11 REWORK AN old canvas

We all make mistakes, so revel in them says Hashim Akib – and you’ll make savings too

THE BENEFITS

Painting over an old, used canvas can certainly save you money, but the other benefits might be less obvious until you start painting. A less-than-smooth surface can provide irregular, spontaneous peaks and contours that are ideal for textural effects on buildings, portraits and landscapes.

THE PROCESS

My preferred surface is not too textured and not too smooth, so an old stretched canvas or board that didn’t work out can sometimes provide just what I need. Ideally, you’re looking for one that has been painted on once or twice before. If you’ve painted four or five separate scenes on the same canvas, the next painting may have a harder time looking fresh – you’ll also have difficulty finding any canvas ‘tooth’ for the acrylic paint to adhere to the surface. I use heavy body acrylics so there are often definite strokes visible on my old canvases, and in some areas quite thick impasto marks. You could create a similar uneven surface with acrylic texture paste, but I do like how a previous painting creates completely uncontrived marks where you would not necessarily place them.

Apply a light base colour. For my example, I used a violet mixed with a white to create a relatively flat colour. The painting of Moot Hall, Aldeburgh that I made over the top showcases how one or two drags of thick paint over a textured surface creates a crackling and distressed appearance. This saved fussing with small fiddly marks while the limited blending keeps colour luminous. I also avoided excessive layering, as this dulls colour. The violet base provided a consistent underlying colour which complemented the main pigments used. Neat, quickdrying acrylic, especially when under blended, doesn’t sink into the gaps providing a fresher finish. Try working on a smaller scale to start with as you’ll go through plenty of thick paint, but you’ll certainly save on canvases. www.hashimakib.co.uk