Duct Canvas

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Intro: Duct Canvas

Back in 2009, I was a first-year art student with an infant daughter and no job. I loved drawing and ink, but everyone was expected to paint - and duck canvas was expensive!

That's when I came up with DUCT CANVAS. Like the duck, but with a T and made from a three dollar roll of tape and recycled art materials.

Step 1:

Naturally, I had several large sketch pads lying around. These pads (12x18 inches at the smallest) almost always are backed by a surprisingly sturdy cardboard sheet. I had already been encouraged to use this cardboard for pastels and the like, but the industrial subject matter one of my professors was focusing on led me to

Step 2: 

Layer the cardboard with even strips of duct tape, starting at the bottom with about a half an inch overhang which I folded under the   cardboard for a more seamless look.

The art I did on these things was almost entirely in India ink and white acrylic. My skills and passion have waned as I moved on to greener pastures, but I still hope to try this canvas again someday.



Total prep time: about ten minutes.

2 Comments

Does not peels off the paint after a while?
Surprisingly, no. The duct tape tries to repel most application, but once you get the paint on there it is apparently pretty much set.

The example photo from three years ago is still in pristine condition. I don't remember, I may have added a thin layer of spray fixative.