Cotton or Linen

Canvas COTTON or LINEN?

Linen is by far the better-quality because of its strength and resistance to decay. Woven from flax, the weave can show throughout many layers of paint.

Primed with an oil primer this is the classical standard for oil paintings. An acrylic primer which is less expensive than oil primer, can be used with either acrylic or oil paints. Linen is difficult to prime and stretch properly, but it offers the smoothest and stiffest painting surface, one with proven longevity.

Linen, while expensive, is the traditional choice. Some of the qualities linen has that makes it so attractive to painters are:

• Linen is the most durable fabric to put paint on. Linen's warp and weft threads are equal in weight so less susceptible to the expanding/contracting problems created by moisture.

• Linen is very receptive to sizing and priming applications.

• Linen retains its natural oils which preserve the fiber's flexibility and keeps the canvas from becoming brittle.

• Linen has a more “natural” weaved finish than cotton and is available in a variety of textures, weights and smooth or rough finish.


Cotton is desirable because of its affordable price and its ease of stretching.

Cotton duck: Much less expensive than linen, it has become the most popular support for oil and acrylic painting, especially for students. A properly prepared cotton canvas has longevity similar to linen, and is more flexible and easier to stretch properly. However, cotton is considered too flexible for very large paintings.

It is possible to stretch cotton tighter than linen, without straining the wooden support, because cotton fibers stretch more easily than linen fibers. Although not as strong as linen, a heavy grade cotton can make up for its lack of strength with its weight.

For both oil and acrylic painting, an acrylic gesso primer is generally used