As I experiment more with mixed media, I have been wanting to add some additional texture to my art.  (Note: Using the word “art” is undoubtedly an insult to all artists everywhere!) Yes, I could have purchased some commercial texture paste and a palette knife.

But why go with professional tools when I can get a similar effect with the cheap stuff? After all, I’m a crapsman, right? I first tried to make my own, following this recipe from Such a Pretty Mess: http://gabriellepollacco.blogspot.com/2012/08/making-my-own-texture-paste-fun-with.html. Somehow, it just didn’t work for me.

Then I went to the hardware store and bought some spackling compound and a putty knife. Cheap, cheap! I easily used the putty knife to scrape the spackling over a stencil onto my canvas.

A bonus is that the spackling mixture goes on pink, so it’s easily seen as it’s applied. Over a short time, the mixture turns white. The photos below show three shots of my first efforts at experimentation.

And here it is on my acrylic-painted background.

A potential negative is that the spacking’s edges round off somewhat if you go over them with paint or ModPodge. Here’s a closeup.

I like the muted effect, so having less-than-crisp edges is fine with me. I’ll publish the finished picture someday, but it’s a Christmas present, so no reveal yet!