Our Products

 

 

 
  

Artist Panels

We are proud to offer the highest quality canvas panels available.  Our lightweight, durable panels provide a superior archival base for your work and are ideal for use when painting en plein air or in the studio.

The Russian Baltic birch that we use is of superior furniture grade, and is very durable against possible rough handling or dropping.  It resists warping when properly stored flat while not is use, or when framed after completion of your work.  Once framed, any slight warping that may have occurred with the Baltic birch will be permanently eliminated. 

 The Gatorfoam® that we use is the strongest foam product on the market today.  It is made of lightweight extruded polystyrene foam that is bonded on both sides to patented Luxcell facers. These facers are wood-fiber veneers impregnated with a proprietary resin for integrity, durability and strong moisture resistance.  Gatorfoam® is very resistant to warping, and is not affected by humidity as wood can be.  It is approximately 30% lighter than Baltic birch, even at 1/16 of an inch thicker.  It is more fragile than the wood, so care should be taken not to drop the panels or subject them to rough handling.

The 1/8-inch Masonite® used for our Academic Line® is untempered, so it will not cause the canvas to peel away from the oily layer (applied by the manufacturer to create the sheen) which is found on tempered Masonite® boards.    

We start by meticulously selecting and preparing the eighth-inch and quarter-inch Baltic birch plywood and 3/16-inch and 1/2-inch Gatorfoam® and eighth-inch Masonite® surfaces.  We then mount the canvas to the substrate with Miracle Muck®, a non-yellowing, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) binding agent.  The panels are placed in a press overnight (without affecting the canvas weave) to ensure smoothness and continuity of the canvas surface.  Finally, we cut the panels to size and sand all edges prior to packaging.

We pre-package our panels for you in convenient 5-packs for same day shipment, and to make handling and storage easy for you.

Sizes: Our standard sizes are: 6x8, 8x10, 9x12, 10x12, 11x14, 12x16, 14x18*, 16x20*, 18x24*, 20x24* and 24x30*.  Please feel free to contact us for a quotation on custom sizes.  

*Note: For sizes above 12x16 we recommend using 1/4" 5-ply, Baltic birch or 1/2" Gatorfoam® to enhance strength and rigidity.  The Student Line is available exclusively in sizes 06x08 through 12x16 on 1/8" Masonite®.

PREMIUM LINE®:

We exclusively use Claessens® linens with the highest quality Baltic birch plywood and strongest Gatorfoam® substrates available for our oil-primed Premium Line®.  

The single-primed #13 linen has a smooth, even texture ideal for portrait painting.  With a 57.9 thread-per-inch warp and a 58.4 thread-per-inch weft,  it is well-suited for portrait and detail painting. 

The single-primed #66 linen offers an even, medium texture, tight weave and excellent strength.  With a 43.2 thread-per-inch warp and a 36.8 thread-per-inch weft it is the world's most popular choice of linen for landscape painting.

UNIVERSAL LINE®:

We use only Claessens® 12TS acrylic-primed cotton canvas for our Universal Line®.  This line is hand-made with the acrylic-primed  canvas laid down on Baltic birch plywood, Gatorfoam® and Masonite.

Manufactured since the 1960's and popular throughout Europe since then, the Claessens 12TS® cotton canvas offers high-grade cotton with superior acrylic-priming.   This specialty cotton canvas has been dyed to look like linen on the back for those who like stretching canvases.  This offers a high-quality professional linen look at a discounted cotton price!

With a 30 thread-per-inch warp and a 37.5 thread-per-inch weft it has a medium-weight landscape texture with a tight weave and excellent strength.  The universal primed surface is ideal for both acrylic and oil applications.   It is available only at SourceTek in the United States.

ACADEMIC LINE®:

Our Academic Line® is designed for quick field studies or artists who are looking for an inexpensive alternative while still wanting to use a quality, handcrafted product.   We create these panels by laying down Claessens® 12TS acrylic-primed cotton canvas down on untempered Masonite®.  

This line is much more durable than the cardboard panels found in most art supply stores, and carries the highest quality cotton canvas available.  

With a 30 thread-per-inch warp and a 37.5 thread-per-inch weft it has a medium-weight landscape texture with a tight weave and excellent strength.  The universal-primed surface is ideal for both acrylic and oil applications.   It is available only at SourceTek in the United States.

NATURAL LINE®,  WOOD:

Our bare Baltic birch wood panels, made from the finest Russian Baltic birch plywood, provide an excellent base for your artwork.  They can be primed with a variety of grounds from gesso to shellac, and also offer an excellent base for collage and mounting papers, prints, or your own canvas.   Lightweight, portable and inexpensive, they offer an ideal alternative for a variety of mediums.

NATURAL LINE®, GATORBOARD®:

Our plain Gatorboard® panels, made from the strongest foam product on the market, provide an excellent base for your artwork.  They can be primed with a variety of grounds from gesso to shellac, and also offer an excellent base for collage and mounting papers, prints, signage or your own canvas.   Very lightweight and portable, they offer an ideal alternative for a variety of mediums.

 
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GatorBox®

Our wet panel carrier box is designed for use with all artist panels including Gatorfoam® panels. Made from poplar and Baltic birch, it is finished with an amber shellac.  It provides strong support and is lightweight, portable and adjustable. 

An optional divider system kits allow you to configure the box to various sizes.  You can use these dividers to carry different sizes at the same time, making this the most versatile box available.

Features:

•  Small profile
•  Large capacity
•  Removable front panel
•  Leather strap

There are two models: GatorBox® I & GatorBox® V.  GatorBox® I uses a 1 channel design.  It will hold up to 2 panels back to back. It has a smaller profile than its big brother and is lighter in weight.  It provides quick and easy storage.  GatorBox® V uses a 5 channel design and holds up to 10 panels back to back. This box has a feature that allows the artist to transport more than one size while carrying other supplies. 

 

 

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Claessens® Rolled Linen and Canvas
(Click above for a virtual factory tour)

Claessens® produces only the highest quality hand-primed linen and cotton, with each roll going through several processes to create a flawless finish.  Starting with the finest unprimed surface, the canvas is inspected, smoothed with a pumice, cleaned, and sized.  It is then oil-primed with linseed oil and zinc white and allowed to dry for 3 days in a dry air oven before the final coat of titanium white is applied (the 12TS is coated with an acrylic binder and then titanium white).  For landscape painting we offer the single-primed Claessens® #66 linen which has an even medium texture, tight weave and excellent strength.  We also offer the universal Claessens® 12TS cotton with a landscape texture, tight weave and excellent strength.  For portrait or detailed work, the single-primed Claessens® #13 portrait linen, has an extra smooth fine texture and tight weave.  Tips from Claessens® on how to store and care for your canvas can be viewed by clicking here.


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Miracle Muck®
(Click above for instructions on using Miracle Muck®)

Miracle Muck® is a water-soluble, non-yellowing, low-acid ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer emulsion binding agent that is heat re-activatable and dries completely inert.  Once applied to a non-metallic surface, it becomes a tough, permanently flexible polymer film capable of creating a superior bond between two surfaces.  It is often used to join wood to wood, fabric to wood, fabric to foam core, fabric to gator board, and fabric to mat board.

Because of its ideal properties (i.e. being a low-acid, heat re-activatable EVA glue), it is used by many conservators in the restoration of old works of art.

  • Miracle Muck® has a very long shelf life in typical indoor conditions.

  • Care should be taken not to allow it to reach temperatures above 130 degrees Fahrenheit because this will cause it to return to its liquid state (the heat re-activatable properties).

  • Freezing will cause it to spoil.  For this reason, we cannot ship the product during certain times of the year to areas of the country which may be experiencing temperatures consistently below freezing.

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Gesso and Gesso Brushes

Fredrix Dry Ground Gesso Mix® is an ideal primer made specifically for use with hard substrates such as our Natural Wood panel line. It is ideal for oil and acrylic paint applications.

 

The Silver Brush® Premium Gesso/Varnish Brushes are made using the finest tapered pure chungking white hog bristles with a precision-shaped edge.  These German brushes are in a class by themselves with unsurpassed expert craftsmanship.  The long-lasting, durable brush is enhanced by the thickness of the bristles in the ferrules.  They are nailed and sealed into the beautiful wood handles which are coated with an epoxy barrier to protect against corrosion.

 

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Silver Brush Grand Prix® Brushes
We are proud to offer Silver Brush Limited's Grand Prix® line in flats, rounds, brights and filberts (and sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10).  These brushes are made of 100% curved Chunking white hog bristle that is remarkably resilient and durable.  These brushes are ideal for use with both oils and acrylics, and promise to offer durability and maximum pigment carrying capacity.

This line is made exclusively by grand master brush makers using carefully chosen bristles which are deeply flagged with interlocked construction and natural tips.  Pure, seamless corrosion-resistant copper ferrules are double crimped to long, matte green lacquered handles.  These perfectly balanced and shaped brushes are made of only the finest materials!

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Holbein® Airtight Brush Washers
We offer two styles in these professional quality Holbein® Brush Washers.  Both units offer a handle for ease of carrying or hanging from your easel or pochade box.
 

The small angled shape, measuring 2 7/8" on the top, 3 3/4" on the bottom, and 3 3/4" high, is a chrome-plated iron container boasting a removable insert with rubber seal offering airtight convenience.

The small cylinder shape, measuring 2 7/8" in diameter and 3 3/4" high offers a professional quality chrome-plated iron container boasting a removable insert with rubber seal offering airtight convenience.  

The tiny palette cup is nickel-plated with a rubber seal offering airtight convenience for years of use.  It features a handy clip for easy attachment to your plein air rig, and measures approximately 1 3/4" in diameter by 1 1/2" high.


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SourceTek® Brush Carriers
 We offer two grades in our handy brush carriers for a variety of uses.  

Our Premium Brush Carriers® are constructed of durable anodized aluminum with a handy twist off cap for excellent durability.  Sleek, lightweight and portable, they offer maximum, long-term protection for your expensive brushes and painting knives.  They hold brushes up 14 1/2" long.  The Premium Brush Carrier® is 16 3/4" long by 1 1/2 " in diameter.

 
Our Disposable Brush Carriers®, constructed of slightly pliable heavy wall clear plastic tubing with pliable rubber caps, offer protection for your everyday use in guarding your brushes against damage in transit.  They hold brushes up to 14 1/2" long.  The Disposable Brush Carrier® measures 15" long by 1 1/2" in diameter.


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Holbein Artists' Oil Colors® Paint

Holbein Artists' Oil Colors® rank as some of the world's finest artist oil paint!  Holbein is a Japanese company which was formed at the turn of the twentieth century, and is one of the world's largest manufacturers of professional art materials.  They use only the finest pigments available to achieve the highest standards of quality control in the industry.  

Working to precise standards in each stage of production results in unerring consistency from one production run to another.  The formulation and grinding/blending techniques for each color are modified accordingly to compensate for inherent differences in the characteristics of each color pigment.  The result is an even consistency across the board for all colors.

We have selected the most popular colors (more than 150) to carry in stock.  Please see the order center for the Holbein Paint Chart which lists all colors and series numbers.  Of course all other colors are available by special order.

Technical data is available for those interested in understanding the chemical names and ingredients.


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Deluxe Steel Tube-Wringer®

The deluxe Tube-Wringer® efficiently squeezes about 99% of the contents from tubes of your expensive paint, caulk, adhesives, etc... Nearly indestructible with aluminum handles and steel rollers, this industrial grade Tube-Wringer® will last a lifetime under normal use and pay for itself in short order. 4 1/4" long X 3 1/4" wide X 1 1/2" tall.


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Holbein SX® & MX Paint Knives

Holbein Knives are made in Sekicity, an 800 year old site founded by sword craftsmen who settled there due to the abundance of the high quality natural materials used in the making of swords.  This city remains Japan's premier center for the production of cutlery.

These strong "steel brushes" are made with the same techniques developed over centuries.  They offer the artist a soft, delicate touch in the creation of unique surfaces.  These knives are made from one piece of steel, a critical specification in the creation of perfect balance and strength for years of reliable use.  The 12 degree neck angle and  0.1mm blade thickness offer a natural flexibility resulting in a delicate balance.  We offer size 7 in the discontinued SX series, and sizes 1 and 3 in the MX series.

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Instructional Materials

 We are proud to offer Matt Smith's Painting on Location, The Sonoran Desert instructional video.

Matt is one of the most sought after instructors, with his workshops selling out months in advance.  The idea of an instructional video seemed like a natural progression.  So here's your chance to spend about 1 1/2 hours venturing with him into the Sonoran desert where he will take you through his process of painting outdoors.

Offered in DVD format, the video includes an Introduction, Feature Presentation, and Bonus Section.


 Now available is the PBS series Plein Air, Painting the American Landscapes. 

Far more than a “how-to” show, the Plein Air, Painting the American Landscape series is a celebration of our natural world, a visual retreat to our nation’s beautiful places and an exploration of the rich and colorful history of American landscape painting. From the founding of the Cape Cod School by Charles Hawthorne in 1899 and gathering of the Taos Society of Artists a few years later, to location demonstrations by today’s leading landscape artists,  viewers will discover the roots of this uniquely American art form and why painting “en plein air” is once again at the forefront of American representational art.


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Safety & Hand Care

Added to the list is D-Lead soap, one of the most unique safety products we have seen so far!

D-Lead Hand Soap and Towelettes effectively remove lead, cadmium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, zinc and other heavy metals associated with artist paints.  D-Lead products quickly and safely remove heavy metals from hands, arms, face, and fingernails in less than 60 seconds.  We offer the D-Lead Liquid Hand Soap in the 8 ounce size for use in the studio. 

Also available is the D-Wipe, an individually wrapped towelette, which is particularly handy for clean-up in the field and packs easily into your pochade box or backpack.

Please note that waste water from the use of environmentally friendly D-Lead products is treatable by standard methods used in water treatment, and these methods result in full recovery of waste metals. D-Lead products are low-sudsing and phosphate free. 

 

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Last modified: March 5, 2005