Funadvice Logo
+ List
More Art, Writing & Literature Questions

Are artist canvases alright for large-scale ink/marker drawings?

I’ve recently began drawing again, and it’s been years since I’ve done it. I do a lot of drawings with pen (nice pens, not cheap ones, ones that are thicker and fuller and cost a bit more) and sharpie (fine point and super-fine point mainly). I’ve had this dream about doing large-scale drawings on an artist canvas (hopefully around 5’6’’-7’ tall and fairly wide), using varying-width markers and perhaps some ink (doing abstract splashing for effect). Simply, just black and white. Very organically (my drawings tend to emerge after randomly drawing lines, and have very bizarre, specific looks to them), where I’d just sort of draw as I usually do, with the hopes that I could fill the canvas up with figures, faces and patterns. However, I know little about artist canvases. Are they allright to draw on with marker/sharpie/ink? (I’m planning on buying a large range of sizes, from the thickest I can find to the tiniest for detail work).

Become an Expert →
Answer #1

they should be. im not an artist but i have a sister that loves to paint and she gave the thumbs up on it. hope this helped!

Answer #2

Thank you very much!

Answer #3

they will work, but I find myself personally getting frustrated after a bit with the fine tip sharpie/canvas combination, because an artists canvas is so rough, the sharpie tends not to fare well. But whatever tools you have are yours to experiment with, so go for it.

Answer #4

Ink/marker do not often go well with canvas mostly because of the canvas’ texture. If you are using ink/marker in conjunction to other tools and materials it could work, but simply just ink and canvas will be a massive pain.

Answer #5

Thanks for the advice. I bought three canvas boards and did some experimentation. My style is very bizarre, line-based and has a lot of contrast, so while my first attempt was a failure, I was able to do a lot better work with the next two. I’m thinking of continuing to experiment, but you are correct, it is a bit of a pain, but I’m enjoying it. It’s just hard to get the hang of it, but I do like that the canvas gives a much better contrast than traditional paper.

More Like This
Ask an advisor one-on-one!
Advisor

Storyboard Artist

Storyboard Artists, Art Storyboards, Frameworks Artists

Advisor

Trend Gallery Art

Artists, Interior Design, Custom Paintings

Advisor

Prodi Art

Artworks, Home Decor, Personalized Gifts

Advisor

Architecture Design Drafting

Architecture, Construction, Engineering

Advisor

Gallerie Nvya

Art Gallery, Fine Art, Indian Artist