Which Canvas Did Bob Ross Use?
Shojib Hoq
Dec 28, 2022
Bob Ross used 18″ X 24″ stretched and double primed artistic grade 2 or 3 level canvas most of the time.
In this article, I will explain the following:
- Which canvas will suit your artistic level (white & black canvas)?
- Which type of canvas should you choose?
Good canvas idea for Bob Ross’s painting
There are a lot of different good canvas brands in the market. I choose some best ones to give you an idea.
| Grade | Prime level | Structure | Note | |
| Artlicious Canvases for Painting | Beginner and student grade | Lower level | Back is not very good for support. You have to add shims behind the canvas. | Cheap price. The quality is not great. However, by applying gesso as a primer you can increase the canvas level 1 or 2. Recommend those who just start learning canvas painting. |
| Level 1 Back Stapled Traditional Canvas by Artist’s Loft | Beginner and student grade | Good than lower level | Quality almost the same as the first Artlicious canvas | The prime level is good but not smooth. You have to add gesso primer to make the surface smooth. |
| U.S. Art Supply 18 x 24 inch Black Stretched Canvas | Black canvas Beginner and student grade | Good than lower level | Quality almost the same as the first Artlicious canvas | Apply 2 coats of gesso as a primer. The canvas level will be increased to level 2. You also can make white canvas black using black gesso. |
| Level 2 Gallery Wrapped Traditional Canvas by Artist’s Loft | Artistic grade | 3 coats and smoothly primed | Good structure | You should start from level 2 canvas. Because it has a very smooth finish and a good structure like Bob Ross. No need to apply the gesso layer. |
| Level 3 Gallery Wrapped Heavy Duty Canvas by Artist’s Loft | Artistic grade and premium | 3 coats and very well prime | Heavy duty and strong structure | This is an upper-level and premium artistic canvas. If you have a good budget go with it. You will love it. |
Is a thick or thin canvas better?
Of course, the thick canvas should be better. If the canvas is thick, it will be stronger and more durable. So you can easily apply the more heavy technique to it.
Generally, there 3 standard canvas thickness types:
- .75 inch canvas: Universal standard canvas thickness worldwide.
- 1.5 inch canvas: No need for a canvas frame.
- 2 inches canvas: Use for serious and important pieces.