Recently (April 2020), I noticed I have not used a lot of standard canvas sizes and when I was looking into framing it generally costs much more and is more difficult to work with a non-standard or uncommon size. In the future I plan to use the following common canvas sizes:
- 11″ x 14″
- 11 to 14 aspect ratio
- 27 cm x 35 cm
- 27.94 cm x 35.56 cm
- medium-sized rectangle canvas
- common size
- 12″ x 16″
- 3 to 4 aspect ratio
- 30 cm x 40 cm
- 30.48 cm x 40.64 cm
- medium-sized rectangle canvas
- common size
- 16″ x 20″
- 4 to 5 aspect ratio
- 40 cm x 50 cm
- 40.64 cm x 50.8 cm
- medium-sized rectangle canvas
- more on the border of medium-to-large-sized canvas
- probably the largest standard/common medium-sized canvas
- common size
Occasional Canvas Sizes
I may occasionally consider the following common canvas sizes:
- 8″ x 10″
- 4 to 5 aspect ratio
- 20 cm x 25 cm
- 20.32 cm x 25.4 cm
- medium-sized rectangle canvas
- common size
- 9″ x 12″
- 3 to 4 aspect ratio
- 23 cm x 30 cm
- 22.86 cm 30.48 cm
- medium-sized rectangle canvas
- common size
- 12″ x 12″
- 1 to 1 aspect ratio
- 30 cm x 30 cm
- 30.48 cm x 30.48 cm
- medium-sized square canvas
- common size
- 20″ x 20″
- 1 to 1 aspect ratio
- 50 cm x 50 cm
- 50.8 cm x 50.8 cm
- maybe 51 cm is not common, some online charts such as lucyart.co.uk have this as 50 cm and not 51 cm
- large-sized square canvas
- common size
- think this is more of a fairly common size
- 18″ x 24″
- 3 to 4 aspect ratio
- 45 cm x 60 cm
- 45.72 cm x 60.96 cm
- large-sized rectangle canvas
- common size
Right now, I am leaning towards the medium sizes of 11 x 14 and 12 x 16 and occasionally 16 x 20. If the canvas size is large I have found it more difficult to work with and transport and it costs more to frame and ship etc. Due to those reasons I definitely prefer common medium canvas sizes. Larger canvas sizes are eye-catching and make a statement, but it is not a good fit for me right now. Larger sizes generally seem like they are for the more advanced artists and craft enthusiasts. Of course, that is not always true and there are amazing and very advanced miniaturist artists. Arts and crafts are subjective. Some people prefer large canvas sizes and others do not, it just depends. It is ultimately a personal preference and judgement. There is nothing wrong with using uncommon canvas sizes. However, I find the benefits of common medium sized canvases a great fit for me.
Sources
- A List of Aspect Ratios of Common Canvas Sizes
- Article: “Bigger Isn’t Always Better: How to Pick the Perfect Art Canvas” (By Jessie Oleson Moore January 29, 2019 10:06 AM) https://www.mybluprint.com/article/how-big-should-your-art-canvas-be-heres-how-to-size-up-your-choices accessed 3/13/2020)
- https://lucyart.co.uk/size.php – a chart of standard canvas sizes in centimeters and inches – accessed February 2020
- Article: “The 9 Most Common Canvas Sizes and Why You Should Use Them” (In Acrylic Painting by Chris Breier April 24, 2019) https://drawandpaintforfun.com/most-common-canvas-sizes/ – accessed 3/27/2020 – This article has a nice downloadable chart on common canvas sizes and aspect ratios