is canvas the only thing that you can paint with oil paints?

Answer 1

No. Many of the great Renaissance painters and earlier painters painted on wood panels, and some of the Dutch and Flemish painters painted on copper sheets. You can also paint on paper that has been properly prepared for oil, but it takes special preparation for that.

Answer 2

No. It's been tried and tested though, so it's got longievity on it's side. But if you're painting for fun, on a budget, a beginner, or want to experiment - the skys the limit.

For Stretching:
Cheap alternative. Sacking. Prime with mix of white emulsion and pva glue. Coarse texture.
Calico, you can buy relatively cheaply . Available in variety of textures. In a dressmaking shop. Prime the same way.

You can also try stretching these over boards which create quite a solid surface. Choose a lightweight board tho' if you don't want to end up bodybuilding, or ending up with a piece that's too heavy to hang!

Boards:
Hardboard. Softboard (hard to get these days tho). Any sturdy, but lightish surface.
Experiment with both sides of hardboard- different textures.

Cardboard:
Heavy paper or card also take oils well enough. I have stuff that I painted on 15-18 years ago, that is still holding up.... can't vouch for any longer tho.....Corrugated Cardboard like the type used in large outer packing boxes takes a primer too, even something as heavy as gesso or textured plaster.

I've seen people paint on thin sheets of tin, builders plastic,you name it. And oils work well on most surfaces, so long as they're primed first..... May take quite a long time -years even- to dry out properly if it's applied unmixed, and thickly.

Don't go for a 'teach yourself oils' type book if you're a beginner. And don't restrict yourself to just one medium. Look at a few. Browse around art shops. Compare the prices of different kinds of paint, and suitable surfaces.
I keep recommending this book, but as I've said before..it's the best book i've ever invested in.......The Artists Handbook by Ray Smith. (Hardcover) 2nd hand copies available on amazon for about a fiver.

Answer 3

nope, as everyone says, you can paint on just about anything with oils ... i've painted on cars, leather jackets, boots, denim jackets - a certain amount of priming may be necessary on some surfaces, but oil is a very flexible medium - i would say, experiment and have fun!

my personal preferences, fun aside, are for stretched canvas, and paper - i use watercolour paper because its heavy duty and has a nice texture. what i like about paper is that the first layer you apply is absorbed, and dries relatively fast, so that you can build up layers quickly - i often use this when i'm sketching on holiday, rather than watercolours.

if you'd like to see examples of my work, on paper and canvas, check out my flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepgreenart/

but remember - have fun!

Answer 4

No! As long as you prime it correctly, you can paint on many surfaces. Just keep in mind painting on something like plywood that even with a primer, some impurities from the wood can leech through the primer and the paint and eventually discolor the work. You can prime wood, paper, lots of stuff.

Answer 5

no, you can paint on whatever you feel like as long as you prepare it before painting. depending on your surface it may not last as long however. materials such as paper and cardboard are prone to falling appart over time.

my favorite surface to paint on is MDF board which you can find at any hardware store. its similar to plywood, usually used in furniture making, made of wood pulp and resin so its very durable and smooth.

just make sure to cover your surface well with either gesso or acrylic gel medium (if you want to keep the color of the original surface) and you should be good :)

have fun

Answer 6

I've used oil paints on primed saw blades and on rocks, made nice pictures on them

Answer 7

I painting with oil on carton too

Answer 8

i'm having a hekuva time, i get it wrote out then delete it...i hat it when that happens. you can paint on anything with oil if you prepare it properly.

Answer 9

Nope you can paint on canvas as well with acrylics...