Many of us have the Artist Fantasy. We see ourselves, complete with beret, easel and brush, amazing hushed crowds in our local park as we compose our masterpiece: “Sundial, With Dog Poo.” Somehow, though, putting brush to canvas is intimidating. As with any new skill, painting requires a lot of practice before it even begins to look the way you want it to look; but when a beginner sees the pristine white blanks at the art supply store, the thought of daubing is daunting.

For practice, try buying old paintings and re-using the canvas. There are always several in any thrift store, and often people give them away at yard sales. Look for canvases which are stretched tautly across their frames. The paint should be free of cracks or flaking, which indicate that the canvas has been struck or bent. Look at the back for signs of mildew, or of paint seeping through from the front. Depending on your painting style, you might also look at the paint itself – if it is thick and shows a lot of texture, the brushstrokes might show through your own work. You could plan to incorporate this quality into your own image, or you might sand it lightly to smooth it out some.

Clean the surface with rubbing alcohol and let it dry thoroughly. Then cover the painting with a coat of acrylic gesso (the white “primer” used to prepare raw canvases). You may start painting once it dries, or sand lightly between several coats to give the final surface a smoother texture if you prefer.

If you are a professional artist producing archive-quality work, this technique is probably not for you. However, if you’re trying to overcome the feeling that painting supplies are precious commodities only pros should use, it might help a lot. If reusing canvases was good enough for Picasso, it’s good enough for us – have fun!