How to Reuse a Canvas

Painting over Acrylic on Canvas

Sand the painting with 120-grit sandpaper to remove any texture. Apply firm pressure to the canvas, but not so much that you tear through the canvas. Work in circular motions around the painted areas that have a raised or bumpy texture. Keep rubbing them with the sandpaper until they are level with the rest of the canvas’ surface. You don’t need to sand the canvas if it doesn’t have any raised textures. If you don’t sand the canvas, the original texture will still be visible through your painting and cause it to look uneven.Tip: This works best for paintings or canvas art that is lightly colored since it won’t show through the paint as much.

Apply a thin coat of white acrylic paint to the canvas. Dip the end of a 2 in (5.1 cm) natural-bristle brush into your paint and spread it out on your canvas. Work in long back and forth strokes going either horizontally or vertically for your first coat. Spread the paint so the canvas has a thin even coat covering the original painting. Avoid repainting over dark pieces of art since it will be hard to hide the original colors. Don’t apply the paint too thick or else it will take a long time to dry. It’s okay if the original painting still shows through the first coat.

Let the paint dry to the touch. Leave the canvas in a cool, dry area that’s out of direct sunlight while it dries. After about 30 minutes, test the dryness of the paint by touching it with your finger. If there isn’t any paint on your finger, then you can move on. Otherwise, let it dry longer and check it again in 15-–20 minutes.

Paint another layer of white going in the opposite direction. If you painted the first coat vertically, then apply the second coat in horizontal strokes. Try to fill in any spots that you missed on the first coat or areas where you can still see the original painting. Make sure the second coat of paint creates a thin, even layer on the canvas. Let the second coat dry to the touch, which will take around 30–60 minutes, before painting on it. If you still see the original painting through the second coat, then apply a third coat once it’s dry.

Removing Acrylic Paint and Resurfacing the Canvas

Soak the canvas in rubbing alcohol for 1 hour to loosen the paint. Look for a container that’s large enough to hold the entire canvas, and place it outside or in a well-ventilated area. Fill the bottom of the container with ⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) of rubbing alcohol and put the canvas in it so the painted side is face-down. Leave the canvas alone for at least 1 hour. You can also use turpentine or ammonia in place of rubbing alcohol if you want. If you don’t have a container for your canvas, spray the rubbing alcohol across the surface of the painting with a spray bottle.

Pull out the canvas and scrape the paint off of the surface with a putty knife. Wear rubber gloves and a face mask when you scrape the painting so you don’t irritate your skin. Shake off any excess liquid and set it on a flat work surface. Place the putty knife along the edge of the canvas and slowly push it away from you to lift any loose paint from the surface. Continue scraping the paint until there aren’t any thick, textured areas. The paint may have stained the canvas, so your canvas won’t look perfectly clean when you’re finished. Don’t apply too much pressure to the putty knife, or else you may rip through the canvas.Tip: If you aren’t able to remove all of the textured paint, try soaking the canvas in rubbing alcohol for another hour and scraping it again.

Clean the rubbing alcohol off with warm water and dish soap. Put your canvas in the sink and run warm water over it to get it wet. Apply a few drops of liquid dish soap onto a soft cleaning brush and scrub the canvas in circular motions. Apply light pressure to work the soap into the canvas to clean off any residual alcohol and remove leftover paint. You may notice the paint stains getting lighter on the canvas. If your canvas doesn’t fit in the sink, then you can also wipe warm water onto the surface with a cleaning rag instead.

Rinse the canvas and allow it to dry overnight. Run warm water over the surface of the canvas to clean off any suds and soap. Once you’ve cleaned off all of the soap, place the canvas in a warm area so you can leave it to dry. Let the canvas dry completely overnight before you plan on using it again. If the canvas didn’t fit in your sink, wipe it with a rag soaked with warm water until it’s clean. You can also place the canvas in direct sunlight to help speed up the drying process.

Paint a layer of acrylic gesso on the canvas. Mix the gesso using a stir stick, and apply it to your canvas with a 2 in (5.1 cm) natural-bristle paintbrush. Start in the center of the canvas and work the gesso into a thin layer with either horizontal or vertical strokes. You can buy acrylic gesso from an art supply shop or online. It’s okay if you can still see some of the original paint through the gesso since you’ll be adding another coat. Mix a colored acrylic paint into the gesso if you want to have a different base color on your canvas.

Let the gesso dry for 20–30 minutes. Put the canvas in a cool, dry place and allow it to dry to the touch. Test how dry the gesso is by touching it with your fingertip to see if any lifts off of the canvas. If your finger is clean after touching the canvas, you can move onto the next step. Hold the canvas up to the light to see if there are any shiny spots. If the canvas is shiny, that means the gesso is still wet.

Apply a second layer of gesso in the opposite direction. If you painted the first layer of gesso with horizontal strokes, then use vertical strokes for the second coat. Continue painting on a layer of gesso to cover any areas you missed the first time and give yourself a smooth painting surface. Once you finish the second coat, let it dry for another 1–2 days before painting on it. You can add 1–2 more layers of gesso if the original paint still shows through. Allow each coat to dry completely before you apply the next one.

Stripping Oil Paint to Create a Blank Canvas

Scrape as much paint off as you can with a razor blade. Put on a face mask or a respirator before you scrape the paint off since it contains harmful particles. Hold the razor blade at a slight angle to the canvas and push it away from you to remove thick, textured oil paints. Apply light pressure to scrape as close to the canvas as you can without cutting through it. Never pull the cutting edge of the razor toward your body so it doesn’t slip and cause serious injury. You can also use a putty knife if the razor blade works too slowly.

Sand the old paint off with 120-grit sandpaper to remove the texture. Use long back and forth motions to scrape the paint off of the canvas. Apply light pressure to the canvas to remove the paint more effectively from the surface, but not so much that you rip or tear through it. Continue working the sandpaper until you can see blank canvas showing through the paint. The oils paints may have stained the canvas, so it may not come off completely. If the fabric is too flexible and you aren’t able to apply much pressure to the canvas while sanding, place boards of scrap wood or another flat surface underneath it so you have a solid surface to sand on.

Rub denatured alcohol on the canvas to clean off paint particles. Denatured alcohol, also known as isopropyl alcohol, helps lift residual paint and cleans the surface so gesso can adhere better. Dip the end of a cleaning rag in denatured alcohol and rub the entire surface of the painting. Work in back and forth strokes to remove any paint or dust that’s still on the surface. When you’re finished, allow the alcohol to dry for 10–20 minutes.

Apply a thin coat of oil-based gesso on the canvas. Mix the gesso thoroughly with a stir stick before applying it so it has the best consistency. Start by applying the gesso in the middle of the painting and spreading it out toward the edges with a 2 in (5.1 cm) natural-bristle paintbrush. Work either in vertical or horizontal strokes until you have a thin coat of gesso over the entire surface. You can buy oil-based gesso from an art supply shop or online. It’s okay if you can still see some of the original painting through the first coat of gesso.Warning: Don’t use an acrylic-based gesso over oil paints since it will not adhere to the canvas as well and could cause new paints to chip or peel off of the surface easily.

Let the gesso dry to the touch for 20–30 minutes. Set the canvas is a cool, dry spot away from the sun while it dries. After 30 minutes, touch the canvas with your finger and check if any of the gesso lifted off the canvas. If your finger is clean, then you can move on. Otherwise, leave the gesso to dry longer. Keep the canvas flat while the gesso dries so it doesn’t form any drips.

Put on a second layer of gesso going in the opposite direction. Putting the gesso on in a different direction helps the canvas have a smoother finish and fills in spots you missed more effectively. If you put the first coat on horizontally, then use vertical strokes for the second layer. Continue brushing the gesso on until there’s a thin layer and you can’t see the paint underneath. Let the gesso dry for at least 1–2 days before you start painting on it. If you need to apply additional layers of gesso to hide the underlayer of paint, then wait for 20–30 minutes before putting on another coat. You cannot use acrylic paints on oil-based gesso since it won’t adhere as well and could cause the painting to crack.

Flipping the Canvas and Using the Backside

Pull the nails or staples out from the canvas frame to detach it. Flip the canvas over so the back of the frame is face-up and you can see the nails or staples holding the fabric in place. Grip the nails or staples with a pair of pliers and pull them straight out from the canvas frame. Continue removing all of the nails or staples until the canvas is detached from the frame. This method only works on canvas that’s stretched onto a frame and does not work with canvas panels. The nails or staples may be on the sides of the frame instead of the back.

Set the frame on top of the detached canvas so the painted side is face up. Lay your canvas down on a flat surface so the painted side is face-up. Put the frame on the canvas so the back is face-up, and line up the creases on the canvas with the frame’s edges. Make sure the canvas stays flat against your work surface and doesn’t have any wrinkles.

Drive nails or staples into the centers of each side of the frame. Start on one of the long sides of the canvas to make the process easier. Bend the edges of the canvas around the frame and pull it tightly onto the back side of the frame. Hammer a nail or place a staple through the canvas in the center of the frame’s side to secure it in place. Rotate the frame and canvas so you can nail or staple the other long side so it’s pulled tight. Repeat the process on the 2 short sides. Ask a helper to assist you in pulling and securing the canvas to help ensure that it’s tight.

Stretch the canvas so it’s pulled tightly in the frame. Start from the center of a long edge and securing the canvas to the frame every 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm). Once you put in a nail or staple, add one in the same spot on the opposite side to ensure the canvas stretches evenly. Continue pulling the canvas tight and securing it to the frame until you reach the corners. Repeat the process on the short sides to ensure the front of the canvas has no ripples or wrinkles. When you’re finished, the front of the canvas should look flat and move slightly when you apply pressure to it.Tip: If the front of the canvas has wrinkles or ripples, remove the nails or staples and try stretching it again until it looks flat.

Apply layers of gesso to the unpainted side of the canvas and let them dry. Use an acrylic-based gesso if you want to use acrylic paints or oil-based gesso for oils. Start your first coat of gesso going in either horizontal or vertical strokes using a 2 in (5.1 cm) natural-bristle paintbrush. Once you have a thin layer of gesso, let it dry to the touch for 20–30 minutes. When the first layer is dry, you can put on a second layer using strokes in the opposite direction that your first coat. You can also cover the painted side on the back of the canvas with gesso if you want to hide it.