"Canvas"
Canvas is a general term used to describe many of the closely woven materials of relatively coarse fiber. In painting, it generally refers to a coated fabric ready to be painted upon. Almost every type of woven fabric has been used at one time or another to paint on. History has shown us that the best material for a painting surface is linen. Cotton canvases are being used more frequently today, but the quality does not compare to that of linen.
The best linens for painting come from Belgium, the Netherlands, and a few other eastern European countries, while some inexpensive and lesser quality linens come from Asia. The qualities that linen possesses over cotton are that it stretches better, has a more desirable surface, and it better accepts priming. Linen is distinguished by its natural color, which is much darker than cotton. Linen also has an irregularity to the weave, which is the result of the round shape of the linen fiber. This irregularity can been seen through many layers of paint, a trait many painters try to let show through.
