48x68 3D Pro Sausalito Canvas 3-1/2" #TS-4868

True Dynamic Root-2 Proportion - 48x68 Size

This 48x68 is one of our Dynamic Root-2 Rectangle Root-2 Rectangle series.

The Dynamic Root-2 rectangle is an interesting proportion based on organizing your spatial composition with endless symmetrical divisions. The premise in Jay Hambridge's 1926 book is that the Dynamic Symmetry of individual elements are informed by their relationship to the entire composition. This very special proportion is guided by the square roots of integers and has a storied and historical basis in art.

It involves the use of geometric shapes and patterns in the proportion of the square root of 2 to 1 to create balance and harmony in a composition. This can be achieved by dividing a composition into a grid of squares or rectangles, and then placing elements within the grid in a way that follows the principles of dynamic symmetry. Dynamic symmetry is often used to create a sense of order and structure in a composition, and can be particularly useful for creating compositions that are harmonious and pleasing to the eye.

Explore Related Products to this 48x68 Size:

• Acrylic Primed Cotton: Monterey™ • Carmel™ • Tahoe™ • Sierra™
• Acrylic Primed Linen: Muir™ • Vintage L22U™
• Alkyd / Oil Primed Linen: Malibu™ • Vintage L21C™
• Monet™ Pro 1.5 • 3D™ Pro 2.5

Sausalito™ 11.5oz Acrylic Primed Cotton

Our second best selling surface; heavy weight and body with a rugged and paint-gripping surface texture; great for heavy paint applications and impasto.

• 100% Cotton 11.5 oz.; Primed Weight 14 oz. per square yard
• Heavy Weight, Medium Weave, Robust Texture
• Sized and Double Primed with acid-free archival quality acrylic gesso
• Impenetrable ground prevents oil paint from leaching through and harming the canvas
• For acrylics, oils, alkyds, and water miscible oil paints

3D™ Pro 3.5 Stretcher Bar • 1/2" Canvas Clearance

1/2" Canvas Clearance is the space between the Bar and the canvas. Generally speaking, more clearance reduces the risk of the canvas touching the wood and creating unsightly lines during painting. Our design provides the optimal clearance so as not to impact your painting, but still leaving enough wood to the maximize strength of the Stretcher Bar.

• Produces a 3.5" deep stretched canvas (Actual depth is slightly thinner)
• 1.25" wide Stretcher Bar
• All Bars have an exclusive groove on the inside perimeter of the frame to which cross braces and Diamond Corner Braces attach
• Solid Ponderosa Pine or Fir from the Pacific Northwest

No Finger Joints!

Solid Wood is far superior to finger jointed wood, which is many small pieces glued together, each with varying grain densities that absorb and shed moisture at varying rates, expanding and contracting non-uniformly as environmental conditions change, and causing the wood to bow and the finger joints to eventually fail.

A single homogeneous kiln-dried solid wood Stretcher Bar outperforms and outlasts a finger jointed Bar whose sole purpose is to save the manufacturer cost, not contribute to the archival value of artwork intended to last a millennium. As a manufacturer, Masterpiece® does its part to conserve as much wood as possible, and still provide a quality product that will out-perform any other in the marketplace.

48x68 3.5" Deep Edge Heavy Frame Offers Maximum Support!

• Drawing depicts the exact frame construction, not the proportion
• 3.5" Deep Edge K3 Heavy Stretcher Bars are precision machined with a unique double tongue-and-groove corner joint that provides rock-solid torsional rigidity that resists warping or twisting, which is an important benefit for such a deep edge canvas
• Each corner has a diagonal oriented Diamond Brace that interlocks with the Stretcher Bars and superior support and rigidity to help keep the frame square
• Two super strong 3/4" thick keyable braces and two cross braces (all 3.25" wide) provide the maximum possible support for this 48x68 frame; Cross Braces are permanently installed in the frame, but canvas tension may be increased by tapping-in the keys or wedges that slightly expand the size of the frame
• The Stretcher Bars have an proprietary utility groove on the inside perimeter of the frame which is used to attach braces and other optional frame supports
• The Masterpiece braces feature an exclusive system that allows you to increase the tension to the middle of the frame, where the tension is needed the most; it's so unique it earned us a patent
• Our state-of-the-art cross braces attach the ends of the cross braces into the (grooved) sides of the braces, which creates a superior and robust system of interlocking cross braces
• To increase canvas tension: 1) remove any staples in the corners and those that retain the brace keys in the middle, 2) tap all of the expansion keys further into their respective slots, 3) tighten and re-staple the canvas in the corners

Canvas Tension is in Your Control

In dry climates or air conditioned environments, the lack of moisture in the air causes wood frames to shrink and the canvas fibers to narrow and elongate making the canvas more slack and resulting in a loss of canvas tension. In some instances, the canvas could have waves on the surface resulting in an unsightly viewing experience.

Our 3D™ Pro 3.5 professional frames provide the functionality for you to slightly expand the size of the frame in the corners and the middle of the canvas, thereby increasing canvas tension all across the surface. The difference between a loose canvas and a tight canvas is just 1/8" of an inch, so a small adjustment using our corner and brace keys makes an important difference in canvas tension.

• Helps to prevent waves that occur in a loose canvas
• Increase canvas tension by tapping-in the corner and brace keys
• True professional class canvases make it possible for you to adjust the canvas tension

Cross Braces Make it Tighter

A tightly stretched canvas on an un-braced frame overpowers the Stretcher Bars causing them to bow inward and thereby lose tension. Sometimes that bow can expose a space in picture frames.

When a canvas is stretched on a properly supported frame, the cross-braces prevent the Bars from bowing thereby achieving maximum canvas tension. To increase the canvas tension even more, simply tap the corner and brace keys further in their slots. Properly supported frames provide you with the control over the canvas tension of your canvas and painting.

Sustainable Forests for Future Generations

Sustainable forestry practices go beyond just planting and harvesting trees. They also involve careful planning, monitoring, and management to ensure the long-term health and productivity of the forest. By using lumber from sustainably managed forests, we can support these important practices and help to ensure that our planet's forests remain healthy and productive for generations to come.

Specially Dried and Heat Treated Lumber

Our wood is handpicked from a curated group of environmentally responsible lumber mills in the Pacific Northwest. By adhering to our precise drying and heat-treatment standards, these mills produce lumber with nearly half the moisture you'd find in common home improvement outlets or lumber yards. This meticulous process not only enhances the wood's strength—minimizing risks of cracks, splits, or bends—but also elevates its dimensional stability. Such quality, despite its premium, is paramount in creating professional canvases designed to uphold the sanctity of your cherished art throughout the years.

MuseumWrap™ Stretching Technique

With more than a half a century of American engineering, Masterpiece® designs and builds its own proprietary stretching equipment that enables us to produce the finest and most tightly-stretched canvas on the market.

• Drum-tight stretch!
• Up to 50% tighter than other methods
• Balanced tension across the surface
• Uncut folded corners make it possible to remove and re-stretch canvas on the same size frame
• Usually the corner folds are on the long sides

Requires Truck Delivery

This size will be shipped on an LTL freight truck, which is safe and reliable. Our shipping cost estimator cannot possibly contemplate all the cost factors with truck shipments, so once you place your order and before we do anything, we will review and inform you if your actual cost is higher or lower. Ordering larger quantities usually does not increase the freight cost, so you get a better value by ordering larger quantities.

Conditions that impact cost are extra large products, or if your delivery address is out-of-the-way, or in a school, university, church, hotel, shopping mall, or farm. Shipping to a business address lowers cost. Contact us with any questions.

The trucking company will contact you by phone, and arrange a 4 hour window for delivery, so be sure to pick-up strange numbers during the time of delivery. Someone must be present to receive and sign for this delivery; they will not just leave it at your door. We rarely have issues, but if you notice a problem, please document it on the delivery receipt before you sign it, and take photos.

Masterpiece® has been producing the finest artist canvas in North America since 1965. Artist Canvas is one of the very few products you can buy, and with your precious time, talent, and materials transform it into a work of art that could one day be worth a fortune. Don't skimp on your material choices, because your legacy and your own brand will be judged by how well your artwork stands the test of time.

Painting completed my life. ♦ Frida Kahlo

The vibrant and tumultuous life of Frida Kahlo, both on canvas and off, captured the essence of individuality and self-expression. Born amidst the political upheavals of Mexico, she endured a life characterized by physical pain resulting from a tragic accident. Despite this, her spirit remained unbroken, and she channeled her emotions into her artwork, often exploring her identity, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Her self-portraits, pulsating with raw emotion and vivid colors, were reflections of her introspection.

When artists, like us, confront feelings of being different or isolated, Kahlo's words offer solace. Every brushstroke, every color selection, and every detail speaks of the artist's unique soul and perspective. By embracing our idiosyncrasies and putting them on canvas, we find that there are others out there who connect with our vision. For in a world teeming with billions, the shared experience of feeling distinct brings artists closer, making us realize that, in our quest for self-expression, we are never truly alone.

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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 Frida Kahlo to make it a bit more intriguing. Now get to work on your own!

Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Retensioner

While all of our Masterpiece® Pro canvases are stretched very tightly and our frames have a built-in method to increase tension, we have another method to add canvas tension. Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Retensioner (sold separately) can be sprayed on the back of a canvas to repair most canvas tension issues.

With Tight'n'Up™, you can add tension to just a small area, or a large area. Simply spray it lightly on the back and brush it into the canvas, and within seconds, your canvas becomes tighter and stays tighter. The more you use, the tighter it gets.