4x4 Vincent Pro Poitiers Canvas 7/8 Inch Deep #VQ-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 • 22x22 • 24x24 • 30x30 • 32x32 • 34x34 • 36x36 • 40x40 • 28x28 • 18x18 • 34x34 • 40x40

Explore Related Products to this 4x4 Size:

• Oil Primed Linen: Vintage L21C™ • Versailles™
• Alkyd Oil Primed Linen: Malibu™ • Ventura™
• Acrylic Primed Linen: Muir™ • Vintage L22U™ • Santa Cruz™ • Saint-Cloud™ • Pau™
• Acrylic Primed Cotton: Monterey™ • Carmel™ • Tahoe™ • Sausalito™ • Sierra™
• Hardcore Canvas Panel: Poitiers™

Poitiers™ Portrait Smooth Oil Primed Artfix Linen

Step into the world of masterful detail with this superb oil primed canvas, a top pick among portrait artists and connoisseurs of fine detail work.  Poitiers™ canvas offers an unparalleled smoothness due to the fine, tightly woven fabric and 6 painstaking layers of ground. Colors applied to the surface have a high degree of luminosity, bringing a radiant life to your oil paintings. The superior smooth surface is not just a pleasure to touch; it transforms your painting experience. Your brush glides effortlessly across the canvas ensuring that every brushstroke is precise, every color vibrant, and every detail distinct.

• 100% Belgian Linen 6.2 oz.; Primed Weight 16 oz. per square yard
• Meidum Weight, Fine Weave, Portrait Smooth Texture
• Double Sized and Quadruple Primed with acid-free archival quality oil primed 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.

Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) Primer Pigment

This primer contains premium-grade Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) white pigment, renowned for its exceptional performance for oil priming. Its standout feature is its enduring whiteness, coupled with remarkable flexibility that persists over time. In contrast to other pigments such as zinc dioxide, Titanium Dioxide maintains its resilience, preventing brittleness as it ages. This quality ensures that artworks retain their integrity and will stand the test of time.

Artfix Poitiers™ Portrait Smooth Belgian Linen offers a luxurious surface, ideal for highly detailed work. Preferred by portrait artists because it is so smooth for linen. Due to the nature of how flax plants are turned into linen textiles, there may be variations in yarn thickness thereby creating fabric that is individual in nature and has character. There can be infrequent naturally occurring nubs in the linen which may yield small slight bumps where the linen is a little thicker than the rest of the strand. This is normal and part of what gives linen its character.

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.

Finger Jointed Wood is not meant for Stretcher Bars

Solid wood makes the most dependable Stretcher Bar, because one homogeneous wood member is going to behave similarly across the entire length of the Bar. Whereas, with finger-jointed wood is made-up of multiple pieces of wood, sometimes on the actual joint itself, presenting multiple points of failure which no one can control.

We only use Solid Wood to build our Stretcher Bars because a solid piece of wood will last indefinitely. When we speak of archival value, it's not just the paint you use and the quality of your canvas and ground, even the wood choices manufacturers add or reduce value to your final painting. The fact is, you don't want problems, and finger joints only increase that risk of the wood falling apart in the future.

The glue used to bind finger joints is a water based adhesive and when that wood is exposed to high humidity environments, particularly with exterior walls, the glue joints can give-up. 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.

4x4 Vincent Pro Strainer Frame

• Drawing depicts the exact frame construction, not the proportion
• Strainer Bars are used when the short side is under 8" inches
• Fixed Corner Frame - Not keyable or expandable
• No cross braces required when the frame length is under 16"
• Frame is very sturdy and provides a solid support for this 4x4 size frame

Sustainable Forests - A Precious Natural Resource

The air that we breathe depends upon our healthy forests the world over. For this reason, we only use lumber from the sustainable forests of the Pacific Northwest, so we can guarantee that our nation's precious natural timber resources are available for future generations.

MuseumWrap™ Stretching Technique

With more than 60 years 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

From the heart of California, Masterpiece® has been weaving a legacy since 1965, curating the best Stretcher Bars North America has witnessed. Our unwavering dedication to quality and innovation has cast us in the limelight as the trendsetting stalwarts in the realm of fine-art canvases. The patents we hold are not just certificates but validations of our pursuit of perfection. Engage with our creations and feel the promise of unmatched quality, a promise that resonates with your clients and every future beholder of your masterpiece.

One must do the same subject over again ten times, a hundred times. In art nothing must resemble an accident, not even movement. ♦ Edgar Degas

Distinguished by his dedication to capturing the essence of movement and form, Edgar Degas particularly in his ballet dancer portraits, was no stranger to repetition. To him, mastery was born out of revisiting, reanalyzing, and recreating. It's a sentiment that speaks to the tireless quest for perfection we undertake in our art careers. Each brush stroke, every chisel mark, carries purpose. There's an intention behind every decision.

It is through repetition that we refine our skills and achieve clarity in our vision. The act of revisiting subjects, for us, is not about redundancy but about deepening our understanding and connection. By revisiting, we discern nuances previously unnoticed, tapping into layers of meaning and emotion. Degas's perspective is a reminder that in the realm of art, effort and intention intertwine. Every piece we create becomes an emblem of our growth, commitment, and unyielding passion for our craft.

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With a nod to Edgar Degas, we present these words of wisdom and our own custom crafted portrait. Let this fusion stoke your creative fires. Dive into your art!