Canvas has become the most common support medium for artists to paint on. The pleasing receptivity to the brush and longevity makes artists fall in love with canvas. It gives a space for creating paintings that you can keep as a bookmark for eras. It has been used for centuries and remains just as popular today!
It’s mainly made of two materials – cotton and linen. Let’s look at the features and differences of these.
Cotton 
Cotton is a soft, fluffy fibre made from the cotton plant.
Cotton canvas, also known as cotton duck, is more widely used than any other canvas. Since it has a low manufacturing cost, the price of cotton is less and affordable than linen. It is mass-produced in Africa, India, and across the Americas.
Cheap rate, easy stretchability, and flexibility make cotton an artist’s choice. It has a more consistent weave and is usually primed with acrylic-based gesso, making it a better option for acrylic and watercolor paintings.
Linen
Linen is made from the flax plant.
It is considered better than cotton as its long fibres provide a stronger, smoother surface and have proven to be more durable. The same weighed threads are used to make linen canvas. It makes them long-lasting and reduces the chance of expanding and contracting because of moisture.
The more natural texture and weave, with high labor cost, makes it highly expensive.
Linen canvas is primed with an oil-based gesso, making it a better option for oil painting. Even though linen has these many qualities, it is difficult to prime it and stretch it properly.
Which One Should I Choose?
Choosing the right canvas is strictly based on your way of painting.
Canvas is available in the form of fibres woven together and then either glued to a canvas panel or stretched over a frame (Stretched Canvas). Canvas rolls is the other option, you can stretch a cotton canvas roll or linen canvas roll in a free canvas.
Both cotton and linen canvases have their own advantages and disadvantages.
If you are ready to pay more and is a master of stretching, then go for linen! If you wish to create bigger paintings, especially oil paintings, don’t think twice to choose it.
If you have a medium budget and want to make a quality piece, or you are a beginner, cotton is the best and affordable choice. Cotton rolls can be cut into your preferred size and easily stretched on a canvas. It is more user-friendly than linen and serves good for acrylic, and watercolor.
Still not sure about your canvas..?
Read Canvas: How to Choose the Right One for Your Artwork.
Now, decided on the type of canvas you need? Then, it’s time to weave your own creative magic!
Visit Glowart, the best online art supplies shop in Australia/Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne/Adelaide/Perth/Darwin.