home-Accessories-How to fix a painting on a stretcher. How to make a canvas stretcher with your own hands? Construction technology

How to fix a painting on a stretcher. How to make a canvas stretcher with your own hands? Construction technology

The final touch that completes the creation of a harmonious composition is the design of the artistic canvas in a frame. But before this, the canvas must be secured to the base. Since not everyone knows the name of the frame on which the canvas is stretched, you should understand the terms a little.

A structure in the form of a frame made of wooden slats, on which a fabric base for painting is stretched, is called a canvas stretcher. And the frame is the frame of the picture, carefully selected in color, shape and style. Small tips How to stretch canvas onto a frame will help you do it yourself.

Stretching a clean fabric or finished painting should be done very carefully so as not to damage the fabric and paint. To work, you will need special tongs, a stapler, and staples. It should be remembered that clean, unprimed fabric is much easier to stretch than the finished product.

The procedure is performed on a clean, flat surface in the following sequence:

  • a stretcher is placed on the spread canvas so that the threads are positioned exactly along and across the slats;
  • stretch the fabric from the long part, fix it with staples from the middle to the edges;
  • the remaining parties are treated similarly;
  • on last stage- bend and secure all corners.

After this, check the degree of tension, reliability of fastening and place the subframe in a decorative frame.

IN modern design Quite often there are modular paintings - several separate canvases combined into general composition. This solution allows you not only to decorate the interior, but also to visually change the space.

Therefore, the question is how to tighten modular picture on the frame is also relevant. IN in this case all operations are performed in the same way as described above. The only caveat is to properly prepare the individual parts with overlapping patterns. This will help maintain the integrity of the composition.



Nowadays, walls are often decorated with embroidery. But such a decorative element requires preliminary preparation. If a frame and base are chosen, the most difficult and crucial moment is stretching the fabric onto the backing. There are several ways to do this:

  • the fabric is stretched onto a plywood base and attached with pushpins around the perimeter;
  • for fixation, use special glue, which is applied to the very edge of the embroidery;
  • the embroidery is stretched onto the backing and stitched with reverse side opposite sides;
  • make holes around the perimeter of the base and, carefully stretching the fabric, stitch it.

To stretch a beaded picture into a frame, you can use any of the proposed methods. And if an embroidered product can be covered with glass, then it is better not to cover a beaded product so that glare does not form.

Before you begin painting, you will need to stretch the canvas so that the paint lays flat on it. If you're an artist, learning how to stretch your own canvas can help you save money and do something useful. From this article you will learn how to choose the right everything you need, how to stretch the canvas and how to prepare it for work.

Steps

Preparation

    Buy a stretcher or make one yourself. There are special stretchers with ready-made slats that clamp the canvas. This is the fastest and easiest way. Most artists use stretchers.

    Buy a canvas of the appropriate size. The canvas should extend beyond the stretcher by at least 15-20 centimeters (it all depends on the width of the frame). The canvas must be larger than the stretcher, otherwise it will be impossible to stretch it correctly. Measure the dimensions of the stretcher or estimate what size painting you need, and buy a slightly larger canvas.

    • It is much easier to stretch untreated canvas (not coated with gesso) than prepared canvas. It's best to buy unprimed canvas and gesso it later.

  1. Buy others necessary tools. You will need several simple tools for this work. Prepare the following:

    • Spray bottle with clean water. You should wet the back of the canvas that you stretch onto the stretcher. As it dries, it will shrink and tighten more.
    • Gesso. This primer is often used to treat the canvas after it has been stretched. Gesso is a white mixture of plaster, chalk and other substances that is sold at many art supply stores.
    • Special tongs for stretching canvas. They can be bought in almost all specialized stores. These tongs have a flat surface that allows you to stretch the canvas without leaving holes in it.
    • Stapler. Regular staplers are not suitable for these purposes. To securely fasten the canvas, you will need a special furniture stapler.

  2. Cut the canvas. Cut an area 8-10 centimeters larger than the frame, taking into account the width of the frame. You will need these extra pieces of canvas to hold onto as you pull the canvas. Having purchased all the necessary tools, a stretcher and canvas, cut the canvas to the desired size using a special sharp knife.

    • If you tear the canvas, you get more straight line than with a cut. Cut the canvas with a knife, and then tear it along the grain - you will get an even area.

    How to stretch canvas

    1. Place the frame in the center of the canvas. Place the canvas on your work surface and place the frame on top. Try to smooth the canvas as much as possible.

      • The fibers of the canvas should be parallel and perpendicular to the crossbars of the frame. If they lie at an angle, the frame will become deformed and the edges will begin to bend upward.

    2. First, stretch the canvas along the long side. Take the long side that lies closest to you and tuck it inward. Using three staples, secure the canvas to the frame from the inside (that is, you need to wrap the frame with canvas and secure it from the inside). There is no need to secure the edges of the canvas yet - you will do this later.

      • Turn the canvas with the stretcher or go around the other side of the work surface and do the same with the other side. Stretch the canvas tightly, wrap it around the frame, and secure with three staples.
      • You need to secure the canvas from the middle to the edges. Don't start at the edges because otherwise the canvas will warp and sag.

    3. If necessary, lightly wet the canvas. If you are stretching untreated canvas, you can spray it with water to help it stretch more tightly once it dries. After securing the long sides of the canvas, lightly dampen the back of the canvas.

      Pull the short sides taut. Grab the loose side, pull the canvas tightly, tuck it under the frame, and secure it with two staples to the frame. Do the same with the second side.

      Pull the edges tight. Go back to the first side where you started stretching the canvas and secure the edges. Pull the loose section of the canvas towards you, stretch it and clamp it with a staple. Work slowly, trying to pull a small piece at a time. Continue securing the edges, gradually moving from one section to another.

      • You can insert staples near the corners, and then between the center and the corner. Continue working until you have about 10 centimeters of loose canvas left from the corners.

    4. Fold and secure the corners. Fold one corner and pull it tightly so that there are no waves anywhere. Hold the canvas firmly. This finishing touch, and it is the most important. Everything must be done so that the canvas is even and tightly stretched.

      • Sometimes it is useful to make a small cut diagonally so that the canvas stretches better and lies neatly at the corners. The corners should look even, so trim the canvas if necessary.

    5. Finish your work. Go over all the staples with a hammer until they fit snugly against the frame. There should be no sharp protruding edges anywhere. If you feel like you need to add a few more staples, do so.

Please note that all paintings in our store are checked before sale, including for correct canvas stretching. And if any defect is discovered, it must be eliminated. However, the article may be useful for those who have encountered such a problem after purchasing a painting elsewhere. The article will also be of interest to those who bought a painting without a stretcher and are now interested in how to smooth out a canvas that has been wrinkled during transportation - correct stretching will in most cases solve this problem.

First you need to remove the canvas from the stretcher. To do this, place the painting face down on a flat surface. Please note that the surface must be clean so as not to stain the front side of the painting. However, if you do get the canvas dirty, don’t worry, it can be easily washed off with a damp cloth.

The canvas is held on a stretcher using paper clips that are secured around the entire perimeter. You need to carefully remove the paper clips.

ATTENTION!

Under no circumstances use a knife for this! Is it dangerous! The knife may fall off and hurt you!

A flathead screwdriver works well to remove staples. You need to proceed as follows. You push the screwdriver under the canvas.

You grab the paperclip and lift it up. Here you need to act carefully, as you can damage the canvas.

After the paper clip comes out of the subframe a little, you can remove it with a screwdriver.

Soft wood is used to make the stretchers, so the paper clips can be removed without any effort.

Note that you should not try to remove the paper clip by trying to insert a screwdriver between it and the canvas. You will damage the canvas and may injure yourself as the screwdriver may come off.

After all the paper clips have been removed, you need to remove the frame and rotate it 180 degrees. If you don't do this, the paper clips will fall into the old holes and you won't be able to stretch the canvas.

If you unfold the subframe, then the probability of the holes matching is extremely low.

Now you can proceed directly to the stretching. The figure below shows how to do this correctly. You need to fasten the canvas one staple at a time on opposite sides of the stretcher, moving from the center to the corners. This way you will be able to avoid distortions.

You can hammer the paper clips in with a small hammer, or you can use pliers for this. When everything is done, there will be no trace left of the fact that the painting was dismantled and stretched.

And in this video you can see the whole process from start to finish.

How to stretch canvas on a stretcher

Subframes
The stretcher serves as the basis for stretching the canvas. There are 2 types of stretchers: modular(prefabricated, wedge) and deaf.
Modular (prefabricated, wedge) stretchers can be bought in almost all art stores. They are sold in slats of 2 pieces (in increments of 5 cm in length) and are slightly more expensive than blind stretchers. As a rule, for a medium-sized painting, the thickness of the stretcher is 1.8 cm.
Modular stretchers have a huge advantage: their corners are not rigidly fastened and if the picture sag, you can fix everything at home, you just need to knock out the wedges. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the canvas with a hammer or overtighten it.
In blind stretchers, the corners are rigidly connected and if the canvas sag, it will have to be re-stretched. Canvas reupholstery should only be done by a specialist!

Subframe and preservation of the painting
A low-quality stretcher negatively affects the safety of the painting. Paintings by modern painters very often have bad stretchers. Unfortunately, not all artists give great importance quality of the subframe. Defects in the stretcher do not allow the canvas to be properly stretched over it, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the soil and the painting layer of the painting. A high-quality stretcher is the basis for the long-term preservation of paintings.

Let's look at the main defects of the subframe:

  • blind connection of corners, which does not make it possible to regulate the tension of the canvas, which causes deformation of the canvas and its sagging
  • Artists nail plywood triangles to the “blind” corners of the subframe, which make the subframe even more rigid and motionless
  • absence of crossbar or crossbar - for paintings big size. A subframe with a cross or crossbar will not warp and the corners will remain straight
  • no bevels on internal sides subframe, which causes creases and scree of the paint layer
  • a fragile stretcher that distorts when stretching the canvas
  • step-like, loose connection of planks at the corners and on the cross. With this defect, the canvas is deformed, creases and screes of the paint layer appear and it is impossible to tightly connect the painting to the frame
  • the subframe is made carelessly, from raw wood, as a result of which, after a fairly short period of time, the subframe will “lead” and will have to be replaced (in some cases the frame also has to be replaced)
  • the subframe is made of wood with knots. Even a well-made subframe that has knots will eventually “lead” and will have to be replaced
  • subframe with grinder beetle. Thanks to the activity of these insects, the tree disintegrates, turning into dust
  • the subframe is infected with mold

Tools
To stretch the canvas you will need a stapler with staples (Figure No. 1), a special tool for stretching paintings (Figure No. 2), a tape measure and a hammer.

Canvas Tension Strength
Untreated canvas is not stretched too much, because... It will stretch considerably during priming. The final touch will be stretching the primed canvas by tapping wedges in the corners. For a blind stretcher, it is advisable to use primed canvas. It must be pulled tightly, like a drum.

Stretching the canvas on modular subframe

  • Measure the diagonals of the subframe, they should be the same!!! Secure the corners with a stapler (2 staples per corner)
  • You need to stretch the canvas with a tool to stretch the paintings evenly with the same force
  • When stretching, do not wet the canvas on the unprimed side, this may lead to peeling of the primer.
  • Pull out the brackets holding the corners of the subframe
  • Fold and staple the excess canvas (Figure No. 6)
  • Insert two wooden wedges into the grooves at the corners of the subframe and carefully tap them with a hammer (Figure No. 6)

Stretching canvas on a blind stretcher

  • If possible, it is better not to use such a subframe at all!!!
  • Check the diagonals, they must be the same!!!
  • Place the painting on the stretcher exactly horizontally. If you simply have unprimed canvas, it is important to position it so that the direction of the canvas threads is parallel to the edges of the stretcher
  • Using a stretching tool, staple the canvas on 4 sides, as shown in Figure No. 3
  • Secure the canvas with a stapler every 2-3 cm around the entire perimeter of the stretcher, moving from the center to the edge, as shown in Figure No. 4
  • You need to stretch the canvas with a tool for stretching paintings evenly with the same force and quite strongly, because if the canvas sag, you will need to re-stretch it
  • Continue stretching the canvas onto the stretcher as shown in Figure 5. At the corners, the canvas is carefully tucked and stapled
  • Bend and staple the excess canvas (Figure No. 6), you will also need it when reupholstering the painting

drawing No. 1

Subframes are divided into two types: modular and ready-made. You can buy ready-made ones right away in the store, but the modular one will still have to be assembled. It is better to use ready-made ones for small paintings (30x40 cm).

The advantages of a modular stretcher are that if the canvas sag, wedges are driven into the grooves of the stretcher (which can also be bought at an art store) and the canvas is stretched. More often this need arises for large format paintings.

The side of the stretcher with a notch or bevel is called the front side, it is made so that the canvas does not stick to the frame.

The canvas is stretched onto the front side. If you decide to assemble a modular subframe, it is better to secure it with brackets at the joints.

To stretch the canvas onto a stretcher we need:

  1. canvas,
  2. stretcher,
  3. furniture stapler,
  4. tongs (optional),
  5. hammer.

The canvas should be stretched to an elastic state, without wrinkles or sagging.

U finished subframe You need to soften the corners a little so that the canvas does not tear on them; to do this, knock a little with the side of the hammer on all four corners.
Then we cut out the canvas a few centimeters larger than the stretcher so that we can bend the canvas afterwards.


The figure below schematically shows a rectangular subframe, and the points are indicated and numbered in what order to hammer in the staples.

We start from the longer side - find the middle and attach one of the sides of the canvas with two staples.

Next, you need to hammer the bracket into the second point, i.e. stretch the canvas to the left, holding the edges of the fabric with all fingers (so that it does not tear and stretches evenly).

In general, stretching canvas requires strength and patience. Try doing this together - one pulls, the other hammers in the staples with a stapler. The fabric should be tightly stretched, but at the same time, do not over-shade, otherwise it may tear.

Point 3 – we also tighten and drive in two staples.

Then we move to the other side of the canvas and hammer in the 4th and 5th points, while stretching the canvas vertically. I use tongs for pulling - it’s convenient and my fingers don’t hurt afterwards.

Point 6 does not require any effort - just pull a little.

But 7 – you need to pull it very hard!

Next – 8 and 9 – we also pull with all fingers, but not too much, because Points 11 and 12 have not yet been scored. The direction of tension is vertical.

This is followed by 11 and 12.

Then we return to the short side with point 6, drive in extreme points without much tension, turn it over and, already pulling it tightly, drive the staples along the edges. Next, hammer in the staples evenly, with tension. The interval between staples is 4-6 cm. We do this on all sides of the stretcher.
Long side:


short:


We secure the corners with an overlap using two staples.

If ready stretched canvas clap your palm, it will feel like a drum.
Ready product.

When viewed through light, the fibers must be perpendicular. It’s not quite perfect for me)), but it’s advisable to strive for it.

After the canvas has been stretched, it should be prepared for priming. For this we need gelatin. We dilute it in a ratio of 1:6 (gelatin: water). The water should be hot (boiling water), but before that you can pour a little into the gelatin cold water for 10 minutes. Then stir the mixture and cool. The consistency will be almost jelly or a little thinner. You need to cover the canvas with this twice. It is better to take a large brush (painting brush). The interval between coatings is 12 hours. After the second coating has dried, you need to lightly walk over the canvas with sandpaper (without fanaticism). Then you can cover it with primer. The soil is bought in a store and diluted with cold water until it becomes sour cream. They also need to be coated twice, only with an interval of 30-40 minutes.

After these procedures, the canvas is ready for use.



Related publications: