More often than not, we fall in love with a piece of art for what it represents, what it depicts. We focus on the lines, the hues, and it’s really the way it makes us feel that wins us over. One detail we often forget to take into consideration however, is what the image looks like once it’s off the screen. In other words, it is one thing to have it on a screen, but how, if at all, does it change once it’s transferred onto canvas or acrylic?
Start With the Character of the Photograph
What’s unique about canvas is that it has a tactile surface, which is what gives a photograph a softer and more art-led character. The weave of this paper creates an extra layer for your artwork and takes the hard edge off any strong reflections. This finishing option is particularly suitable for portraits, landscapes, travel and botanical photographs with subtle shadows and a high degree of depth. The soft texture of these images is enhanced by the more traditional look. Acrylic, on the other hand, has its own unique qualities. It takes the presentation in a much more polished direction, with its glossy surface helping colours look rich and vibrant while giving fine details, deeper blacks, bright highlights, and strong contrasts plenty of visual impact. This is what makes it especially well suited to contemporary architecture, as well as city scenes or even automotive photography, which are often filled with sharp lines or saturated colour. The reason why it works so well here is because the extra clarity helps small details stand out and it gives the finished work a striking sense of depth. That is why it helps to spend a little time looking closely at the photograph before settling on the material. It’s worth taking the time and considering what already makes the image work, whether that is delicate colour, contrast, rich texture, dramatic or a strong sense of atmosphere, and then decide which surface will bring those qualities further forward.
Let Your Lighting Decide the Finish
The surface of an acrylic print also ‘drinks’ the light in a unique way, meaning that it can look very impressive at first but then it can start to look too glossy and even begin to reflect light from windows or other sources of light. If you put one straight across from a window, for example, you might end up seeing the reflection more than the actual photo. The good news here is that canvas is way less of an issue in this context, because the surface is textured and doesn’t reflect light nearly as much. This is what makes canvas practical for dining rooms, hallways, offices, and living spaces with varied lighting throughout the day. However, acrylic does have a slight advantage when you have control of the lighting in a room, as the right amount of light can make the colors appear more vibrant and the shiny surface a feature of the piece.
Think About How People Will Actually See It
The larger the print, the farther the viewer will be from the print. So bear in mind its position. Acrylic is a very crisp and detailed medium. This means that typically it is best viewed from up close to appreciate all of the minute details, textures and color variations. A detailed cityscape for example could look even better up close to appreciate all of the windows, reflections and tiniest details of the architecture. But as artwork in its own right, viewed from a distance, canvas can look even better. The texture of the print creates contrast with the artwork, and gives it an artistic touch. For example, large landscapes and wide shots can look like something out of a fairylate on canvas. And, last but not least, the size matters here too; which means, if the print is huge, people will naturally be standing further away from it. Simply put, you’ll need to think about where it’ll be viewed from and whether you want people to notice the small details or just take in the overall image.
Think About the Collection as a Whole
If you happen to be planning on buying a collection of prints, not just one, it’s worth bearing in mind how all the prints are going to look together from the outset. Acrylic prints look very contemporary which is one of the reasons they work so well in modern interiors. Canvas prints can also be a great addition in modern interiors, but it’s important to note that a collection of them is very different and has a more relaxed, almost gallery-like feel to it. It may sound counterintuitive, and of course it depends on your taste as well, but it’s actually possible to pull off mixing both styles. It can work out really well to mix up the photographs and use the best on different surfaces.
The trick to all of this is to take the time and imagine how the whole collection fits. Start with the photos you want to use, then move on to the lighting. Reimagine how big or small you want the prints, and play with the possibilities until you land on something that feels just perfect. Once you’ve got all of that figured out, choosing between canvas and acrylic becomes a lot easier.