5 ways to prepare a paintable surface — from cereal-box panels to gallery-ready linen.
A scrap of corrugated cardboard, sealed and gessoed, becomes a real painting panel.
Hardware-store cotton duck (drop cloth) becomes painter's canvas with a coat of size.
A sheet of smooth hardboard from the home-improvement store is the cheapest pro-grade panel.
A thin transparent wash of color over white gesso eliminates blank-canvas paralysis.
Cabinet-grade birch plywood gives a luxurious smooth panel for less than half the art-store price.