Constructing Panels

In painting, canvas is the  most common type of support;  it is either Belgian Linen or Cotton Canvas stretched over wooden stretcher bars.  Canvas's main advantage is that it is lightweight.  This means paintings can become very large without being overbearingly heavy.  I used canvas exclusively when I was learning to paint.  As my approach became more detail oriented, the canvas texture began it interfere with how I could paint using very small brushes.  It was at this point that my instructor recommend I try a smooth, texture-less panel.  The transition from canvas to panel took me a little while to become use to.  With panel, there is an absence of a cloth weave to help grab the paint away from the brush making it feel very slick.  It is difficult to paint large passages opaquely on a slick surface.  Of course much of this depends on the pigment of the paint, but you can almost guarantee that a second layer of paint will be needed to cover the white primed surface beneath.

The benefits to a smooth panel is the ability to paint very small detail without the canvas texture interfering with the brush nor the viewer's eye.  At a certain point, the canvas weave can be distracting in areas of great detail within a painting.  This is largely a personal preference, but in contrast, a smooth panel allows only the paint to converse with the viewer.  

The benefits to a smooth panel is the ability to paint very small detail without the canvas texture interfering with the brush nor the viewer's eye.  At a certain point, the canvas weave can be distracting in areas of great detail within a painting.  This is largely a personal preference, but in contrast, a smooth panel allows only the paint to converse with the viewer. 

In this page I will demonstrate how I build my panels.  The slide show below shows my step by step process to building a 16" x 16" cradled hardboard panel.  I prefer hardboard over plywood for its lack of grain and internal stresses.  Hardboard also has a perfectly level surface that will not crack or split.  On side note, hardboard should not be confused with Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) or particle board which contain glues and chemicals such as formaldehyde.  The Ampersand company has a lot of good information regarding hardboard and it's manufacturing process. Check it out, The Story of Hardboard.