How can I reuse a canvas with acrylic paint already on it?

I have an acrylic painting with some texture. I want to reuse the canvas but with oils. First, How can i get rid of the textured parts? Second, should I just gesso over the painting and then paint with oils?How can I reuse a canvas with acrylic paint already on it?
Yes, I've done it a lot, paint over your painting with Gesso. I would sand (lightly) first, to get some of the texture off the canvas from the acrylics you already have on it. Then sand the dried gesso coat too. I'd also apply a couple coats of Gesso to make sure it's set well. It works good.How can I reuse a canvas with acrylic paint already on it?
You can sand the texture down. (You'll have to use some fairly aggressive sandpaper because it'll clog easily from the acrylic.) You may not get it one hundred percent flat, but you can certainly reduce the bumps and wiggles.





When you're happy with the state of the canvas, apply two or three coats of a good acrylic gesso. The oil paint will be sufficiently isolated from the acrylic and you won't have any problems with bonding. As an added bonus, you won't have the slightest problem with the oil from your paint leaching into the canvas either. It should be well and truly sealed.
If you decide to sand it (that was going to be my suggestion) be sure to wear a dust mask or respirator. The particles you sand may contain toxins that could harm your respiratory system.





If sanding makes the canvas loose there is a product you can spray on the back of the canvas to tighten it up again: it is called Tighten Up http://www.dickblick.com/zz089/20a/





You can gesso your sanded surface if you do not like the texture (it is likely not going to be completely down to the canvas texture) but it may not be necessary since the canvas has acrylic already on it.
Yes it is perfectly fine painting over an acrylic painting since gesso is itself acrylic. (Note: acrylic should never be painted over an oil painting.)





First sand down the canvas until the surface is smooth. (You can use a sander if you life but be careful with this!)





Second wipe off the dust so the gesso may adhere to the surface properly. A light damp towel will do.





Third apply new gesso to the surface and use a palette knife to help further push the gesso into crevasses that is hard to reach.





When the gesso is dried, sand the surface again and repeat the 2nd %26amp; 3rd steps. You should apply about 3-5 layers of gesso depending on your preference.





Also, sometimes you can use tinted gesso (you can get this in any art store or simply add a few drops of a colored acrylic..try blue to any gesso) if you have a hard time seeing where you have applied the gesso. If you do this..make sure that your very last gesso layer is applied with white gesso so the background you paint on is not colored. If not, the tinted background will affect your oil colors. The colors won't come out as bright as on a white surface.
I usually use sandpaper to sand it down, but this produces small dents in it , a way to get around this is to get an iron, put plenty of water in it, then squirt the steam onto the back of the canvas, make sure you don't touch the canvas with the iron just hover it over it. The steam contracts the canvas after cooling and it makes it nice and flat, and it will be texture free from the sandpapering. Then just get some primer, give it a few coats making sure each coat dries. And you will have your canvas ready to paint on.
im sure you can do it by sanding it down and putting a white wash on it.. but why spen all that time? wouldnt it be eaiser in the long run to just go to a hobby lobby and buy a new canvas!?
That is correct. Gesso! Always use acrylic or gesso as the base for oils. If your painting was oils %26amp; you paint on top with acrylic, it would eventually crack.
im not sure but maybe u could rub the texture off with something and then paint it over with oils (im not sure that it'll work 100% right)
you should sand it down ,and then gesso it