Where can I find backdrop fabric?

[Mark Lovett]

Can anyone tell me where I can find the best backdrops to buy for my studio to use as backgrounds for my portrait and figure work??

The only thing that I have found so far are the thin cheap canvas ones painted in gaudy broken colors.

I was looking for an attractive thicker, soft fabric material, in solid subtle grayed earth tones, maybe with ringlets in the top to allow for ease of change. I was hoping to get several different colors to work with.

What kind of backdrops do you prefer and recommend, and where can I find them without spending a fortune?

Thanks in advance,
Mark

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Mark, I would check with your local fabric store. They usually have a wonderful selection of heavier fabrics to choose from in all sorts of shades.

Another good source would be discount fabric stores. Check in your Yellow Pages.

At stores such as Bed Bath and Beyond or even Target, you can look for discounted bed sheets or even tablecloths in the colors of your liking.

At Target I also bought a clothes rack that comes on four wheels. The hight can be adjusted up and down and makes a great support for the fabric. Just pin the fabric to the pole and roll the stand behind your model.

I hope this information will help.

[Sharon Knettell]

Mark,

I go to a store that specializes in upholstery fabric. It is usually 60" wide whereas clothing fabric is about 45" The best background fabric as far as I am concerned is velvet. It has a natural gradation from an overall light source and generally goes from light on the bottom to darker on the top. I buy about 3 yard lengths and either sew a channel or pin them over a backdrop photo stand. The one I have is adjustable and the 60' fabric fits on it perfectly.

I get the velvet in lots of basic shades of greyed greens, blues and blue grey greens for starters. I have also used bright magentas, yellows, mint , prints etc.

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Hi Mark,

I have found beautiful curtain panels at my church resale shop for next to nothing. I found some beautiful colors in great shape. I live in a large town and we have a number of large resale shops here. I suppose it depends on what kind of thrift/resale shops you have nearby.

The only downside to this is that it could potentially be time consuming, I was lucky and found some panels right away. Gotta watch out for those time eaters!

Good luck,

Joan

[Linda Brandon]

If you want to go a little out on a limb, try rugs (Persian, handwoven, etc.), animal skins, kimonos hung by a dowel through the sleeves, giant platters, big scarves, windows, big plants, other paintings... my attitude is to push for something unusual and have the predictable background as your default setting instead of the other way around.

On the other hand, the two paintings I just started have dull neutral backgrounds, so don't listen to me.

[Mark Lovett]

Thanks to all who responded to my question. The responses were all very helpful and appreciated.
Best,
mark

[Sharon Knettell]

Right now I am using one of my stock grey green velvet panels, but I have overlayed it with a hundred year old hand embroidered pale celadon Chinese silk panel. There are all kinds of flowers and birds on it. Yummy!

[Claudemir Bonfim]

You should try different sorts and colors, sometimes two or three types of fabric might be used in the same composition.

[Richard Budig]

I used to go to fabric stores (of all kinds) and asked for the remnants department -- the place where they have roll-ends, and random pieces of fabric.

You can find some really great stuff, usually new, for a few cents on the dollar (usually) since it may be in an irregular shape, or have a bit of off-color margin or stains showing. The slightly off color parts usually don't bother, any way, since it tends to go very soft as you look at your set up. I've bought yards and yards of new stuff for very little money this way.

[Brenda Ellis]

My local fabric store has a remnant and bargain outlet room and they have big bins of various fabrics for $1 a pound. Of course, it's best if I pick out lighter materials but I've gotten great fabrics there.
But my favorite all-time place is the local thrift store. Big indian blankets or curtains or king sized bed sheets or even props.

If you want something such as just a neutral toned background, go to Lowe's or Home Depot, buy a cheap canvas paint drop, get their $5 a bucket Oops latex paint (paint they've either mixed too much of or made a mistake on) and water it down and tone your own canvas. You can put grommets in yourself. (At a fabric store they should know how to and be able to tell you. It's simple to do.) And then get a little set of shower curtain rings at Target for a couple of bucks. You want to use thin paint so that the canvas doesn't get stiff and then you'll be fighting with fold lines and paint cracks if you ever have to fold it.

If you can find a white (or any light color) flat bed sheet at a thrift store, you can use Rit dye to get it a color that's useful to you. (As long as what you're dyeing is cotton. Some blends do not take dye well, but cotton always will.) You'll have to run your washer through a whole cycle with bleach and a few dust rags or shop towels after you've used it for dyeing.

Theoretically you could dye a canvas paint drop but my washing machine isn't that big. (If you happen to have a big witch's cauldron you could use the boil and stir method.)

If there is a local decent sized theatre near you, call the props department and ask if you can look through their soft goods and you can usually rent a few things for a nominal fee. They will even most likely have persian rugs you can rent fairly cheaply.

I don't know how much professional photography backdrops cost, but I'd bet any of the above described methods would be cheaper, although a bit more work.

Well, that's all I know.