Painting Supports: Significance, Historical Review, Types and Appropriate Preparations for Effective Painting

Abstract

Paintings tend to appeal to many art lovers due to their colourful schemes, emotional expressiveness, and aesthetic attractions, among others. Additionally, they are comparatively less cumbersome to produce with easy-to-obtain tools and materials; and also, have expansive possibilities for diverse styles and techniques pliable on almost any available surface. However, one important factor that gives them solid foundations for durability and longer lifespan, and to which many painters fail to attach much attention, is the surfaces on which paintings are executed. Through observation, it is established that most painting supports in Ghana are restricted to canvas making them monotonous, less exploratory and markedly limited in pursuit of individual artistic talents. Interviews conducted with some selected painters in Ghana suggest insufficient knowledge about diversified painting surfaces and their appropriate paint systems. This paper explores into the importance of painting supports, their historical antecedents, types, surface treatments, and relative paint mediums. It explains the advantages of various painting supports and their techniques to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills needed to diversify their usage in Ghana.

Keywords: Painting Support, Paint system, Grounding, Paint Medium, Key