This is why a workable fixative is a must when working on a canvas with a pencil.

Remember that you should use softer graphite when working on canvas, which smears easily. When you have a heavily primed canvas, you should have an extremely smooth surface that is ideal for detailed pencil drawing. It can take some practice to get a smooth surface when priming your canvas, but it can be done. You can, but you’ll need to prime your canvas with several coats of gesso first to create a smooth surface to work on. Can You Create Fine Pencil Lines on Canvas? You can even work without priming your canvas, but the color of unprimed canvas is darker, making it harder for graphite to show up.īut, if you are working with charcoal, the darker pigment will show up just fine on an unprimed canvas. Then light priming of your canvas works best. Do you want a rough sketch with lots of texture? Before getting started, you should decide what kind of drawing you are planning. You just get your canvas, choose your selection of pencils, then get to work. One of the great things about drawing on canvas with a pencil is that there’s no particular prep work that has to be done before you get started. Drawing Directly Onto The Canvas With A Pencil Many artists are also the most comfortable drawing when they can rest their hands on their drawing surface.ĭoing this with stretched canvas is problematic because the canvas will move, but with canvas panels, there is no such concern. This will affect your final drawing since the canvas pops back into place as soon as you remove the pressure. One of the issues you’ll have when you draw on a stretched canvas is that using even moderate amounts of pressure will cause the canvas to sink in as you draw. Let your imagination run wild – you might be surprised by what you come up with! Can You Sketch Onto A Canvas Panel?Ĭanvas panels are a great surface to work on because they are inexpensive, provide a surface similar to stretched canvas, and are firm and durable, letting you work with harder graphite and apply more pressure. Don’t be afraid to experiment with pencil lines the textured canvas surface has elements that can be linked to various subjects, such as landscapes and portraits.

Second, consider the topic you wish to convey. You’ll want to select a topic that will adequately fill the space while not being overly cramped or too dispersed. First, think about the size of the canvas. However, there are a few things to consider before you start drawing. The options for what to draw on canvas are endless.

Easy things to draw on a canvas