Painting on raw canvas: What you need to know before you start

If you've opened a Plan kit before, you might have noticed something straight away. The canvas isn't bright white, or coated in a smooth layer of primer. Instead, you get the fabric as it is: raw cotton or raw linen, unprimed. That's intentional.

We love the warmth, texture and natural character of raw canvas, and we like that it becomes part of the finished artwork rather than simply disappearing underneath the paint.

But painting on raw canvas does feel a little different from painting on the white pre-primed canvases you might be used to. So, what actually changes?

 

What is raw canvas?

Raw canvas simply means the fabric hasn't been coated with a primer such as acrylic gesso. A traditional pre-primed canvas usually has one or more layers of gesso applied over the fabric. That creates a more sealed, consistent painting surface and often gives you the familiar bright white canvas most people picture when they think of painting.

With raw canvas, you're painting directly onto the fibres themselves. You can see the weave and the natural colour of the material. And if you leave areas unpainted, the canvas becomes a visible part of the artwork.

That's one of the biggest reasons we love it.

 

What happens when acrylic paint meets raw canvas?

Raw cotton and linen are more absorbent than a primed surface. That means acrylic paint can soak into the fibres rather than sitting entirely on top of them.

You'll notice this particularly when using watered-down acrylic paint or acrylic washes. The colour can spread into the fabric and create softer edges, stains and variations in tone. Use thicker acrylic paint and you'll get something much more solid and opaque.

So even on the same canvas you can create very different effects depending on how much water you use and how heavily you apply the paint.

 

The natural canvas becomes another colour

This might be our favourite thing about painting on raw canvas. You don't have to cover all of it. The natural cotton or linen can effectively become another colour in your palette.

Instead of starting with a bright white background and feeling like every inch needs filling, you can deliberately leave areas untouched.

• A large section of exposed canvas can create negative space
• A thin painted shape can feel much more graphic
• Soft washes can let the texture underneath show through

And suddenly the material itself is contributing to the composition. We've used this a lot in our own Plan artworks.

Sometimes half the canvas stays completely raw, sometimes most of it does. There really isn't a rule.

 

Raw cotton canvas

Our raw cotton canvas has a warm, natural creamy tone and a visible woven texture.

It's a really nice middle ground if you're new to raw canvas painting because the surface still feels approachable, but it immediately gives the artwork more warmth than a standard bright white canvas.

Colour also behaves beautifully against it. Deep blues, greens and reds can feel richer because they're sitting against that soft natural backdrop, while lighter or more transparent paint can allow the cotton texture to remain visible underneath.

If you like minimal abstract painting, negative space or loose acrylic washes, raw cotton gives you a lot to play with.

 

Raw linen canvas

Raw linen has a slightly different character. The natural colour tends to feel earthier and the weave itself becomes more noticeable visually.

That's exactly why we love it. Rather than trying to hide the material, we want to celebrate it. The linen texture is gorgeous as part of the finished piece. For minimal artworks especially, untouched linen can add a huge amount of depth without you actually doing anything to it.

Cotton and linen can also differ in weave, stiffness and surface feel, so the experience of painting on them isn't identical. Neither is about one being “better”, it's more about the look and feel you want.

 

Does raw canvas absorb more paint?

Yes. Because there isn't a sealed layer of primer sitting between the paint and fabric, raw canvas can absorb more liquid than a primed surface.

You'll notice that most when using thin paint. A watery acrylic wash might soak in almost immediately, while thicker paint will remain much more visible on the surface.

If you're new to it, use one of your canvas practice pieces first. Try:

• Paint straight from the tube
• Paint mixed with a little water
• A very loose acrylic wash
• A dry brush with very little paint
• A thicker palette-knife mark

You'll quickly see how differently the same colour behaves depending on how you apply it.

 

You don't need to paint it like a white canvas

This is probably the biggest thing we'd tell somebody before they start. Don't look at the natural fabric and think "I need to cover this".

Think of it as part of your palette. Maybe you want only one large painted shape, or three blocks of colour. Maybe you want thin layers that still show the weave underneath. Or maybe you do want to cover the whole thing.

All completely valid. But leaving the canvas raw gives you that choice.

 

Why we leave Plan canvases unprimed

A lot of it simply comes down to the finished look we wanted Plan artworks to have. We love materials that still look and feel like raw materials.

• Wood that still looks like wood
• Canvas where you can still see the weave
• Paint that doesn't necessarily hide everything underneath it

Leaving our cotton and linen canvases raw means you can choose how much of that material becomes part of your artwork. It also creates opportunities to experiment with things like washes, staining, negative space and more transparent layers.

And because every artwork is different, somebody might use that raw surface heavily while somebody else covers almost all of it. We like giving you the option.

 

Raw canvas vs primed canvas

Neither surface is universally better. They're just different.

• A primed canvas gives you a more sealed and predictable painting surface. Paint generally stays more on top of the ground, colours can appear brighter and the surface can be easier for detailed or controlled painting.
• A raw canvas is more absorbent and tactile. The paint can interact much more visibly with the fabric itself and you get the natural canvas colour and weave as part of the artwork.
  

For the kind of loose, expressive and abstract painting we often create at Plan, we love that.

 

Try the canvas before you decide what to make

If you're not sure where to start, don't begin with an artwork. Begin with the material. Take a practice piece and see what happens when you add water, use thick paint, drag a dry brush across the weave, press paint into the fabric, or leave half of it completely untouched.

You might find the surface itself gives you the idea. And that's really why we leave it raw in the first place.

 

Choose your canvas

Every Plan kit starts with either raw cotton or raw linen canvas, ready for you to stretch, experiment with and turn into something completely your own.

If you want something warm, natural and versatile, start with cotton. If you're drawn to a more visibly textured, characterful and darker surface, explore linen. Then decide how much of it you actually want to paint.

Explore our cotton and linen framed canvas kits and find the surface you want to create on. If you're still unsure, get yourself a Mixed Kit. You'll get one of each, in one kit.

 

Emmi
Co-founder of Plan