kathy_brown Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I have a 10x20 canvas background and I want to repaint it. It's a little dirty from walk on traffic. Anyone have any experience painting canvas backdrops? I have contacted some artists in my area and they are hesitant on painting it due to the cracking that could occur from being on a roller system.Any information or internet sites that may be of help to me is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoneguy Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I painted my own camouflage canvas with exterior latex paint. It came out pretty good, but man, it was heavy. I didn't have any problems with cracking. But I will say this...NEVER AGAIN! What a pain in the a$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 You will need a flexible paint. Try cleaning it first. TSP -trisodium phosphate -or Spic and Span. Your local paint store may have other ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randmcnatt Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Completely repainting a canvas backdrop is not a great idea, unless you want to use the back, unpainted side and start fresh. In that case, prime the canvas with flexible gesso and go to it. The rule of thumb is "fat over thin", start with thinned, watery layers, and move on to thicker paint as you go. That supposedly makes for the most flexible painting. But maybe you want to repair what you already have. If the paint is already cracking, you may not be able to anything about that. Assuming the canvas is painted with "latex" (nobody's used real latex in decades) you can try using an acrylic-floor-finish stripper to soften the paint and help heal the cracks. Xylene - used in painters' brush cleaners - can work but it's nasty stuff. Use the stuff they sell at the supermarket, instead. If you need to just clean up some scuffs and heel marks, try cleaning with a mild detergent first, then repaint just the splotches that need touch-up with a either exterior-grade 100% acrylic (exterior paints have to expand/contract more, and are more flexible) OR a 100% acrylic artist's polymer paint. In either case, thinning the paint and applying it sparingly is a good idea. If you need to cover an area more opaquely, add a bit of clear acrylic medium. Just touch-up what need work. Think of it like retouching a photo and it gets easier. I never had to use anything larger than a 1/4" brush, even repairing rips and holes. In general, matte paints cover better but crack more than glossies (the matte pigments have basically the same ingredients as mud). If this is a solid white backdrop: Good luck!, I've never had much success refinishing one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshschutz Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 what about a grey sheet with some spray paint. would the paint crack on that. i have different spray tips that would give bigger blobs of paint as well as smaller ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troy_taylor Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Buy a new piece of canvas the stuff that is used for awnings on RVs works real good it water resistant poly on one side canvas on the other. I forgot the name of the stuff. An air brush artist told me thats the best stuff to paint on, thats flex and roll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc5066 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Nothing beats a professionally made muslin. Some things are just worth paying for. Quality wise along with effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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