ArtFix French Linen Canvas Rolls

Combine the exceptional archival nature of French Linen with the excellence of the ArtFix’s priming!

For over 50 years the Narozni family has crafted premium artists' canvases in Provence, France, still hand produced and primed. Today, they have passed this knowledge to Chassis France, the French specialist manufacturing canvas and frames for over 60 years. The close attention to detail is what makes ArtFix a premium surface for the educated and discerning artist who chooses the very finest canvases for painting.

In the world of flexible fabric painting substrates, linen has proven itself for generations as being the fiber that has long stood the test of time. Much stronger and more durable than cotton due to a longer natural thread fiber structure and strength without issues of shrinking and sagging, it can be woven in a thinner, tighter weave that weighs much less with much greater strength. Due to the nature of the fiber, the weave cannot be woven into a completely precise, machined-look texture like cotton, which creates a unique painting surface many artists covet.

Long revered for their fine linens with their incredible surface priming, ArtFix combines time-honored European manufacturing methods of priming with modern chemistry. All linens (even unprimed) are double sized for protection against acids in oil paints, which allows uniform breathing of the linen under the painting to reduce paint film stress once the work is completed. Primed up to 4 layers (depending on the roll style), each layer is applied by hand and sanded. This effort of labor prevents peeling, flaking, and cracking of the primer, and makes for the most bond with fresh paint. This time-consuming process produces an unbelievable primed surface that painters become devotees to!

Select from pre-sized raw, universal, and oil primed conservator’s grade linen rolls, and indulge in the ArtFix experience. Can’t decide? Try cut pieces of different styles to learn which is your favorite!

Canvas Style Notes:

"C" Styles - Lead-style Oil Primed: ArtFix’s specially formulated oil priming gives the traditional qualities of lead priming, without its toxicity. the unique absorbency allows oil paints to bite into the surface, increasing adhesion and depth of color. Colors glow from within when glazed on the surface. “C" Style rolls are highly recommended for all oils and alkyd paintings.

"U" Styles - Universal Primed: ArtFix’s “U" style’s carefully formulated acrylic universal priming emulates many characteristics of oil-based primers, but maintains the durability and elasticity of acrylic priming. Unlike glossy acrylic primers, the surface is more matte and a bit more absorbent to promote exceptional adhesion to a variety of media. Excellent for works in oils, acrylics, and even drawing media (oil stick, pastels, charcoal, graphite), due to the absorbent surface. When mounted to a stiff surface, even brittle media like egg tempera and caseins work beautifully on the universal primed surface and smooth polyester texture.

"G" Styles - Absorbent Ground: ArtFix’s “G" style priming is a single layer of an absorbent grey ground primer. Absorbent ground linen can be used to work with oils and acrylics where wash and staining effects are desired, as they will absorb into the ground. This style primer also works well with liquid acrylics, oil pastels, and other media that has absorbent needs to create proper adhesion.

Unprimed: Pre-sized, ArtFix unprimed rolls are ready to accept whatever form of custom priming you desire, from clear or colored gessoes, oil priming, pastel primer, etc.

Please see tech notes on each individual line item canvas for information on canvas type, weight, surface texture, media, priming information, and best uses for each canvas style to find what roll best suits your artistic techniques and needs.