

Paper Stretching

Paper stretching refers to the process of wetting and taping paper to a board so it dries taut, preventing buckling during watercolor or heavy-wash techniques. This category includes the tools and materials used for the process: stretching boards, gummed tape, staples, and absorbent surfaces.

Specialist Paper & Surfaces

This category includes unique and high-performance surfaces such as handmade papers, synthetic papers (like Yupo), rice papers, printmaking papers, vellum, drafting film, textured art boards, metallic papers, and niche materials tailored for specific techniques. Designed for professional and experimental artists seeking distinctive results.

Paper Packs

Paper packs provide multiple sheets in uniform sizes and finishes, offering excellent value for studios, classrooms, and high-volume artists. Available in drawing, watercolor, mixed media, printmaking, and specialty varieties, packs are perfect for practice, production work, and bulk projects.

Wooden Panels for Painting

Wooden panels are one of the oldest and most trusted painting surfaces in art history, dating back to ancient Egyptian portraits, Renaissance masterpieces, and early iconography. Today, they remain a favorite among contemporary artists seeking stability, precision, and a refined painting experience.

Unlike flexible supports such as canvas, wooden panels provide a durable, rigid foundation that preserves artwork for centuries. Their smooth surface, resistance to warping, and compatibility with multiple mediums make them an essential material for artists who value technical excellence and archival quality.