Black or White Canvas?

A white canvas is many artists first choice when painting, but there are heaps of advantages to painting on a black canvas. If you need to be convinced, consider some of these points:

• Your colours will stand out better against a black background.
• Painting night scenes is simpler thanks to a pre-made dark backdrop.
• Using one of our pre-prepared canvases is a lot easier than having to gesso your own.
• Paints with special effects like metallic, pearl or glitter will have a greater vibrancy.

Tips for Painting on a Black Canvas

All ready to get painting on a black canvas? That’s great! Here are some handy tips to keep in mind as you go:

• If you are painting a nightscape, use dark blues, browns and purples to give a black sky some depth.
• Painting something black? No problem! Pick a space where a ‘light source’ will come from and use highlighting techniques to detail the edges of your subject.
• If you want darker colours to show up well, try painting a small layer of an opaque colour first as an undercoat, then paint your dark colour over the top. But keep in mind the colour you use as an undercoat can affect the colour you use over the top!
• Check your paint opacity! Using semi-transparent or transparent paints on a black canvas isn’t always a great idea, as they can struggle to show up against the black. You may need an undercoat for these paints too.

To Get Started, Try These!

We have a great range of products you can use to make your next black-canvas masterpiece! Here are some we recommend:

• Paints – oil and acrylics are the kinds you want to use on these canvases. Make sure to choose opaque ones, like this Titanium White acrylic or our Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue oil
• Pearl Pigments – you can use these handy pigments dry to add some sparkles to your art, or mix them with your favourite acrylics to make them shine! Our Micro Pearl Pigment is a great choice for adding to other mediums.
• Palettes – our easy to clean and lightweight palettes will keep your paints separate but within easy reach.
• Brushes and Knives – apply your paint in creamy swipes with a painting knife, or create some gorgeous detail using one of our quality paintbrushes.
• Paint Marker – a fun variant on paint itself, these gold and silver paint markers are an effective way to get metallic colour onto your canvas.

Once you’ve used a black canvas to make some stunning art, let us see! Show off your artwork on our Facebook or Pinterest page or tag us with @riotartandcraft on Instagram and show us what you’ve created.

If you’re in the mood to get crafty but just aren’t sure what to make, visit our Youtube and Vimeo pages for some ideas, inspiration and walk-throughs.