Create Paint Textures with Acrylics

3 Parts:

Texturing your Paint: Conventional Way

Texturing your Paint: Non-Conventional Way

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Textured paintings could simply be defined as a finished paint product which has been combined with insoluble materials that give the overall product a slightly rough textural effect.

This texture in paintings helps heighten the artistic value of a particular art material because the application of texture in these art materials helps in stimulating our sense of sight and touch, and thus creating more value for that particular piece of art.

Also, the texture in the paint provides a dimension to the painting, giving the painting itself a vitality or life in the image itself. It's easy to create paint textures using your acrylic since you could use almost any material to add texture to your work. There are conventional and non-conventional ways of creating texture with your paint while using acrylic.

1. 1
   Conventional way - Make use of chemical additives that provide texture to your paint.

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2. 2
   Non-conventional way - Make use of day-to-day materials such as cardboard, thread, beads, coins, cotton, mesh wires, etc

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   Any material that has defined shape and texture may be used as part of the overall look of the painting.

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1. 1
   Deciding on Your Base

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   When it comes to creating a paint texture with your acrylics, using white latex paint as a base would be the first priority. Applying a white latex paint on your canvas before using your colored paint on top of it will ensure a better quality in the output of your paintings.

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2. 2
   Selecting Your Color

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   Before selecting the color of the paint that you wish to use, ensure that you would always opt for the color one shade darker than your desired color. Adding a texturing medium will lighten the color of the paint that you've chosen, so it is best to opt for the color one shade darker than preferred. In cases where you decide to directly texture your colored paint, having a test sample on another piece of art material will be a good way to test if the color has achieved your preferences.

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3. 3
   Selecting the Texturing Medium

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   After deciding on the color of your paint, the next step would be considering the texturing medium that you will be mixing with your paint. There are a number of varieties available for your texture medium that you could use and as such includes the following:  

   1. Pre-mixed
   2. Drywall Mud
   3. Spackling compound
   4. Sand

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4. 4
   Adding the Texturing Medium

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   1. Mix together the paint that you have chosen and the texturing medium, and start by adding the texturing medium to the paint one cup at a time.
   2. If you are using a powder, sift it with a sieve before adding to the paint to avoid lumps.
   3. Continuously stir the mixture with a stick or a piece of wood until it has blended completely.

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5. 5
   Consistency Level

    

   1. Add Slowly. Always add at least one cup at a time to ensure that you will be able to achieve the same level of consistency together with your other batch of mixes.  
      1. For Dry Powders - Add it one cup at a time.
      2. For Pre-mixed Dry Wall Mud - Add 1/2 cup portions of this mix when adding it to your paint.
   2. Mix Well. Keep on adding your textured medium until you have reached your desired consistency level. When you have achieved it, then you can start painting away.

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This is the conventional way of creating paint textures in acrylics, and it is also the easiest method for creating texture in your own textured paint. One thing that needs to be remembered when making use of a texturing medium is that it should always be added in cupfuls when adding to the paint. The consistency and smoothness of your paint will determine the texture of your painting.

Creating texture for your paintings does not have to be expensive. In fact, you can almost use any material with your acrylic paints in order to create depth and texture. From the simple day to day materials that you have available at home, you can create a masterpiece!

When making use of the non-conventional way of creating texture for your paintings, you also have the option of making use of Gesso with acrylic paint to create a thicker and stickier consistency with your materials.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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