Did you just get your first jar of texture paste, and are not sure how to use it properly, or are you thinking about trying textured art but afraid you don't know how?
In this post, I'll show you exactly how to use it, the most common beginner mistakes to avoid, and we'll even create a simple textured art painting together.
Watch the full tutorial
If you prefer to watch rather than read, you can find a video version of the tutorial above.
What is texture paste?
Texture paste is a material used to add textures to paintings and other arts and crafts projects. Depending on the brand, you might see it being called for example modelling paste, molding paste or structure paste.
I like to avoid art jargon and complex terms to keep my teaching simple and easy to understand. But one term that's helpful to define is texture.
Texture is one of the basic elements of art (just like colour or value). It describes how a painting feels, or looks like it feels, to a touch.
In textured art it's actually very easy to understand because it simply refers to the actual textures you've created on the canvas.
One of my favourite things about texture paste is that it is incredibly beginner-friendly. You don't need to know how to draw or paint to create beautiful textured art, and if you make a mistake you can just flatten out the paste and try again.
If you'd like to use the same texture paste I use throughout my tutorials and paintings, you can find it here: textuuri texture paste
How to use texture paste
One of the benefits of using ready-made texture paste intended for arts and crafts is the convenience.
The only thing you need to do before using it is mix the paste thoroughly in the jar.
There's no need to add water, glue, baking soda or anything else (despite sometimes seeing this being recommended in social media).
During storage, some of the heavier ingredients inside the jar might fall towards the bottom. To ensure your texture paste works as it should, mix it in the jar before use.
After that, it is ready to be used. You can apply it directly on your canvas (or other base) or take some on a palette and colour before use.
Texture paste is designed to be used together with acrylic paints. You can colour it directly with some paint, but note that the more fluid paint you add the runnier the paste becomes and the less shape it will hold.
After you are finished with your pattern, let the texture paste dry completely. Depending on the thickness of the layer and the temperature, it might take anywhere from a few hours to over a day for the textures to fully dry.
If you're not sure whether it's fully dry, gently tap the surface. If it feels hard, it's usually ready for the next step.
Once dry, you can paint over the textures with acrylic paint. As the texture paste is water-based, don't soak the dry paste in too watery paint. You can dilute acrylic paint a little, but if it looks more like a drink than paint, it's too watery to work well with texture paste.
If you'd like to learn more about colouring texture paste and textured art, I've written a separate guide covering three easy techniques, which you can find here.
After you are finished with the painting and it has fully cured, you should seal it with acrylic varnish. However, if you are just making your first paintings, don't worry about it just yet. Focus on finishing those paintings first.
Here's a quick recap on how to use the texture paste:
- Mix the texture paste thoroughly in the jar before use
- Apply the paste to your canvas directly or colour it first
- Let the textures dry completely
- Paint over the artwork (if wanted)
- Varnish the painting once fully dry and finished
Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
Texture paste is easy to use but there are a few common mistakes beginners make that you should avoid.
1. Not mixing the texture paste properly before use
We already covered this earlier, but to ensure your paste works properly and to minimize the likelihood of cracks, remember to mix the paste before use.
2. Spreading the paste too thick in one layer
Another common mistake is spreading the paste too thick in a single layer. How thick you can spread the paste depends on the brand you are using, how narrow the pattern is and whether you have mixed anything into the paste.
Some texture pastes last from around 0.5 to 1 cm in thickness. Mine you can spread approximately 1 to 2 cm in a single layer.
The more paint you mix into the paste, the less thick you can spread it.
If you want to create thicker textures, create them in multiple layers. Allow the previous layer to fully dry before applying another one on top.
3. Painting over the paste before it has fully dried
Textured art requires a little patience. After you've created the textures, wait for them to fully dry before painting over them. The surface might appear dry but in the inside might still be wet.
If you start painting on top of the textures while they are still wet, the pressure from your paint brush might result in your textures cracking.
4. Adding too much acrylic paint to the paste
You can colour the paste directly with acrylics, but don't add too much paint to it. The more you add, the more fluid the paste becomes and less shape it will hold.
For most vibrant and rich colour, it's always best to paint over the textures once dry. Mixing paint into the white texture paste will always tint down the colour at least slightly.
If you need to add in a lot of paint, consider using heavy-body acrylics rather than the usual soft-body acrylic paints.
5. Using the wrong type of paint
Texture paste is intended to be used together with acrylic paints. So don't use for example oil paint, gouache or watercolours.
Create your first textured art painting
Now that you know how to use texture paste it is time to create your first textured art painting.
One of my favourite beginner projects is the simple painting below. It only requires a handful of materials, takes around 15 minutes of working time, and teaches you many of the basic skills you'll use in future textured art projects.
To create it, simply follow the video tutorial embedded at the beginning of this article. We'll go through the entire painting together from start to finish.
Don't worry about getting it perfect, just focus on finishing your first painting.
PS. If you feel like you'd want to learn more, check out my other guides from here.