✓Showcase your talent and win big in Artists Network prestigious art competitions! Discover competitions in a variety of media and enter for your chance to win cash prizes, publication in leading art magazines, global exposure, and rewards for your hard work. Plus, gain valuable feedback from renowned jurors. Let your passion shine through - enter an art competition today!
Ask the Experts: Technical Questions Answered for Artists
by Michael Chesley Johnson
How to Travel With a Wet Canvas
Q. What tips can you give me for packing wet canvases for travel?
Name withheld
A. If you paint in oil en plein air, you have a problem that painters in acrylic, watercolor and pastel don’t have: after laboring all morning over a painting in the field, how do you get the picture home without smearing the wet paint? A variety of devices have been invented over the years, but if you paint on panels, the simplest way to transport them when the paint is still wet is to take two cheap frames the same size as your panels, sandwich them together front-to-front with screws, and then attach turn buttons to the backs so you can secure your panels in place between the frames. (Some frames already come with turn buttons.) This contrivance makes a neat package that can carry two wet panels easily.
If you paint on stretched canvas, double-ended pushpins will do the trick; however, you’ll need two canvases to make this method work. On the wet side of your canvas, push a pin into each corner (make sure the pins go fully into the stretcher bar). Then place another canvas—painted or not—facedown on the pins protruding from the first canvas and push down gently at each corner to secure the pins into the second canvas. You can also buy special clips called canvas carrier clips, which enable you to carry two facing canvases without piercing the edges.
These options work well for one or two paintings, but if you have more, consider a wet canvas box. Guerilla Painter Handy Porter is one model that comes in several sizes. Made of cardboard, it contains foam inserts that allow you to carry two stretched canvases or four panels. Some manufacturers make wooden boxes that can carry many more panels or panels of several sizes at once. Artwork Essentials makes the ezPort, which has adjustable slots. For example, one configuration lets you carry four 12×16-inch canvases and six 9×12-inch canvases at once.
Another option is a pochade box, which comes with wet-panel storage space. When I’m going on a long painting trip, I’ll take wet-panel boxes to match the size of the paintings I’ll be working on—an 8×10-inch box, a 9×12-inch box or a 12×16-inch box—but if it’s a short trip, I’ll just fill up my 9×12-inch Guerrilla Painter box to its maximum, which is four 9×12-inch panels.
Michael Chesley Johnson, longtime contributor to Artist’s Magazine and the author of Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel, teaches plein air workshops throughout North America. Visit his website at mchesleyjohnson.com.
FAQs
On the wet side of your canvas, push a pin into each corner (make sure the pins go fully into the stretcher bar). Then place another canvas—painted or not—facedown on the pins protruding from the first canvas and push down gently at each corner to secure the pins into the second canvas.
How to transport oil painting in car? ›
Traveling by Car:
Clear the area in the vehicle where the piece will be placed of any items that may come loose and damage the item. Create a soft surface to absorb the shock of the road by using a blanket or foam. Temperature changes will affect the stability of the artwork.
How to travel with oil painting? ›
Place your paintings face-to-face with wax paper or with non-stick baking paper between them. You can also place plastic push-pins at each corner of one of the paintings to put some additional space between the paintings. Unpack the paintings as soon as they get to their destination.
How do you travel with canvas paintings? ›
Parchment paper is helpful because it won't stick to your canvas, which can remove paint. It also won't allow other substances, like rain or spills, to interfere or damage the piece during travel. Using your painter's tape, secure the paper around the piece (think about how you would wrap a gift).
How to transport oil painting still wet? ›
A variety of devices have been invented over the years, but if you paint on panels, the simplest way to transport them when the paint is still wet is to take two cheap frames the same size as your panels, sandwich them together front-to-front with screws, and then attach turn buttons to the backs so you can secure your ...
How long does oil paint stay wet on canvas? ›
Oil paints on their own will stay wet for at least two days or more depending how thick you apply the paint so there is no need for any sort of intervention to keep them wet … This is dependant on the brand of paint you use. Mine dries to the touch overnight if painted in thin layers.
How do you protect a painting when traveling? ›
How to Keep Your Artwork Safe During a Move
- Protect Glass From Breakage. ...
- Cover Each Painting With a Layer of Glassine. ...
- Cover Each Painting with Palette Wrap. ...
- Place Artwork Between Two Layers of Cardboard. ...
- Cover Paintings in Bubble Wrap. ...
- Pack Your Paintings in the Right Boxes. ...
- Pad Box Interiors.
Tape the bubble wrap around the painting. Then, pack the artwork in a cardboard case that is only somewhat bigger than the artwork and seal all sides with packing tape. Use a lasting stamp or marker to write “FRAGILE” on the box where you plan to store the paintings.
Can I carry a canvas painting on a plane? ›
As far as carrying it on the plane with you, they can't deny your carrying it if it's going to fit in the overhead, which if you placed rigid cardboard on each side of the painting & taped it to keep it a 16×20 size, I am sure it would fit in the overhead compartment, I just measured my carry on suitcase which is 14x ...
How to take wet painting home? ›
Here's my best fine art tip for traveling with wet oil paintings! 🎨
- Cut a wine cork into four penny sized pieces.
- Add one slice to each corner of the wet painting.
- Gently place another painting face-down on top of the cork pieces. ...
- Use blue painter's tape and wrap to secure all four corners of the paintings.
3. Wrap Canvas Paintings
- Step 1: Lay out a sheet of acid-free paper larger than your painting.
- Step 2: Place the painting face down on the paper.
- Step 3: Fold over the edges of the paper and secure them with tape.
Essential Tools for Wet-on-Wet Painting
Soft, Flexible Brushes - Blending brushes made of sable or synthetic fibers allow you to feather and transition colors seamlessly. Use brushes of different shapes and sizes. Palette Knives - These flexible knives are perfect for bold strokes of thick paint and smooth blending.
How do you mail a wet oil painting? ›
Different art elements can have unique shipping requirements. For example, oil paintings should first be a wrapped painting with acid-free paper to avoid harming the painting. Bubble wrap can be your second layer to keep things safe from bumps in transit, while the acid-free paper protects the paint itself.
Where do you put oil paintings when drying? ›
I've used a wooden shelving bookcase that is adjustable and I've made it so that I have a few shelves up top that are spaced closer together to use as flat drying racks while the lower storage shelves on it are reserved for paintings that are drying vertically.
