What Should I Use To Draw On Canvas Before Painting

Put as much or little detail into your initial sketch as you wish.

What should i use to draw on canvas before painting. Watercolour is based on diluting acrylic is based on adding. Its also soluble in oil and whatnot so itll mix in with your first layers which sucks. But whereas oil painting is painting it is better to consider water color as drawing especially when used transparently on a white surface a method which should be practiced by every student before attempting gouache or mixed methods. If you dont want to do that then i would use paint just very thin thinned with thinner and fine.

If you prefer drawing with graphite then i recommend using a 4h or 6h drawing pencil because the graphite is harder so that it shouldnt smear very much. Since canvas is typically used for opaque paints its a great opportunity to experiment with under painting. Theyre archival and you can paint over them with acrylics or oils when theyre dry. You can also save money and use cheap hair spray instead of the more expensive art fixatives.

If you like drawing on the canvas with charcoal use soft vine charcoal any mistakes can be wiped off very easily. Well you can use graphite or charcoal pencils for drawing on canvas but they should be sealed with a fixative or a very thin layer of gesso before applying oil over top of them. As with so many things in painting there is no right or wrong when it comes to how much detail you put into the initial pencil sketch you do on a canvas. That will prevent any bleed as a result of blending with the paints.

For drawing on gray or dark canvases i recommend using a white watercolor pencil so the lines are more visible. Many artists use a thin brush and fluid paint. It works fine for me. If you combine scratchy watery paint onto a white canvas your painting will look amateurish.

If youre painting relatively thin the marks will show immediately or eventually. You dont even have to use a pencil. This is a method of creating an outline often in an opposing color that can add depth and texture to your finished piece even if it wont be directly visible once youre finished. Charcoal and pencil will both show through the paint unless youre painting with a ton of paint.

When drawing on canvas before starting a painting use a few lines as possible to represent the outline of the subject because all of the pencil lines will be eventually painted over. Whats the best pencil for sketching on canvas.