The difference between cotton canvas & linen canvas

I’ve been painting acrylics for almost 10 years now, and since 2013 I’ve been lucky enough to produce over 400 paintings, most of which I’ve sold.

I’ve always advocated simple materials, fine paint and cotton canvas frames, but when I took stock of my artistic activity, I thought it was certainly time for me to move upmarket.

I simply decided to complete my panel of fine paints with Daler Rowney super-fine paints.

I’ve also decided to replace my cotton canvas covers with linen ones.

So here’s a little objective feedback on how I used my first paintings on linen canvas.

Why is linen so highly regarded by painters?

Historically, linen has been used by all the greatest painters. Prior to the 16th century, wood was the medium of choice. Then came the arrival of the canvas chassis.

Artists totally embraced this very practical medium, and in France linen was extremely popular. That’s why the majority of works by the great masters we know are produced on linen stretchers.

What are the advantages of linen canvas?

Rigidity / Sturdiness

One thing we’re going to notice straight away is Lin’s rigidity.

Well, after all, M2 grammage is generally higher than that of cotton canvas frames, which accentuates this phenomenon.

Linen is less absorbent than cotton

In fact, linen fibers absorb much less than cotton fibers. This is a significant advantage when it comes to painting. Whether acrylic or oil paint.

After that, the difference will of course be minimal if you have prepared and roughened your canvas well (how, for example, to create a Gesso- or Molding-Paste-type undercoat).

Linen resists humidity and temperature variations

This is a very interesting point. You’ve probably already experienced this phenomenon. Cotton has the disadvantage of being sensitive to temperature variations and, above all, humidity.

For example, if I use a lot of water on my canvas, you risk ending up with a relaxed canvas despite having prepared your stretcher well and used your wrenches.

On the other hand, use a hair dryer on a marked or relaxed fabric and it will tighten up like magic!

It’s really something that can tire out your painting over time or even cause your stretcher to twist.

Flax, on the other hand, has no such problems. So it’s the ideal way to maintain your grip over time.

Linen, a substrate with a longer lifespan

For the reasons mentioned above, but also because of the robustness of linen fiber. Linen is a medium that will age well over time.

And then there’s the fact that centuries-old master paintings on linen are still in excellent condition!

Painting on linen, my opinion

To be honest and transparent, I’ve only been using linen for a short time, but I’ve still been able to feel the differences.

Despite the use of a medium grain, as opposed to the fine grain usually used for my cotton fabrics. I was very comfortable practicing on linen. I needed less paint than usual and my glazes were undeniably more comfortable.

Don’t expect an exceptional difference, because as I often explain, it’s not the material that makes the painter! We often take comfort in technical considerations, which I see as a way of simply making excuses.

Indeed, too many beginners have come to me to confide that they thought they were painting badly and not getting any results because they weren’t yet practicing on linen. Yet another beginner who wanted to make his first painting with extra-fine paint, on a 100cm x 100cm linen canvas stretcher.

You might as well imagine a young adult getting his driver’s license in a Ferrari 🙂

The canvases I use

My cotton canvas	My linen canvases
Gerstaecker Studio 2	Gerstaecker Classico 2
380g /m2	450g /m2
fine grain	medium grain
Buy this chassis	Buy this chassis