All language subtitles for 04-working_with_canvas

[MUSIC PLAYING]

OK, so we're going
to have a quick set

up on our canvases here.

What is a canvas?

What type of canvas?

We have some stretched
canvases here.

We also have some
unstretched canvases,

which I like to start with.

So what's the difference,
stretched, unstretched?

Well, this is not
stretched, i.e. meaning it's

not on a frame, it's
not on a stretcher bar,

it's not on any
kind of a chassis.

Of course, this would be
a classic stretched canvas

sold in any art store.

Or we could have made this
ourself from the primed canvas.

Simply create a wooden
frame, crossbar, staple,

staple, staple.

You would have a non-store
bought frame, but something you

would make yourself obviously.

And for many years, when you're
at the beginning of it all

and you don't have the
funds or the resources

to buy high end materials
from an art store,

well, you can buy
raw canvas, cheapest.

Stretch it yourself.

Still cheaper than buying
something store bought.

And then prime the
cameras yourself.

So from a real DIY
way, anything you

see that's kind of
traditional and store bought,

we can all do this
at home as well.

So I'm primed, primed.

And both canvases have
different applications.

Unprimed canvas can obviously
become primed canvas.

Just a question of applying the
medium, the primer, the gesso.

Or unprimed canvas can be
kept as unprimed canvas.

I happen to like both.

I recently did an exhibition
which was primarily

on unprimed canvas.

And that was a lot about
how the effects of spray

paint interact with a
canvas that's not stretched.

A lot of saturation, very
wonderful techniques.

I want to show you guys
something that I used to do,

something I learned probably
when I was in high school.

This can be done with paper,
fabric, just about anything,

clothing.

Almost makes you think
of tie-dying, which

I guess is where it comes from.

So this is a quick little demo.

Because I have a can
of red paint here,

we're going to start with red.

[SPRAYING]

So what I've done
is, I basically

bunched up this material.

But what I've done, is I've also
created all of these cavities

and crevices and chambers.

All those folds are
going to be wonderful.

[SPRAYING]

So I'm going to paint it from
this side just like that.

And as a result of
the way it's folded,

and once again, it's
totally arbitrary.

It's nothing preplanned here.

It's just go with it.

And this side has
been painted red.

I'm going to try this and
paint the other side black.

[SPRAYING]

All right, it's
pretty basic, but.

So just on the
strength of an effect,

it's pretty interesting.

And believe it or not,
this is another accident

waiting to happen for me
in that I wasn't trying

to make a tie-dye anything.

I just did what I did there.

I bunched up some
material and I sprayed it,

conscious of knowing if I spray
something from one side and I

spray something
from the other side,

you will create this kind
of meeting in the middle.

And what I love, is the way
the shadows of the white

basically create the depth
in this type of effect.

So something like that is so
simple, yet quite interesting

visually.

So if you could imagine I did
that to the entire canvas,

well, wow, that would
look pretty interesting.

Could that be the
finished product?

It could.

Could it be a background
to something else?

Of course it could.

You can't do that with a
stretched canvas, of course.

And it wouldn't work
with the unprimed cameras

either, because you would
never get any of the color.

It would just get
evaporated into the canvas.

Size of canvas is
obviously very important.

I think this is something
around 54 something or other.

Canvas comes in
all types of sizes.

I would imagine
the smallest roll

size might be about four feet.

So once again, buy in rolls, I
mean, something like, you know,

a roll like this and a roll like
this would be great starters.

You know, hey, I want a role
of unprimed canvas, hey,

I want a roll of primed canvas.

You don't need to
make it too big.

52, 54, five feet.

60 inches max would
be perfect for anyone.

Of course, you can cut
this up into as many pieces

as you want.

I mean, we're
working with this now

at scale, the scale
in which it comes.

But this could be cut
in half, quartered.

Do whatever you want with it.

But I would say start small.

I mean, get yourself
a roll of canvas.

Doesn't even have to be
unprimed, because maybe

for the moment,
you wouldn't really

have any application for it.

I would stay was
something primed.

It's going to be a lot
easier to work with.

And/or in addition
to something like

that, get yourself a
couple of store bought.

This looks like to be
two feet, 18 inches.

I don't know, but something
very reasonable, workable.

You just want to
be where you need

to be in order to finish
the painting that you're

trying to work on.