Oil Painting on a Grand Scale
Small, intimate paintings can be a delight to any viewer. I really enjoy spending time up close with tiny paintings. However, there is also a lot to be said for very large paintings. Recently I have found that my creativity, most likely fed by writing for Oil Painting at Suite 101 every week, is bursting out of me. My instincts tell me that I need a much larger outlet for my expression. As such, I decided that it is time for me to create 6 feet tall paintings that will seem larger than life to me (I'm only 5'4" tall).
When you have acclimated your painting style to accommodate paintings of a certain size, it is difficult to switch gears toward painting on a vastly different scale than what you’re used to. If painting tiny or smaller sized paintings has always been the norm for you, then deciding to paint grand works of art will be a difficult and intimidating task if you're not prepared for the issues that will develop. For example, constructing a very large canvas is naturally more difficult and time consuming than putting together a small one. Also, there are spatial and supply quantities that will need to be adjusted accordingly. Painting a large painting will also require equipping yourself with larger paintbrushes, and you will certainly need to adopt a significantly different painting style. Small brushes and their strokes previously used in smaller renditions will prove to be awkward and completely inappropriate when working on a grand scale.
Constructing your Painting Surface
When working with smaller artwork there is usually not the need for extra support in the construction of a stretched canvas. As the canvas gets larger, however, it is imperative to the structure of the frame that it be reinforced with as many crossbars as necessary. Furthermore, while you may have been able to use regular strength stretcher bars with smaller paintings, it is important to switch to heavy-duty stretcher bars when working on a larger scale.
An alternative to stretching a very large canvas, and what I decided to do in my case, is to work on unstretched canvas. Unstretched canvas can be primed by temporarily stretching it on a flat surface. A great place to stretch in such a way is a free wall in your studio or home. Using tiny pin-sized nails will avoid damage to your walls, and since canvas is fairly light, you won't need any fasteners stronger than that. It is helpful to first tack up a drop cloth slightly larger than the painting surface. Then, tack up the canvas, already pre-measured and cut, stretching it gently as you hang it. Then, prime the canvas using acrylic gesso as you would a canvas on stretcher bars.
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