Straight Canvas Won't Work – It Needs Properties Like Watercolor Paper

As you likely know, watercolor paper is unique compared to other surfaces like drawing paper or canvas. The manufacturing process and texture of watercolor paper not only makes your watercolors look beautiful when applied, but also preserves your artwork for years with the right pH balance.

Additionally, watercolor paper is incredibly resilient against water damage. So how do you achieve these same properties on canvas?

Simple! You need to use both a primer like gesso and a watercolor ground.

Gesso Must Be a Studio Staple

No matter what medium you work with – acrylic, oil, or watercolors – gesso is an essential item to keep on hand. We recommend purchasing artist-grade gesso from reputable suppliers like Dick Blick or Amazon.

Avoid hardware store primers as they often contain impurities unsuitable for artist-grade paint and may have strong odors that shouldn't be inhaled.

Artist-grade gesso provides a coating for the canvas that your watercolor ground can adhere to. Without proper gesso coating, you'd waste painting supplies just like with untreated canvases for oils or acrylics.

You Must Apply a Watercolor Ground

Watercolor ground is perfect for using watercolors on any surface. While gesso provides rigidity and prevents over-absorption, watercolor ground adds both absorption and textural properties similar to watercolor paper.

After applying watercolor ground over gesso-treated canvas, you'll get a familiar surface that shortens the learning curve while delivering great results.

Bonus: These grounds also work on metal or glass surfaces! Products like Daniel Smith's watercolor ground come in six colors including transparent.

While gesso is essential for any artist, watercolor ground is a must-have for watercolorists experimenting with different surfaces.

How to Prep a Canvas for Watercolor Paints

Here's what you'll need:

Stretched canvas
Gesso
Watercolor ground
Wide paintbrush

Required Steps:

Apply a light coat of gesso with a wide paintbrush
Apply a second coat after the first dries
Once gesso is dry, apply several coats of watercolor ground (5 layers typically works well)
Allow each layer to dry before applying the next

Optional: For additional texture, some artists use very fine grit sandpaper on the finished watercolor ground surface.

Important Note About Using Watercolors on Canvas

As you apply gesso and watercolor ground, the canvas texture will change. The more layers you apply, the less it will resemble traditional canvas.

If you want to maintain the classic canvas look, apply one thin layer of gesso and one thin layer of watercolor ground. While this makes the surface more challenging to work with, it preserves the canvas texture.

The Easy Option: Canvas Watercolor Boards

For those who want to skip the prep work, consider pre-primed watercolor panels. These canvas panels come ready for watercolors with a specially formulated primer.

These prepped surfaces can be great for studio work or gallery displays without the preparation time.