DIY Textured Canvas Art
/Quick and Impactful Statement Art
Oftentimes in DIY, you run into hiccups - things don’t always go as planned, and they almost always take longer than you thought they would. Sometimes you just need a quick win. Luckily, this is that type of project! So, in this post, I’m sharing exactly how to create your own easy peasy DIY textured canvas art.
Materials:
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- Stretched canvas of some sort (an old painting, a thrifted painting, something new, or you can even build your own!)
- Paint (for a basecoat - I used white acrylic paint)
- Paintbrush
- Joint compound
- Putty knife
- Something to make texture with - I used notched trowels in two different sizes, but the world is your oyster. Wanna use a fork? Go for it! Your fingers? Why not! You get the gist…
- Something to seal the joint compund - like clear sealant, spray paint, house paint, or acrylics. This is also an opportunity to add some color!
Step 1 - Prime canvas
This project is perfect for repurposing a piece of art that just isn’t doing anything for you anymore (like I did) or for buying a cheap painting from the thrift store. Here’s what I started with:
Whether you’re starting with a new canvas or painting over something old, you’ll want to slap on a solid base coat of paint. I simply used some white acrylic paint I already had, but house paint would work fine too.
Step 2 - Apply joint compound
Once your basecoat is dry, glob on some joint compound. You don’t want to go toooooo heavy with the joint compound because it’ll make the canvas sag, but you do want to have enough to cover the canvas and create texture.
Next, spread the joint compound around with your putty knife to cover the surface of your canvas.
Step 3 - Play!
This is where you can experiment and create texture with whatever texturizing objects you grabbed. Just do what feels natural - there’s really no going wrong with this project. But keep in mind, you don’t have a ton of time to smoosh the joint compound around.
Step 4 - Let it dry
Once you’re happy with your design, leave it set to dry. This can take a WHILE - anywhere from several hours to a full day. If you have cats, I recommend doing this project somewhere they can’t get to - otherwise, you’ll end up with a few kitty paw prints in your final piece like I did.
This was taken before the cats stepped on it
Step 5 - Seal your art
After the joint compound is dry, it’s a good idea to seal your art with a clear sealant. Another option, if you want some color, is to liven things up with colored spraypaint.
I really like the off-white color of the plain joint compound, so I… left mine as is. Yeah, I didn’t listen to my own advice, and I haven’t even sealed my painting yet. BUT, it’s a good idea to do so in case it starts to flake. Don’t be like me.
Final Thoughts
I’m beyond happy with how easy yet impactful this project ended up being. This really feels like a statement piece of art now. I’m especially pleased with how well it fills the wall (the painting is about 2x4 feet), yet it was SO INEXPENSIVE! Sometimes easy DIYs are the best DIYs, don’t you think?
