Channel your inner ‘artiste’ with DIY textural art! Use a tile trowel and modeling paste to create minimal and chic large-scale art in an afternoon.
I first became infatuated with textural art two years ago after discovering the work of artists like Krogh Andersen. It has such movement and visual interest, all the while feeling minimal and chic.
Last year I picked up some modeling paste, pulled out a trowel, and began experimenting with troweling paste into 3D art. However, I didn’t document a minute of it, because frankly I wasn’t sure it’d turn out.
But much to my chagrin, it did turn out, and I LOVE it! So I’m back at it partnering with Handy Products to create another piece–this time with a very detailed tutorial, so you can make one too with confidence!
What Type of Paste Should I Use?
Flexible Modeling Paste: I use Flexible Modeling Paste because it trowels nicely without looking clumpy like joint compound sometimes can. It comes pre-mixed and takes the guesswork out of finding the right consistency. The paste is true white in color, and it can be mixed with acrylic paint if you want to add an element of color. Mixing color into the paste eliminates having to come back later to overpaint (which you could also do with the modeling paste, if you decide after the fact to add color.) As the name suggests, it’s flexible, so it’ll bend slightly with the movement of the canvas without cracking. The one drawback is flexible modeling paste is a little pricier than joint compound and plaster of paris, but worth it, in my opinion.
Joint Compound: Joint Compound is about ½ the cost of flexible modeling paste, and it’s what you see a lot of DIY’ers using for textural art. I find joint compound trowels a little clumpy because the consistency is drier than modeling paste. It dries to a light grey color and requires over-painting to achieve true white or another color.
Plaster of Paris: Plaster is the most cost effective option. It comes as a powder, and you mix to your desired consistency. I haven’t worked with plaster, but many professional artists use it in their work.
Should I Use an Art Canvas or Plywood as My Substrate?
Either will work, but I like to use an art canvas because it’s lighter to maneuver and easier to hang/install than plywood. Also, if you decide to add a frame, the frame can be nailed directly to the canvas sides streamlining the framing process.
Key Tools:
I recommend gathering all materials before you begin, so you’re not running to grab a spade, per se, while your modeling paste is mixed and starting to set. Beyond the paste and art substrate, the trowel and Handy Paint Pail are also essential to the project:
1/8” Square Notch Trowel: Typically used to apply adhesive for tile or rubber flooring, the squared 1/8” notches of the trowel are what create that irresistible channeled texture. I also experimented with a 1/4” trowel, but ultimately decided I liked the look of the 1/8” trowel better. If you go with the ¼” trowel size, you’ll want to increase the amount of paste you use.
Handy Paint Pail: Or in this case, the Handy Paste Pail! This genius tool gets a lot of mileage with our interior paint projects, but it’s useful for so much more than painting. The ergonomic handle makes it easy to keep modeling paste close at hand while moving around the canvas. With modeling paste, you have about 30 minutes before it begins to dry, so I love being able to keep the paste conveniently nearby, saving precious troweling time.
Also, because modeling paste is a bit of a bearcat to clean up, Handy Paint Pail liners make clean up simpler and faster. And I appreciate that the liners are made of 100% recycled plastic.
Lastly, when it comes to sealing your boards for the canvas frame, the Handy Paint Pail’s magnetic brush holder is so helpful! Located on the inside of the pail, it holds your paint brush and catches drips when you need a free hand.
Supplies:
Textured Art:
- 30 x 40 stretched canvas
- 1/8” Square Notch Trowel
- Handy Paint Pail + 3 Recycled Plastic Liners
- 32 oz Flexible Modeling Paste
- Plastic Spatula or Paint Stir Stick
- Acrylic Paint
- Spade
- 1-2 Rags
Frame with Mitered Corners:
- 2”w x 1/4” thick walnut wood, 12 linear feet (for frame)
- The boards I’m using came 4” wide, and we ripped them into 2” wide pieces, as well as sanded them slightly with 120 grit sandpaper prior to sealing them.
- Clear Water-based Satin Poly
- Paint Brush
- Miter Saw
- Measuring Tape
- Brad Nailer
Instructions:
1. Gather all materials.
2. Combine about 3/4 cup of modeling paste with about 2 tsp of acrylic paint in the Handy Paint Pail + liner. Spread a very thin layer of tinted paste across entire canvas with a spade.
The goal of step 2 is to cover the white of the canvas so it doesn’t peek through when troweling the top textured layer of paste.
Note: You might choose to skip step 2 if you’re using white modeling paste as-is (not adding a color), or perhaps you like the look of the white of the canvas showing through the troweling design.
As you’re spreading the paste, it’s going to feel like you don’t have enough paste to cover the entire canvas, but just keep working it out towards the edges until the majority of the canvas is coated in a thin layer of colored paste. Discard extra paste.
The reason we’re applying such a thin layer for the base coat, is we want to save most of our paste for the troweled top layer. If you have more than 32 oz of modeling paste, you won’t need to be so conservative with your base layer.
No need for exactness, you won’t see much of this layer in the end. The paste starts to dry after about 30 minutes, so work diligently, but no need to rush. Allow to dry completely, about 2+ hours.
While the first layer is drying, it’s helpful to think through what you want your piece to look like. Are you envisioning an angular, prismatic look or a wavy, cloud-like piece? If you search ‘textural art’ on Pinterest, you’ll find lots of inspiration!
3. Mix a new batch of tinted paste in the Handy Paint Pail. Use the rest of the modeling paste, about 3-1/4 cups of paste + 1 tbsp of acrylic paint. Scoop paste onto the canvas in about 4-5 spots and begin spreading the paste into an even layer with a spade, the same way you did in step 2, except this time, we’ll trowel our design before the paste dries. Again, it’s going to feel like you don’t have enough paste, but once you begin troweling, you’ll find you have more than enough.
Once you’ve spread out the paste, it’s trowel time! I like to start by troweling a straight or diagonal texture across the entire canvas. Then come back through with sweeping or winding curves. As a rule, I start most of my trowel strokes at the edge of the canvas moving inward, but there are endless ways to do this, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find your own style!
After each major trowel stroke, shake excess paste off the trowel onto an area of the canvas you have yet to trowel, or back into the Handy Paint Pail. Then wipe off the trowel notches with a rag before your next stroke to keep everything clean and crisp-looking.
If there’s an area you want to re-trowel, but it’s looking light on paste, add another scoop of paste and spread out a bit with the spade before troweling.
As I mentioned earlier, you have about 30 minutes to create your design. Take your time and enjoy! Once you have your design, run your spade around the sides of the canvas to remove rogue paste. Allow your piece to dry for about 2 hours. Once dry, if necessary, use sandpaper to buff away excess paste on the sides of the canvas. The sides need to be relatively flat before attaching the frame.
4. Seal frame boards with polyurethane. Use Handy Paint Pail for convenient application. Remember the magnetic brush holder I mentioned? So helpful!
5. Cut your miter frame pieces to size. In total you’ll have two, 30” pieces and two, 40” pieces with 45 degree angle cuts extending out on each end. Cut each board slightly long and trim down as you fit the boards together on the canvas.
6. Attach boards to sides of canvas with brad nailer, matching mitered corners.
There you have it! I love this combination of blush tones and walnut wood as we look forward into Fall. Tell me, have you dipped your trowel into the world of textural art?
This project was created in partnership with Handy Products. Thank you for supporting brands I personally use and truly love.
