Everything you need to make your work look its best on Maple Canvas
Format: JPEG (.jpg) or PNG (.png). JPEG is preferred for paintings as it handles colour gradients well with smaller file sizes. Use PNG only if your work has sharp edges or text.
Resolution: Minimum 1200px on the shortest side. Recommended 2000 x 1500px or higher. Higher resolution means your painting looks sharp when buyers click to view it large.
File Size: Keep images under 5MB. If your photos are too large, use a free image reducer like TinyPNG or Squoosh to compress without losing quality.
Aspect Ratio: Shoot your painting as it is. Landscape, portrait, or square are all fine. Do not add borders, watermarks, or text overlays. All gallery cards display at a fixed 4:3 landscape ratio. Vertical paintings will be cropped at the top and bottom to fit. Centre the most important part of the painting in your photo so nothing critical gets trimmed.
Lighting: Natural daylight is best. Photograph near a large window or outdoors in shade. Avoid direct sunlight which creates harsh shadows and washes out colour. No flash.
Background: Shoot against a clean, neutral wall or plain background. The painting should fill most of the frame. Crop out any clutter.
Straight on: Position your camera directly facing the painting, not at an angle. This prevents distortion. A phone camera works fine if the image is sharp and well-lit.
Colour accuracy: What the buyer sees should match what they receive. Adjust brightness if needed but do not apply heavy filters.
Title: Give each painting a name. Untitled works are harder to sell.
Description: Keep it to 12 words or fewer. Focus on subject, mood, or setting. Examples: "Warm sunrise over the Ottawa River in early autumn" or "Abstract layers of blue and gold on textured canvas."
Dimensions: Include width x height in inches (e.g. 18 x 24 inches). If framed, include the framed dimensions.
Price: Set a price in Canadian dollars. If you prefer not to list a price, leave it blank and it will show as "Price on Request." Priced paintings sell faster.
Framed: Let us know if the painting is sold framed or unframed. Framed paintings show a gold badge on the listing.
Maple Canvas gives you the platform. You bring the audience. The most successful artists on the platform actively share their Maple Canvas profile and live studio sessions with their existing following.
Share your artist page: Post your Maple Canvas profile link on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and anywhere else you connect with art lovers. Your unique URL is: maplecanvas.ca/yourname.php
Promote live sessions: When you go live, tell your followers. Post a story, a reel, a tweet. "I'm painting live right now — come watch and chat with me." The more viewers, the more potential buyers.
Cross-pollination: When your followers visit your page, they discover other artists too. When other artists promote the platform, their followers discover you. Everyone benefits.
Think of it this way: You are not promoting Maple Canvas. You are inviting people to watch you create. The platform is just the venue.
Original work only. No prints, reproductions, AI art, or digital art. Paint on canvas, paper, wood, or similar surfaces only.
Accurate listings. Your descriptions, dimensions, and pricing must reflect the actual painting. Buyers trust the platform because artists are honest.
Professional conduct. Respond to buyer inquiries promptly. Ship carefully. Represent yourself and Maple Canvas well.
Active participation. Upload new work regularly. Go live when you can. Share your page. Inactive artists may be replaced by artists on the waiting list.
Reach out anytime at hello@maplecanvas.ca.