Art Supplies—Wood Panels, Canvases, Resin and more

Shopping for art supplies may seem intimidating and confusing at the start. After all, there are many types of tools and options to consider and you only have so much time to decide. We are here to help you get the materials you will need to start your fine art career or hobby. This post outlines the art supplies we offer and provides tips on how you can use them. 

Wood Panels

 

Our ready made cradled panels are constructed with a Baltic Birch wood surface and a smooth solid Poplar wood cradle. These are perfect for a wide range of art projects, most especially when media such as acrylic and oil paints are used. You will need to sand and prime the panels with primer, sealer or gesso first before painting over them. Priming will ensure that the wood does not absorb the paint or corrode and chip off after a long period of time.

For rectangular panels, we offer stocked sizes in standard depths of 15/16" and 1-5/8", from 4x4 inches all the way to 60x40 inches. We also carry standard sizes for round, triangular, and edged types.

Wood panels with edge

Open Call for Mural Artists!

Friendly Giants on Silo on Granville Island

From my travels from city to city, I have yet to happen across one that is as visually eclectic and colorful as Vancouver. I don't just mean the lush forests or the breathtaking mountains or the endless coast; but the splashes of illustrations on public building walls both old and new. No matter where you've traveled in this city, no doubt you would have come across them at some point - murals.

If you haven't been yet, Vancouver also hosts a Mural Festival every year, which is amazing! For artists who are interested in participating, they have already opened their call for 2017 right here: http://www.vancouvermuralfestival.com/

What are some of your guys' favourite murals from Vancouver? Let us know!

VancouverOnCanvas is a local printing, framing, fine arts and reproduction company. We also supply artist materials such as custom canvases, primed and unprimed, as well as stretcher bars, wood panels, etc. Check out our supply section today!

KeenArt Media Ltd. 604-421-8000 (KeenART)
www.VancouverOnCanvas.com
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Friday

New Year, New Beginnings!

Happy Friday and a (belated, but very) Happy New Year from all of us at Vancouver on Canvas...we're so excited and looking forward to another year with all of you guys and assisting in your creative pursuits! And with new beginnings come some new changes...a slight revamp of the blog, a few new specials here and there - and of course, new products and services, such as our new dye-sublimation machine!

We've heard your requests and now we're finally ready to roll this baby out! After a few months of test-printing and tweaking, we've finalized and expanded our set of materials and sizes for our dye sublimation service. Now not only do we do printing onto birchwood panels, but we also do printing onto metal, mdf plaques...and even circular metal!

General rules of thumbs with dye-sublimation - due to its transparency capabilities, printing onto wood or metal can yield a beautiful myriad of the textures underneath. That being said, birchwood or gloss clear metal would look excellent with landscapes and scenery, but is not recommended for portraiture.

To keep the printing opaque when printing on metal, simply select gloss white instead. This will create a super bright, saturated, and glassy effect not unlike plexi facemounting, without the added weight or heft.

Gloss white on the left; gloss clear on the right. While initially darker, when light strikes the gloss clear, the colors are even more vibrant and saturated. 

If you any questions regarding dye-sublimation, please feel free to ask us, or head over to our resources section for more info! 

Artwork Displaying Methods: Which one should you choose? (Part 3)

We have gone over dry mounting, plaque mounting and plexiface mounts in the previous two sets in this series. Each method has its pros and cons in terms of: usage, look and feel and shelf life. I think these aforementioned methods are the most widely available, most popular and commonly known mounting methods.

We have recently started selling wooden panels on our website and they can be used for various art projects. I've seen a lot of different D.I.Y projects online using wooden blocks  which includes photos being mounted and displayed on wood. 

The natural wood material can make a space feel warm and cozy. It is also very durable and goes well with many spaces. Photo wood block mounts can be hung on a wall or stacked on a table.

The most common photo block mounts I've seen online have a rustic aesthetic to it. The wood usually shows through the print or the print is cut in a way to incorporate some of the wood texture into it. 

At Vancouver On Canvas, we not only sell the wood blocks but we also have mounting services (as of now it is by request only). Unlike the most typical wooden mounts I've seen online, that have a matte finish or protected with mod podge, we apply a coat of epoxy resin on the print to give it a glossy finish. This helps to enhance the colours and give the print dimension. 

The resin has a glass appearance but it is less fragile and it is frameless. Unlike plexiface mounts, the wooden panel has depth to it. The piece looks weighted and paired with the exposed wood grain it helps add depth to any space or brighten up a dark room.

Wooden photo panels are long lasting and work well in homes or personal spaces. If you're interested in buying a wood block or getting a wood block with resin visit VancouverOnCanvas.com to order yours today.