History of Using Canvas for Art
In the past, artists have used wood panels as the support medium for their paintings. Panel painting was common until the 16th century in Italy and the 17th century in Northern Europe. Little by little, these panels were replaced by a more pliable and lighter material called canvas. Artists who reside and work in Venice, Italy seemed to be the propagators of the shift of art medium. They first started using canvas utilised in sails of ships because they were readily available and tough.
Early canvas was made of linen, a tough, brownish fabric. Artists found out that the material was very much suitable for the use of oil paint. Even with the advent of cotton canvas in the early 20th century, linen canvas still remained popular until now because it is of higher quality. Substrates made from cotton, however, was more affordable. Furthermore, when acrylic paint was made available in the market, cotton canvas increased in popularity. Today, both kinds of substrates are used for oil painting and for giclee printing, a common technique of printing from a digital source using ink-jet printers.