My Oil Painting cracked when rolled - what did I do wrong?

[Kim Coetzee]

A couple of weeks ago I had to send a painting via post for the first time. So I took it off the frame, rolled it up and was about to put it in my tube when I saw a 5cm long crack in my paint. By laying the painting flat, the crack dissapeared, but in the end I restretched the canvas and posted it stretched, it cost a bit more, but at least my buyer doesnt think he's getting a "flawed" painting. Natuarally I dont want this to happen again, so any suggestions on how to avoid this will help. PS I buy my own canvas from the local material store, stretch it on a frame I construct, wet the canvas down with water and prime it with Acrylic PVA, one sometimes two layers, use oil paint. (a local brand called zellen) during painting I use both turps and linseed oil. NB I read threads posted with regards rolling a canvas, my crack appeared in the last section to get rolled (not the first, which is smaller and stretches the paint the most) and I was using carpet tubing (which is reasonably wide).

[Diane Cutter]

You will get some help here but this sounds like you should probably ask the folks in the Oil Forum. They've discussed similar problems in the past. It sounds like it's serious.

Diane

[nit-wit]

Maybe you were heavy handed? Paint won't tolerate too much stress.

Maybe you rolled too tightly to fit in a tube? See above.

Maybe your paint was laid on in impasto layers? It wouldn't be as tolerant to rolling as if thinner layers were used.

nw

[Einion]

Originally Posted by Kim Coetzee

A couple of weeks ago I had to send a painting via post for the first time. So I took it off the frame, rolled it up and was about to put it in my tube when I saw a 5cm long crack in my paint.

You were rolling with the paint side out, around a core tube, yes?

The simple answer to the question about what went wrong could simply be that the paint was no longer flexible enough to take the stresses of bending or rolling. But it could have separated from the canvas too, putting additional strain in that area.

Originally Posted by Kim Coetzee

...and prime it with Acrylic PVA, one sometimes two layers, use oil paint.

Are you priming with PVA glue?

Originally Posted by Kim Coetzee

I buy my own canvas from the local material store...

Out of curiosity, is this cotton, linen or something else?

Einion

[Kim Coetzee]

Yes I did roll with the paint side out and the painting was about a year old if I remember correctly. I think it was cotton - they store I purchased from called it canvas. And no I did not use Acrylic Glue I used Acrylic Paint. But if I had then what properties would Acrylic glue have added. Im still on a quest to source a primer that wont crack when rolled and costs a reasonable amount.

[David Sorg]

I believe it could be a combination of things, but most likely it's because you're using oil paint over an acrylic primer. Oil can't get a good chemical bond over acrylic products. Traditional oil painters use oil primers, whether white lead or other formulas.

Possible additional factors could include using a tight-weave canvas primed smooth (with the acrylic) which would also lessen the possibility of a physical bond to the canvas. A coarser weave would give greater bonding.

Also it could be the type of oil paint or how it was used. It's the oil that provides the grip and flexibility, so if the paint film was greatly diluted with spirits/turps, that will weaken the bond and make the paint more brittle as well.

[asd]

Hi, I had a similar problem recently and would really love some advice on what I can do to avoid it! I had two paintings, - thin oil paint on acrylic gesso (golden acrylic) that cracked when I rolled them. I didn't see them cracked personally-- they seemed fine when I rolled them, but when they arrived at the gallery, they were cracked just around the edges. It was terrible.

I do use a tight weave cotton and create a very smooth surface, but I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of if there was a way to continue doing this and still avoid cracking while still using an acrylic base. Is it TOTALLY impossible? Has anyone ever used acrylic medium (instead of gesso) as a base coat- it seems more flexible to me, but is that crazy?
Thank you!!

[WFMartin]

Personally, I have never quite understood the attraction to "rolling" a canvas with a painting on it. Doing such a thing puts an extraordinary amount of stress upon the painting, no matter how it was painted, and with what materials. My answer, of course, is to not roll it at all.

I would be terrified to perform this "rolling" technique, myself.