We are a wholsaler for unprimed cotton canvas has been supplying to the arts community in Singapore for nearly a decade. For painting purposes, the use of the standard 10 ounce cotton canvas is highly recommended since this thickness provides a good mix of strength and flexibility, other thickness are also available. The cotton canvas is 60 inches width, packaged in rolls of 60 meters. The cotton fibers are closely knitted with fine thread for a smooth, easy to paint surface. This type of cotton canvas specially imported for painting purposes are available at reasonable prices. Purchases in loose quantities are welcomed as well.

Unprimed cotton canvas is usually stretched across a wooden frame called a stretcher, and may be coated with gesso before it is to be used. Various alternative and more-flexible canvas primers are commercially available. Primed canvas are commercially available canvas usually coated with acrylic gesso or other acrylic primers. Many modern artists nowadays sometimes paint onto the bare, unprimed canvas, called "raw canvas".Unprimed raw canvas, is untreated (eg. not coated with gesso beforehand), loom state, cotton canvas. It is recommend that people new to stretching their own canvas to use unprimed canvas. It is much easier to stretch and priming canvas is easy to do. Also primed canvas is usually much more expensive than unprimed.

Early canvas was made of linen, a sturdy brownish fabric of considerable strength. Linen is particularly suitable for the use of oil paint. In the early 20th century, cotton canvas came into use, often referred to as "cotton duck". Cotton duck, which stretches more and has an even mechanical weave, is preferred by most modern and contemporary painters today; although linen is still popular with many professional artists especially those artists that paint with oil paint. The considerable price difference, however, prompts many beginners, and even mid-level artists, to choose cotton over linen. The advent of acrylic paint has greatly increased the popularity and use of cotton duck canvas.

Acrylic gesso
Modern acrylic "gesso" is actually a combination of calcium carbonate with an acrylic polymer medium and a pigment. It is sold premixed for both sizing and priming a canvas for painting. While it does contain calcium carbonate to increase the absorbency of the primer coat, Titanium dioxide or titanium white is often added as the whitening agent. This allows the "gesso" to remain flexible enough to use on canvas. High concentrations of calcium carbonate will cause the resulting film to dry to a brittle surface susceptible to cracking.

Acrylic gesso can be colored, either commercially by replacing the titanium white with another pigment, such as carbon black, or by the artist directly, with the addition of an acrylic paint. Acrylic gesso can be odorous, due to the presence of ammonia and/or formaldehyde which are added in small amounts as preservatives against spoilage. Pre-gessoed canvases can be obtained commercially.

Acrylic gesso is a modern art material, and is used as a primer for oil painting and acrylics. Many of the solvents used in oil painting, such as turpentine or odorless mineral spirits (OMS), will leach some oil through a thin acrylic primer coat and damage the canvas underneath just like traditional hide glue sizing. However, sufficient coverage and penetration of an absorbent support is archivally acceptable.

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