Textured Art Tutorial

May 5, 2020

Textured Art Tutorial - The Adored Abode

A while back I shared an abstract art tutorial that I created over an existing framed canvas. This is the 2.0 version of the piece that I did! I love abstract art because it’s simple, yet can add a lot to a space. I liked the piece I previously created, but over time I realized I wanted something that had a bit more texture. So I decided to use the existing piece and simply added some texture to it!

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The Supplies You’ll Need

The Process

I used screen shots from my Instagram stories for parts of the process because I forgot to take pictures as I went, oops!

First, I taped the frame of the canvas off so that I didn’t get any joint compound on the frame. Then I used my putty knife to haphazardly spread the joint compound on the canvas, in a cross hatch-ish pattern, purposefully creating a lot of visible texture as I went. After I was finished with the joint compound I cleaned out the edges between the canvas and the frame to make sure joint compound didn’t dry in the cracks.

Textured Art Tutorial - The Adored Abode

It should be noted that after the joint compound dried I went back and added even more joint compound to create more texture because when I stood far away from the piece after my first pass you could barely see the texture at all even though up close it seemed very “texture-ized”. The more texture the better in this case – don’t be afraid to go heavier than you think you may need!

Textured Art Tutorial - The Adored Abode

Tip: Don’t leave the piece with wet joint compound to dry on the floor where your dog (or a person) may step in it, otherwise you may get an unintentional smeared paw print. I figured it just added to the texture.

After the joint compound dried I painted over it with flat white paint, intentionally leaving brush stroke marks.

Textured Art Tutorial - The Adored Abode

Once the paint was dry I “painted” over the entire piece with cold coffee. I did this to give the piece more patina – I didn’t want it to be bright white.

Textured Art Tutorial - The Adored Abode

Once the coffee is dry (this only took a few minutes) you can admire your new creation!

Textured Art Tutorial - The Adored Abode
Textured Art Tutorial - The Adored Abode

Don’t be afraid to try something new! You may surprise yourself with what you are able to create.

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15 Comments
    1. Looks great. What did you frame it with? Did you make a frame or use one you bought?

      1. Thank you! It was a pre-framed canvas I had on had, I believe it was from Ikea.

    1. Hi, how is the painting holding up over time? We’re there any special considerations for the weight? Thanks!

      1. It’s holding up well! It’s really not too heavy – I would guess it weighs less than 5lbs. I hung it using a picture hanger rated for 25lbs so it hasn’t been an issue.

    1. I love how this turned out- so inspired! I wish I had a framed piece on hand, but I’ll start with a regular canvas… thanks you for sharing!

    1. How many coats of paint did you use? Did you find the spackle soaked any of it up?

      1. I ended up using 2-3 coats of paint in most areas, but I also wasn’t going for a perfect look so I didn’t mind the raw spackle showing through. Yes – the spackle does soak up a bit of the paint!

    1. I just finished mine today. I see little cracks forming. What exactly did you use? Where did you get it? Ty

      1. I used DAP brand joint compound that I got from a local hardware store. I did get a few cracks in mine as well because of the heavy application of the joint compound. If the cracks bother you, you could try to lightly fill them with spackle or joint compound and apply touch up paint if needed.

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