4x4 Hardcore Pro Ventura Plein Air Canvas Panel #HV-0404

True 1:1 Square Proportion - 4x4 Size

4x4 is a popular small size square size.

The square is perhaps the most intriguing proportion, as it is root of all of the other proportions. It is commonly used in both photography and art. Squares are typically used as the center canvas of a triptych or as a single canvas hung at a 45° angle. The square proportion is long used with medium format professional cameras, and most photographs we see on websites and social media are based on square images. Since all sides of the canvas are the same length, your eye is drawn evenly across the surface of the painting creating a sense of harmony, balance, and a generally a pleasing visual experience. The square format is also a good choice for artists who focus on geometric shapes or patterns in their work, as the regularity of the square shape can help reinforce these elements. Some artists enjoy the challenge of working within the confines of a square format, as it forces them to think creatively resulting in intriguing compositions.

Explore other sizes in this same 1:1 aspect ratio:

5x5 • 6x6 • 7x7 • 8x8 • 9x9 • 10x10 • 12x12 • 14x14 • 16x16 • 18x18 • 20x20

Explore Related Products to this 4x4 Size:

• Alkyd / Oil Primed Linen: Malibu™ • Versailles™ • Poitiers™
• Acrylic Primed Linen: Muir™ • Santa Cruz™ • Saint-Cloud™ • Pau™
• Acrylic Primed Cotton: Monterey™ • Carmel™ • Sausalito™
• Vincent™ Pro 7/8 • Monet™ Pro 1.5

Ventura™ Alkyd Oil Primed Belgian Linen

This strong and fine weave linen has more of an even tooth and absorbent quality to the ground. It has a light gray tone.

• 100% Belgian Linen 7 oz.; Primed Weight 11.3 oz. per square yard
• Medium Heavy Weight, Fine Weave, Fine Texture
• Double Sized and Double Primed with acid-free archival quality alkyd ground
• Impenetrable ground prevents oil paint from leaching through and harming the canvas
• For oils, alkyds, and water miscible oil paints
• Linen has natural oils that prevent disintegration over time.

Vegan Ground:

There are no animal products that make-up the sizing and the primer for this fine canvas. Historically, traditional canvas grounds have included egg tempura, pigments with cow urine, and of course, rabbit skin glue. In today's rapidly advancing world, there are many more choices available for artists who prefer non-animal based products that perform far better than their animal-based predecessors.

Oil paint on an oil primed canvas improves your results

Using an oil prepared canvas for oil painting can produce superior results because the paint and ground are organically similar and create an ideal "chemical bond" where the paint sinks into the ground resulting in a smoother and more even finish. The resulting bond between the paint and canvas is stronger, making the artwork more durable and long-lasting. Additionally, the melding of the two oil-based materials creates an effect called luminosity, where the colors appear to glow from within, and thereby enhances the vibrancy and brightness of the colors, impacting the way light reflects off the colors.

Lightly Wipe an Oil Prepared Canvas with Mineral Spirits

While it is not required, for best results, lightly wipe or flash the oil prepared canvas with mineral spirits before painting to make sure that your surface is completely clean of any dust or contaminants before painting.

Our Hardcore™ Pro Pro Canvas Panels are the flattest on the market. They are made using MDF (medium density fiberboard) which is the highest quality engineered wood board on the market. Moisture in the board can cause undesirable results to the panel and your artwork, which is why we size the board with four layers on the front before the canvas is mounted, thereby defending against moisture getting into the board and underneath your artwork.

Canvas Panels should be as flat as possible, otherwise, they don't display well in a frame, and can create spaces between the artwork and the frame. A bowed panel is also a sign of having been impacted by the effect of moisture. Canvas can shrink, even after it is mounted on the board. For this reason, Masterpiece® developed a unique proprietary process that stress-relieves each panel, thereby virtually eliminating the bow that is commonly found in competing panel products. Hardcore™ Pro Canvas Panels provide a stable foundation for your art.

Panel Porter™ wet carriers are the most secure and versatile on the market!

• Mix and match to make any size carrier you want!
• For this 4x4 sized Panel, you could buy two pair 4" Panel Porters™
• You can then combine these sizes with other size Panel Porters™ to create an entire new wet panel carrier.
• Each carrier securely transports two wet panels
• Metal locking pins secure frame together to protect your precious artwork
• Carry Panel Porters™ in your bag or backpack to match the panel sizes you paint
• Assemble frame carriers after you have completed your paintings
• Air holes in the corners allow your painting to breathe while drying
• Panel Porters™ are great for shipping your artwork
• Masterpiece® makes over 75 standard sizes of canvas panels, so with Panel Porter™, you are liberated to paint sizes you've never tried before and still have an economical and secure carrier to match

Hardcore™ Pro Professional canvases are built one-by-one and stretched using our proprietary stretching process called, MuseumWrap™, which relies on in-house custom-built pneumatic machinery that delivers consistently drum-tight stretched canvas, balanced tension across the canvas surface, neatly folded uncut corners, and paintable edges. It is the absolute best way to stretch a canvas.

All pictures painted inside, in the studio, will never be as good. ♦ Paul Cézanne

A mastermind of post-impressionism, Paul Cézanne is celebrated for his transformative approach to art, which laid the foundations for the transition from 19th-century artistic conventions to the unparalleled world of 20th-century modernism. With his vivid landscapes, often composed of Mont Sainte-Victoire, and still lifes bursting with life, he captured nature's essence like few others.

This sentiment about the limitations of the studio reflects Cézanne's deep reverence for nature. He believed that to truly capture the vibrancy and spirit of a subject, an artist needed to immerse themselves in it. Outdoor painting, or en plein air, was not merely a choice but a necessity for him. While studios provide a controlled environment, nature offers unpredictability, a myriad of shifting colors, and an ever-changing play of light and shadow. As artists, when we position ourselves amidst these elements, we not only observe but also feel and live the scene, allowing us to represent it with more authenticity and vitality.

For Cézanne, the outside world was a symphony, and every brushstroke was an effort to capture its melody. His words serve as a timeless reminder for us, highlighting the value of stepping out of our comfort zones and confronting our subjects in their raw, unfiltered beauty. While studios have their merits, there's an undeniable magic in embracing the world in its entirety, absorbing its hues, its moods, and its spirit.

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We curated this empowering quote with some context and hope you find it insightful, plus we created this unique portrait of Paul Cézanne to make it a bit more intriguing. Now get to work on your own!