Canvas is a term applied to a textile that is typically made with what is referred to as a plain weave. Historically, it was produced with hemp or linen. In the modern era, canvas production usually employs cotton, hence the alternate term for canvas: cotton duck. Canvas is used in a wide variety of applications, from ship sails to handbags. For artists, and painters especially, properly prepared canvases made of both linen and cotton remains a first choice of surface because of a number of benefits.
Durability
Relative to other cloth fibers, canvas is an exceptionally durable material, capable of withstanding a degree of force that would rip other materials. It also stands the test of time better than most other cloth materials.
Texture
Modern canvases have an innate texture, due to the manufacturing process, that no other surfaces possesses. Astute artists can take utilize this texture during the painting process.
Flexibility
Even though canvas is usually prepared as a flat surface, it is flexible enough to be transported rolled in a tube, even after the surface has been painted.
Availability
Canvas is widely available in both specialty art stores and at non-art retail stores, making it an easy surface to acquire and use.
Technique
Painting techniques can be imported or exported to a variety of surfaces, but for the classically trained painter, the techniques of painting are based on the use of canvas as the surface. To use other surfaces risks unforeseeable complications to the process.
