# Using Dust sheet to make canvas?



## artmanason (Jul 19, 2021)

Hi everyone, I'm making my own canvas, but I ordered a dust sheet instead of an actual canvas cloth to make the canvas.

The dust sheet is a Woven cotton twill dust sheet by Silverline 868803. I'm thinking of priming it to experiment with the rough weaving texture to achieve my intentions with this paintings.

Any experts or veterans who have used dustsheets or any other kinds of dustsheets to use as a canvas, please let me know asap!

Thank you!


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## 3Eggs (Aug 15, 2021)

artmanason said:


> Hi everyone, I'm making my own canvas, but I ordered a dust sheet instead of an actual canvas cloth to make the canvas.
> 
> The dust sheet is a Woven cotton twill dust sheet by Silverline 868803. I'm thinking of priming it to experiment with the rough weaving texture to achieve my intentions with this paintings.
> 
> ...


Prime the sheet well. Use it.


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## oasisinau (Apr 19, 2020)

I did this but abandoned the painting after a number of days, the coarse weave couldn’t be filled with gesso and I couldn’t get a decent finish on water flowing under a bridge, it was very matt with no reflectance at all.


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## 3Eggs (Aug 15, 2021)

oasisinau said:


> I did this but abandoned the painting after a number of days, the coarse weave couldn’t be filled with gesso and I couldn’t get a decent finish on water flowing under a bridge, it was very matt with no reflectance at all.


Would you care to discuss this further?


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## oasisinau (Apr 19, 2020)

I have got a roll of duck from Spotlight, one of Australia’s haberdasheries, and will be using this instead in a month or two. I abandoned the drop canvas attempt.


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## william_6158 (11 mo ago)

Just make sure you prime it well. Start off with a thin down coat of gesso or acrylic primer. Let completely dry between coats. May take 3-5 coats well sanded between coats. By the time you do all this you may find it less expensive and less grueling to purchase a prepared canvas.


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## oasisinau (Apr 19, 2020)

Hi,
Further to my post about using duck cloth, I tried it by using woodglue to glue it to a thin plywood board. It initially distorted the board but when dried everything flattened out perfectly. Then I used homemade gesso; one coat of pva mixed with plaster of paris. It works very well. The thing about making my own canvas is that I can make a “canvas” any size I want, the bigger the canvas the cheaper. It looks the exactly the same as store bought canvas. I should imagine mdf board would work as well.
My next experiment is to use this method but using cotton sheet from my wife’s supply. My reasoning is that canvas has been traditionally used because it was cheap and strong in the early days of painting plus probably the only thing in plentiful supply in those days.
But don’t tell my wife I will be raiding her linen cupboard.
I will let you know how this pans out.
Owen


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## william_6158 (11 mo ago)

oasisinau said:


> Hi,
> Further to my post about using duck cloth, I tried it by using woodglue to glue it to a thin plywood board. It initially distorted the board but when dried everything flattened out perfectly. Then I used homemade gesso; one coat of pva mixed with plaster of paris. It works very well. The thing about making my own canvas is that I can make a “canvas” any size I want, the bigger the canvas the cheaper. It looks the exactly the same as store bought canvas. I should imagine mdf board would work as well.
> My next experiment is to use this method but using cotton sheet from my wife’s supply. My reasoning is that canvas has been traditionally used because it was cheap and strong in the early days of painting plus probably the only thing in plentiful supply in those days.
> But don’t tell my wife I will be raiding her linen cupboard.
> ...


Owen I think dust sheet and canvas duck cloth are not the same thing, unless OP made a spelling error. I would advise not using the wife’s linen sheets (or cotton) - stick to duck cloth #10 or #12. PVA glue is a great way to adhear the canvas to a substrate- it’s archival. Boards were the preference for years before canvas panels came on the scene in the 1600s. The flexible surface made it desirable, it did not warp as wood panels were apt to. Today if using wood, with or without canvas applied, anything larger than a 9 x 12 I would attach a cradle to the back. This will help eliminating warping. You Tube has great videos on how to do this.

can the original poster please clear up what discussion is about: a dust sheet (drop cloth) or canvas (duck cloth). In either case you would prepare them the same.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2021)

artmanason said:


> *I ordered a dust sheet instead of an actual canvas cloth to make the canvas.*


well, since you have it ordered already, and it's a pretty big piece, make a few small frames and try different products on it to get it sealed - then you will know what works best for you. I did one for a military exhibit years ago and used a similar material and I used plain flat (cheap) latex paint as the sealer. it was only designed to last one year. but, knowing my products and craftsmanship, it would probably last 20-50 years. What are your _realistic expectations_ of your projects ???


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