How to Make a Textured Canvas

How to Make a Textured Canvas Using Gel Mediums and Acrylic Paints

I love texture!  One of my very favorite things to do when I have some free time to just play around in my studio is to create textured canvases!  Since this type of work takes time…as in drying time….I often make a whole bunch at once.  Then I set them aside to dry and move on to other projects.  Then, I set them aside once they are completely dry so that I have a stash of them to pull out as I please.  Making textured canvases also helps me when I find that I am in a little bit of a creative rut.  It happens to all of us creatives….like writer’s block for artists!  Sometimes I just can’t seem to get started, so I will pull out a blank canvas and just start smearing away.  This helps get my creative juices flowing!!

There is nothing more simple to do than to create texture on a canvas.  You need very few supplies:

• blank canvas board or stretched canvas any size of your choosing
• Golden Gel Mediums (or another brand you like) – there are many types so check the fine arts department of your craft store
• Golden Heavy Bodied Acrylics (fluids work too!)
• Good quality acrylic paint brushes
• Painting spatulas in a variety of sizes
• Paper plates or palette paper

You will start with a blank canvas like this one:

 

You will want to use your Gel Mediums and Painter’s Spatulas next.  What is Gel Medium?  Gel Medium is an acrylic binder.  It is just like paint without the pigment in it!  It comes in a wide variety of textures.  You can mix your acrylic paint into it or apply it on top (which is my favorite method!) Choose whatever textures you want.  I am fond of molding paste, pumice gels, fibre pastes and granular gels.

 

Instructions for a textured canvas:

Using your spatulas, start to smear the different gel mediums onto your canvas.  Don’t think about it too much…just go with the flow.  You don’t have to wait in between each application unless you are layering one gel over another. This is the first step in creating a textured canvas.

Once you are finished playing, just set aside your canvas to dry completely.  Depending on how thick you laid on the gels will determine drying time.  I usually leave mine overnight just to be safe.  If you are up for a marathon…grab some more canvas and make some more textured canvas.

After the canvas has completely dried, it’s time to apply paint!  Choose your favorite colors and squeeze some out onto your plate or palette.

Apply the paint over the canvas and Gel Mediums!

Often, I will apply one layer of paint, set it aside and then add more where I think it needs it.  I really like experimenting here.  When I have my canvas looking the way I want, I set it aside to dry.  Once that is done, I can add embellishments like photos, beads, buttons, quotes, etc.

That’s all there is to it!  Really simple to make a textured canvas and they look so cool!