Howdy, fellow painters!

Today, I want to chat with you about a few (6 to be specific) surfaces that we, as artists, can paint on. This includes the classic stretched canvas and paper surfaces, but we’ll also go over less commonly used items, like glass jars.

You can hear the full chat in the video below, or you can scroll down to read more about all the surfaces!

Video: 6 Types of Painting Surfaces

Details On All 6 Painting Surfaces

Now, let’s take a look at every type of surface you can physically paint on, whether you want to create a simple landscape or a detailed portrait (or anything else in between).

1. Stretched Canvas

Pros: Perfect for all types of paintings
Cons: Only comes in specific sizes and shapes; otherwise, you’ll need to make your own

Stretched canvas is the classic, go-to surface for all types of painters to utilize. It’s cheap and easy to find pre-packaged, and the canvas surface is great because it lets paint stick to it really easily.

You can also make your own stretched canvas by using purchased canvas material and wood frames, whether you buy or make those yourself, too. That way, you can make your canvas any size or shape that you’d like.

2. Paper

Pros: Great for practice; cheap
Cons: Some types are flimsy or will not work with watercolor

Paper can, obviously, come in different types itself, but there’s a few types that work best for us as painters. For example, you can get canvas paper, which works just like stretched canvas, in simple packs or booklets. You can also find watercolor paper in packs, and this paper is thick enough to hold all types of paint in place, including watercolor and acrylic, oil, or gouache. Any other types of paper might work for thicker paints, like acrylic, but won’t work at all for thin, runny watercolors.

Painting on paper is great for practice since it’s a cheap material that you can discard or easily store away once you’re finished with it. You can also frame papers in traditional picture frames, which is easier to do than to frame stretched canvas.

3. Wood

Pros: Unique texture and appearance
Cons: Difficult to stick paint to while painting

Wood is a unique medium that can give a painting a real upgrade in terms of aesthetic. Paintings on wood planks, or other wooden items, really let the texture of the wood underneath shine through.

However, wood is very difficult to paint on, especially when the wood is very smooth on the surface. Most paints do not stick to smooth surfaces, so it can take a lot of layer-building to make your painting start to work for you and not against you.

4. Glass

Pros: Beautiful “shine-through” effect
Cons: Very difficult to paint on; does not work with watercolor

Paintings made on glass are, honestly, extremely beautiful. The way light shines through glass can give any painting an ethereal feeling that just can’t be expressed with other surfaces.

However… painting on glass is a very difficult task. This is because, similar to wood, glass is very smooth, and paint does not like to stick to it while you are in the process of painting. Only thick paints will work on glass at all, and watercolors have no chance of staying on the slick surface.

5. Walls

Pros: Easy to paint on, similarly to canvas
Cons: Dripping may occur; painting cannot be transferred elsewhere

Painting a mural on a wall, either indoors or outdoors, takes a lot of planning. You also need to keep in mind that this type of painting requires you to make your painting on a vertical surface, so you should know that dripping is a possibility, specifically with watercolors. Aside from that, painting on a wall is not very difficult because the texture of most walls resemble canvas, and paint tends to stick very well to walls.

6. Items with Gesso

Pros: Turns every surface into a paintable one!
Cons: Is not, itself, a surface; takes time to dry before you start your painting

Gesso isn’t exactly a surface that can be painted on; rather, it’s a way to turn any surface into a paintable one.

Gesso is, actually, just a very thick acrylic white paint. When it’s painted on any surface, then, it turns that surface into something akin to white canvas. You can apply gesso to home decor items that you want to paint on, like old tables with a varnish on them, or you can use it to cover-up and re-paint over another painting.

Next time you want to change up the way you paint, try any of these six painting surfaces, and just see what happens!

Want more painting tips, inspiration, and even access to full online painting classes? Check out Canvas Academy—your guide to becoming the best artist you can be!

Additionally, you can see more blog posts relating to painting by clicking below.

Happy painting, fellow artist!

–Kari