How to Buy A Canvas for Oil Painting Your First Oil Painting
“Teacher, what size canvas should I buy for my first oil painting?”
This is the most common question I get from my beginning oil painting students. It always makes me smile. I know they want me to say something ridiculous like “Buy any canvas 16″ x 20″ maximum to 4″ x 6″ minimum.” Beginning oil painting students have a lot of fear about buying a canvas for their first oil painting.
Conch Shell, oils on canvas
“First, do you know what you are going to paint?”
If the answer is “no” you should not go shopping because there is no way you can buy the most perfect canvas for your first (or next) painting. Talk about putting the cart before the horse!
The most important aspect to buying a canvas, for oil painting your first picture, is that you understand that the inner vision of your first oil painting is chemically and energetically imprinted on every cell of your body. There exists in the artist’s body a strange and beautiful dynamic tension –that even the artist is totally unaware of until the painting is completed and signed. The best way I can explain this tension is to perhaps coarsely defined it as ”the inner knowing or knowledge of the finished product, which exists in time and space as a completed painting, that the artist has become aware of at a subconscious level.” What I translate this into and tell every art student is this:
“Trust in your initial and heartfelt choice of a canvas size for oil painting your first painting. Let your body tell you when you have the right size picked out. Expect a feeling of happiness or perhaps a sense of relief –a feeling of contentment and peace that the right canvas is before you and you know in your heart, mind and body that your selected image will fit on the canvas.”
When you go to buy a canvas for an oil painting you benefit from having your picture with you in the art supply store. You can hold it up in front of you while you place various canvases on the floor or shelf before you and explore your size options. If nothing grabs you or the shape or size you want is not there go to the next art supply store. When in doubt, do without.
There is only one other rule I remind people about that the really zealous students forget about; In general, the canvas must fit in your car or truck. Other than that, go for it! Get the canvas of your dreams! Your first oil painting might be a masterpiece…you never know! And most of all, don’t be shy that your inner wisdom picked a big canvas for the first painting effort.
I bought a larger truck inpart to tow boats but mostly to accommodate hauling my larger paintings around. What I forgot about was having enough wall space to hang them while they await their new owners. I suppose I could just store them in the back of the truck! 
Do you have a “canvas for oil painting” story that other artists would find amusing?
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