The weave of the cloth combined with the spring of the stretched material are the features which maintain its popularity. Canvas board Canvas boards have traditionally been used for sketching outdoors.
Boards take up less room and are less easily damaged than stretched canvases.
Winsor boards are made from a substantial board and high quality cloth, making them superior in quality to coated sketching boards. Finished paintings on boards can be easier and cheaper to frame than canvases. Papers Paper is popular for sketching in oil and also liked by professionals for its texture and drag. Contrary to hearsay advice, using paper is acceptable for oil painting. It is recommended however that good quality heavy water colour paper is used, thinly primed with Acrylic Gesso Primer.