Wood panels offer rigid support and striking alternative backgrounds to art canvas. They provide a versatile painting surface for oils, acrylics, mixed media, collages, watercolors and pastels. Plus, wood panels that are made from the Paulownia tree are an eco-conscious alternative to most art canvas. According to Silva Tree lumber, one manufacturer of the panels, Paulownia tree is the "fastest growing hardwood in the world" and therefore highly renewable.
Linen for fine art purposes is the same as that used for clothing and bed sheets. Linen is made from flax, which is an eco-friendly and highly renewable resource and produces a very substantial fabric. For painters, the benefits of linen are threefold. Linen is woven in a way that makes it more durable than cotton, the natural flax oils keep the canvas from becoming brittle, plus it can be woven in various ways to create a finer or more textural surface.
Despite the rogue name, graffiti paper has little to do with illegally painting public property. Graffiti paper typically comes in 150 gsm (a moderately fine paper) that graciously accepts spray paints, paint markers, alcohol-based markers and acrylics. The bleed-proof surface prevents the paper from sucking markers of their ink and rendering them dry.
Made of 100 percent cotton, acrylic paper is smooth, heavyweight, and acid and chlorine free. The paper makes a good alternative to canvas because it accepts acrylic paint in a way that keeps it from bleeding or aging. It also provides a long-lasting, archival surface for pen, ink, pencil and watercolor.