A Brief Look At Painting Surfaces

Paintings can come on a variety of different surfaces, stretched canvas is the traditional one but I also like to use boards, panels, watercolour paper and even sometimes more modern materials like acrylic glass. This is a quick look at some of the options for paintings

A Painting On Board

A flat board with either a canvas surface or a smooth surface to paint on. It's nice and rigid and a bit more robust than a painting on canvas which makes it ideal for shipping but it will need a frame before you can hang it on the wall. 
It can be framed like a traditional oil painting, or in a tray frame or a shadowbox frame. See framing ideas here.
Suitable for oils, acrylics, resin and multimedia.

A Painting On A Panel

A panel is a cross between a board and a stretchered canvas and combines the best of both. It's a wood board with four wood edges on the back that supports the board, rather like a solid version of a stretched canvas. It can have a canvas or a smooth surface, even a paper surface. The edges of the panel can be painted, stained or left plain. The rigid wood surface for the painting makes it ideal for shipping. Like a stretched canvas, the fittings for hanging the painting go on the back and it can be hung framed or unframed. 
Also looks great in a floater frame. See framing ideas here.
Suitable for oils, acrylics, resin and multimedia.

A Painting On Paper

For watercolour paintings I use a rough surface paper, usually Fabriano. A painting on paper will need to be mounted and framed before you can hang it on the wall. It looks good in a traditional frame and mount or in a Gallery frame, which is deeper. 
See framing ideas here.
Suitable for watercolour and watermedia.

A Stretched Canvas

A stretched canvas is a piece of canvas stretched over four wood batons that form the edges and it's stapled on the back. The edges can be painted or left plain. The fittings for hanging the painting go on the back and it can be hung framed or unframed. It's nice and light but it is possible to damage the painting, if something were to apply pressure to the painting for example, the canvas would stretch and once that happens it can't be undone.  So more care is needed in shipping and moving paintings on stretched canvas. It looks great in a floater frame.
See framing ideas here.
Suitable for oils, acrylics and multimedia.

A Painting On Canvas Sheet

If you want to mount and frame your painting the way you would a painting on paper, but you prefer the style of oils I can paint on a sheet of canvas. This can come to you rolled in a tube for protection and makes it easier and cheaper to ship large paintings. Once the canvas arrives it can be mounted and framed or I can have it mounted and framed for you.
See framing ideas here.
Suitable for oils and acrylics.

Contemporary Finishes

A Painting On Acrylic Glass

For a very contemporary look paintings can be created digitally and then printed on fine art paper and mounted on to acrylic glass by a specialist framer. These look stunning on the wall. The painting is mounted on an aluminium Dibond panel under a layer of polished, premium, crystal clear acrylic glass. The beautiful, very glossy glass enhances the luminosity and colour and brings a real depth to the piece.

It’s also much lighter and tougher than normal glass, so large pieces can hang on the wall using hidden fittings at the back of the panel and the acrylic glass appears to float on the wall. Very modern and clean looking.

Please email me for prices.
Suitable for digital paintings and prints.