A Guide to All Art Supplies

Shopping for art supplies may seem intimidating and confusing at the start. After all, there are many types of tools and options to consider and you only have so much time to decide. We are here to help you get the materials you will need to start your fine art career or hobby. This post outlines the art supplies we offer and provides tips on how you can use them.

Wood Panels

Our ready made cradled panels are constructed with a Baltic Birch wood surface and a smooth solid Poplar wood cradle. These are perfect for a wide range of art projects, most especially when media such as acrylic and oil paints are used. You will need to sand and prime the panels with primer, sealer or gesso first before painting over them. Priming will ensure that the wood does not absorb the paint or corrode and chip off after a long period of time. For rectangular panels, we offer stocked sizes in standard depths of 15/16" and 1-5/8", from 4x4 inches all the way to 60x40 inches. We also carry standard sizes for round, triangular, and edged types.

Wood Panels

Stretcher Bars

Our Tongue and Groove Stretcher Bars are an easy, cost-effective and DIY way to assemble and disassemble a wooden frame around which a cotton or linen canvas is stretched. The bars are made from Basswood and are available in lightweight ¾' depth and heavy duty 1 ½' depths. We offer stocked sizes from 5' to 72' long for lightweight bars, and from 8' to 96' for heavy duty bars. For larger sizes, the bars would come with grooves on the sides of the bar for cross braces. Cross braces are optional but become necessary to reinforce and stabilize long and oversized frames.

Stretcher Bar

Canvas

Canvas is an excellent and versatile medium for artists of all ages and skill levels. We offer all the materials you will need to prep and prime your canvas for painting: Don't want to fret with prepping a canvas? Check out our pre-stretched and primed canvases! Aside from the standard rectangle size, we also offer unconventional shapes such as round, oval and convexo. If you have a very specific stretcher size you need to wrap your canvas to, we sell unstretched cotton and linen canvas by the foot, both primed or unprimed.

Ready Made Canvas Primed Vs Raw Canvas

Mediums

Gesso & Primer Canvases need to be prepped before and after painting or Giclee applications. For blank canvases, unprimed canvas needs to be prepared with Acrylic gesso or Sizing in order to prevent your paints from being absorbed by the canvas material. This also makes painting over the canvas easier and more appealing. Coating and Treatments Coating your canvas is necessary to preserve and protect paint, ink and canvas material. This step is usually done after you print your image or after finishing painting. We offer them in various finishes to best suit any aesthetic you need.

Gesso

Framing Hardware

Aside from offering supplies for you to prepare your canvas, we also offer all the supplies you need to assemble and mount a picture frame to decorate your artwork. Hardware for Mounting Artwork Z brackets L brackets Spring clips for Metal frames Spacers for Shadow Box frames Turn Buttons Nails & Screws There are many ways to display or mount your artwork as there are different hanging systems for different artwork sizes and weights. Hanging Systems Picture Wall Hooks Wire Hoops Hanging Wires French Cleats Sawtooth Picture Hangers Secure-T System

Hardware

Pre-cut Boards

Mounting boards are materials with a sturdy or hard surface that you can use to attach paper prints to. These are a more practical and lightweight way to display flat prints without the bulk and costs of a picture frame. Most artists use these as an inexpensive and more practical way to display their fine art prints. We offer them both in pre-cut and custom sizes. The current board options available are foam and gator boards, cork, mat boards, birch plywood, and plexiglass.

Pre-Cut Boards

Resin Coating

Epoxy resin or resin is a protective, fluid-like coating mixed with a hardener that results in a thick, glossy, clear and shiny coat atop artwork. It is similar to varnish - only it is much thicker and can be applied all at once. After curing resin, it will look the same as 50 coats of varnish and your artwork becomes heat-, scratch- and water-resistant. This coating can be used on most mediums: canvas prints, original oil and acrylic paintings, posters, photographs and plaque mounts.

Resin Coating

Ready-made Frames

As we are a picture framing business, we do offer some ready made picture frames that you may use to display your favorite artwork and memorabilia. Do note though that their designs and artwork size ranges are very limited and if you would like to have more options to choose from you. Among these we have types like shadow box, bulletin boards, snap, and oval frames. Shadow boxes are a unique subset of picture framing. Offering a traditional border combined with a deep "rabbet", they allow you to create beautiful displays of three-dimensional objects, decorative edge paper artwork, and even regular photographs. Our pre-assembled jersey shadow box frames come with a hanger installed, saving you the time and hassle of creating a frame for your favorite item of clothing. Snap frames are a versatile and affordable framing option for posters that need to be changed out easily. These are often seen in retail, hospitality, and business environments. The front loading design of these frames are intended to make frequent changing of posters a faster and easier process.

Ready Made Shadow Box

Additional Resources

With these art supplies, you are all set with the materials to create and frame your own art. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, try simplifying your list by getting only what you need and afford. If you have any questions about which supplies you will be needing, please feel free to contact us and our team would be happy to assist! To purchase Wood Panels, click here! To purchase Canvases, click here! To purchase Stretcher Bars, click here! To purchase Framing Hardware, click here! To purchase Pre-cut Boards, click here! To purchase Resin Coating, click here! To purchase Ready Made Frames, click here! Click to purchase Mediums and Gels or Gesso and Sizing

KeenART Media

If you have questions about any of our services or products, don't hesitate to contact us. Our knowledgeable staff is always happy to assist with answers, advice, or suggestions.

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USA Giclee On Canvas, Fine Art Printing - Art Scanning & Reproductions - Handmade Oil Paintings - Custom Wood Panels, Metal Picture Framing - Block/Plaque Mountings, Large Format Dry Mounting & Lamination - Art Supplies: Stretcher Bars, Cradled Wood Panels and Artist Canvas - Collages On Canvas - Plexi/Acrylic Face Mounts - Block Acrylics, Fabric Printing, Dye Sublimation - Cityscape Skyline Prints, Resin, Photo Gifts and more... Frame Assembly Guide - Dovetail System USA Laser Engraving & Cutting Services

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