Cardboard Materials

Paint on cardboard?! Usually you would paint on prepared canvas, but cardboard can be a lot of fun to paint on. Stuart Loughridge talks all about what he likes about painting on cardboard and what to look for when choosing your next surface. One of the best things about it is that it is easy to find both in your own home or from local businesses.

Cardboard comes in different corrugations – single and double – so be aware of what you’re picking up because single corrugation has two rippled sides while double corrugation usually has one smooth side. Stuart prefers to paint on double corrugated cardboard because of that smoothness. You can get expensive acid free cardboard as well, but the expense tends to take the fun away and therefore the reason for painting on cardboard at all. It also has some ripples on the surface which may be difficult to paint on. Another option that may be an affordable and available surface for you to paint on is an eight ply mat board. It’s also acid free, but it comes in many different colors which may be interesting for you.

The idea of painting on cardboard is to keep costs low, work on the paintings quickly, be able to give them as gifts, and not be too attached to them. That’s what makes it so fun to work on.