Step-by-Step Guide to Making Textured Art
I’m going to show you step by step what worked and what didn’t in making textured art, so stay tuned.
Step 1: Start with a Sketch
I always begin by sketching a design on paper instead of applying spackle directly on the canvas.
For this project, I wanted to use foam board to create shapes, glue them onto the canvas, and then apply spackle on top.
To get started, I drew many different shapes on paper—over and over—until I found a design I liked.
My goal was to create textured art with a mid-century vibe, and this is the design I came up with.
Step 2: Gather Your Materials
Here are the materials I used for this project (links will be provided below):
- Two canvases, 36 x 36
- Foam boards, 18 x 24 with 3/16 inch thickness (I used three packages)
- Hot glue gun and sticks (Gorilla hot glue works best—it holds really strongly)
- Lightweight spackling paste
- Cake scraper set and piping bag (cake decorating skills help, but don’t worry if you don’t have them)
- Your favorite paint (I used Behr’s Snow White matte)
- Sandpapers
- Disposable gloves
- Spoon and fork, you don’t mind throwing away.
Step 3: Draw the Base Lines
I first drew lines on the canvases with a pencil, keeping them 1 ½ inches away from the edges.
For curved lines, I gathered round items I already had around the house:
- A hat
- A pan lid
- Flower hoops from another DIY project
- A side table
Step 4: Cut the Foam Board
After finishing the sketch, I placed the foam board over the canvas and marked the areas to cut.
I carefully cut the board with a craft knife. Cutting curved lines is easier than it looks, as long as you take your time and go slowly.
Creating Three-Dimensional Shapes and Textures
Step 5: Build Thickness with Foam Boards
I wanted to make the shapes three-dimensional and uneven.
Instead of using only one sheet of foam board, I glued two or even three sheets together to increase the thickness for some parts.
Then I glued them onto the canvases.
- Parts with one sheet
- Parts with two sheets
- Parts with three sheets
I hung the canvases on the wall to see how they looked, and I already liked them even before applying spackle.
Step 6: Experiment with Concrete (What Didn’t Work)
Before using spackle, I actually tried applying a concrete-style product.
My favorite YouTuber showed how to create a feather concrete texture, and I thought it was really cool.
But it turned out I got the wrong product, and the result looked very weird.
Once it dried, I ended up smashing it off with a hammer.
So here’s a warning: make sure you get the same product, not a similar one, because the outcome can be very different.
That’s why the board and canvas look a bit dirty in some places.
Step 7: Apply Spackle for Texture
After that, I decided to switch direction and apply spackle instead.
Flat Finish
For most of the parts, I first spread spackle with a flat cake scraper, making the surface as clean as possible.
I recommend wiping the spackle with your other hand and cleaning the scraper after each stroke so the surface doesn’t get messy.
Jagged Edge Texture
For this texture, I used a scraper with a jagged edge.
This style has been very popular among DIY YouTubers, so you’ve probably seen it already.
It gets tricky to create curved lines in narrow spaces, so I had to redo it a few times.
In the end, I only made straight lines inside the big curves.
Random Scraped Texture
For this one, I first made a flat surface.
Then I used the side of a flat scraper and scraped the spackle randomly.
A palette knife could also work well for this texture.
Smooth Slide Texture
Here, I made a flat surface first, then used a smaller flat scraper to slide and spread the spackle.
Piping Bag Texture
For this one, I didn’t create a flat surface.
Instead, I put spackle into a piping bag and squeezed out thin lines directly on the board.
I didn’t use any piping tip; I just cut the tip of the piping bag.
I fixed the lines a bit using a barbecue skewer and my finger.
Variation of Jagged Texture
The next texture is similar to the first jagged edge style.
More Texturing Techniques
Step 8: Fork Lines Texture
I used a fork to create thinner lines.
- First, I recommend creating a very thin flat surface.
- Without it, the spackle can get gouged when making lines.
I had to redo it many times because of this.
After a few attempts, I found that creating dotted lines was easier than creating straight lines.
👉 Tip: You can add a little warm water to make the spackle slightly more moist.
This makes it easier to create lines, but note that it will take longer to dry.
Step 9: Spoon Curved Lines
For this texture, I made the surface a little thicker.
Then I used a spoon to create tiny curved lines.
- I needed a clean hand for this texture.
- I practiced the stroke a couple of times.
- Adding a couple of lines next to the first stroke made it more interesting.
It turned out so satisfying to look at.
Step 10: Vintage Brick Effect
Here, I didn’t create a flat surface on purpose.
Instead, I made it messy first, then used a flat scraper to create thick vertical lines.
At first, it looked like vintage bricks, and I liked it.
But the next day, I felt it looked too busy and overwhelming.
So I decided to sand that part and try a new texture.
Step 11: New Piped Texture
For this texture, I first created a very thin surface and let it dry for a couple of hours.
After that, I stuffed spackle into a piping bag and massaged it to let the air out.
- I wanted to create thinner lines.
- I tested it on a piece of cardboard first.
- Then I started piping slowly, little by little.
- I used a bamboo skewer and my finger to fix mistakes.
It took a long time to finish, but I really enjoyed this one the most.
Step 12: Drying and Sanding
After letting it dry for a day, I sanded the edges and surfaces.
Spackle doesn’t get as hard as stone.
It remains somewhat soft even after it’s dried.
Final Steps and Finishing
Sanding and Fixing
I recommend sanding slowly and softly; otherwise, textures could get ruined.
I also used diagonal pliers to trim the edges.
When I was sanding, a small piping part came off, so I used crazy glue to fix it.
This is my favorite glue from the Japanese Dollar Store Daiso.
Well, it’s.75 now, but you know it often happens that the cap of the tube gets stuck after the glue dries, and you can’t use it anymore.
Since this one is so small, you can use all the glue per use and start fresh for a new project. I really love it.
Painting the Artwork
After that, I painted all the parts.
Since the design is pretty busy with different patterns, I painted with only one color, which is white.
Making the Floating Frame
I apologize, I don’t have any footage of how I made a floating frame, but let me explain it quickly.
- I used four pieces of pinewood.
- Cut the corners diagonally.
- Glued them together.
- Applied oil stain with Walnut color.
Using corner clamps was very helpful.
I’ll leave the link to the product down below.
I stapled in the back for extra support.
I was going to glue other pieces of wood inside the frame, but unfortunately, the lumber shop made a mistake and cut the wrong size.
I didn’t have time to go back there, so I attached the brackets on the back side of the canvas.
👉 Tip: I recommend placing pieces of wood under the frame when you attach the brackets so the artwork won’t be damaged on the floor.
Hanging the Artwork
When I hung it on the wall, I didn’t like the brackets being visible.
So I painted the brackets the same color as the wall and attached them again.
The Final Result
Finally, everything is done.
I am so incredibly happy about the result.
I love every texture I made, and they look very artistic and gorgeous together.
They’re all different, but somehow they look cohesive, probably because they were made with the same material and color.
Which texture did you like the best?
Have you made textured art before?
Let me know in the comments section.
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