The panel advantage

There are significant advantages to painting on panels. Conservators agree that a painting on a well-prepared rigid panel will outlast those on flexible supports, such as canvas or paper.

Paintings on panel as far back as the first century are still intact, unlike stretched canvases from even later periods. An artwork on an archivally prepared panel is less susceptible to cracking due to movement over time than an artwork on canvas.

This movement as well as the fact that the fabric and binders in the canvas become brittle over time, can create a very unstable support for a painting. Creating artworks on panel has other great advantages. Colors on panel are more luminous and bright than on canvas or paper.

Gessobord vs Canvas

Why? On panel, colors are reflected back to the viewer rather than absorbed into the canvas weave or paper fibers.

With panels, an artist has more control. Their brush holds firm against the surface, providing superior line control compared to the bounce of canvas. Also, panels provide much better support with heavy layers of paint and mixed media applications, like pouring and collage.

There is no sagging like there is with stretched canvas. Many artists find the weave texture of canvas and stretcher bar marks intrusive to their art.

Artists who want the beauty of their brush marks to show and portrait painters who want a consistent, smooth surface will both benefit from working on a panel.

The Panel Advantage: Always the Better Choice