How I Add Texture to a Painting

• “Hi Marion, how do you put texture on your paintings? All my paintings look like an illustration, flat. I’m a graphic designer, so I want to learn how to paint with textures. Do you use gesso or paste?” — Giulianna C.

I use acrylic texture paste, most often applied it when I plan the initial composition but not always. My current favourite is Golden’s light modelling paste. I like it because it dries as an absorbent matte rather than gloss, so further layers of paint adhere well to it. Also, as the name implies, it doesn’t add much weight to the painting, which is important when it comes to hanging large canvases on a wall.

With this particular texture paste there’s not much shrinkage as it dries, which is important, otherwise you end up having to apply several layers. (I used to love Winsor & Newton’s matt gel, but had a couple of tubs of it that shrank to almost flat when dry, so have stopped using it). I use acrylic paint over it, but it’s suitable underneath oils too.

Sometimes I’ll mix in a colour before I apply it if it’s at the start of a painting, which does help you see where you’ve applied it! If it’s a later layer in a painting I always mix in colour as the paste dries white not clear.

I apply it either with a knife or cheap, rough-haired wide brush, spreading/brushing it around, tapping against the surface, scratching into it — anything goes really to create an effect. Don’t use a good brush as it’s hard on the bristles and tedious to wash out thoroughly.

Drying time depends on how thickly it’s used and how hot it is. In a breeze on a sunny day it dries in a coffee break. Midwinter, I leave it overnight. How do I tell if it’s dried yet? Nothing scientific, I poke at it.