Durability

• Relative to other cloth fibers, canvas is an exceptionally durable material, capable of withstanding a degree of force that would rip other materials. It also stands the test of time better than most other cloth materials.
  
  

Texture

• Modern canvases have an innate texture, due to the manufacturing process, that no other surfaces possesses. Astute artists can take utilize this texture during the painting process.
  
  

Flexibility

• Even though canvas is usually prepared as a flat surface, it is flexible enough to be transported rolled in a tube, even after the surface has been painted.
  
  

Availability

• Canvas is widely available in both specialty art stores and at non-art retail stores, making it an easy surface to acquire and use.
  
  

Technique

• Painting techniques can be imported or exported to a variety of surfaces, but for the classically trained painter, the techniques of painting are based on the use of canvas as the surface. To use other surfaces risks unforeseeable complications to the process.