DIY Minimalist Textured Art on CANVAS | Filler vs. Plaster 👩🏻‍🎨 

Yes, this does work and makes it much more manageable

Great tip 😍 thank you so much

The dish washing liquid that we use is green, won't that change the colour?

can I put a dash of soap to a filler?

@@luthomarcianelani Dawn has clear dish soap!

I do this now! It's such a handy trick 😍

Looking for a comparable brand to the diall filler in the United States. Does anyone know?

@@sburns514 Thats what I am looking for as well!!

the imperfection will also make it interesting. if it is perfect, it is boring & appears machine made.

Is filler the same as gypsum putty? Or equivalent. I can’t find gypsum putty anywhere it seems..

@@jadecote6511 not sure! The stuff you put in the gyprock (dry wall) to cover the join up and it gets sanded once it's dry, we call it spakfiller it's sort of putty like but a bit wetter. Hope this helps.

Hi, whats that "gel medium" you talk!? ty

@@lderpt gel medium is used with acrylics and on pretty much all surfaces. It's good to use instead of water, because if you use too much water acrylics start to not bond with the surface of what you're using and can go chalky. It's used when you want to glaze areas in your painting or it can be used as a glue in mix media, it's better than modpodge as its more elastic, mod podge can get brittle and crack. You can also use it as a sealant instead of varnish as it is archival. One of the brands I use comes from an Australian art supply maker called hydrocryl they also make beautiful paint. Other brands that make a gel medium which comes in gloss or matte is liquitex, golden, derivan, Holbein, well you probably get the picture by now. So in google search type in gel medium and a host of brands will come up, then you just need to decide whether you want to use gloss or matte, one RU-vid artist that uses it a lot is Robert Burridge, know as Bob blast on his channel and he uses it with his acrylics and water colours as well as in his collages. I hope this helps you. Cheers!

Most brands sell gel medium, it comes in matt and gloss. You can use it with acrylics instead if using a lot of water other than to wash your brush. The use of a lot of water xan make acrylics go chalky, because it looses the ability to bond on the canvas. Its really good to use with the paint to make a glaze, and you can use it as a protective coat over your painting instead of or as well as a varnish. Another use us to use it as a glue, it doesn't crack or peel because its got a certain amount of elasticity to it. When applying it it looks a bit white and uneven, but it self levels and drys clear, since using it with glazes my paintings look really good. You can also put things in it like sand or salt if you want to add texture, if you're doing a mixed media that has twigs and leaves in it you just need to make sure that the piece is covered with the gel and it won't fall off. I hope this has helped you, thank you for sharing your video. Cheers!

Thanks for the tip! I do this too sometimes and it really helps!

I think so too but using coloured paints scares me a little if i'm being honest haha 💛

A drywall primer is perfect for this...just like before painting a wall with fresh drywall mud applied. Be sure to get a primer that is specifically for fresh drywall. It is inexpensive overall as well and you won’t need much.

Could I see this video?

@@DrHelloKitty1982 sure

@@INQUIRINGMINEZcould you post a link?

Thanks for the tip!

Thank u so much...

@@AllThingsGrace what is B & Q?

I got them from my local hardware store! The metal ones would be better as they would be easier to clean

@Kanza Qamar hi! Almost after drying.

You can prevent that by spraying an enamel on the plaster.

I’ve heard a bit of dish soap added to the plaster would make it easier to work with.

@Kanza Qamar too heavy for plaster

@@hzleyes7087 whats an enamel, is it a coloured spray or

@@AllThingsGrace thank you

Hi ! I bought most of my stuff from my local hardware store, art shops and pound shops!

@@AllThingsGrace thanks, I may apply first primer. I don't want to thrown away those canvases. Need to try again. 👍

Before priming, lightly “rough up” the previous painting to remove some of the sheen and offer the primer a surface on which to adhere.

@@9brian9871 I guess this will help even more. This plaster is so heavy. I will update soon if those tips helped.

Hey Urania!! Did any of the tips work? I am wanting to upcycle an old canvas as well.

@@uraniakusk593 did it work?

@@AllThingsGrace Thanks for your reply! I wanted to try this medium after seeing your creation🤩

Thanks for watching! xx

@@AllThingsGrace thanks so much!

Keep in mind that old sparkle will eventually become unusable. Before closing the container, a small amount of water should be added...not mixed in...just sitting on top. This will extend it’s useful life quite a long time. Just remember to pour it off before using. Stir the remaining spackle before using.

@@9brian9871 thanks for that info. Should I put a small amount of water Everytime I close the lid even if it's new? I ordered a gallon 😅

@@ItsMeJeki yes. If you will be storing it for more than a few days, add just a thin layer of water.

@hairsaviour ​ @hairsaviour thanks so much! one last question, can i just add acrylic to it or is it better to paint it once its completely dry?

You can use whatever you like! Using hands definitely gives your more freedom but it's your art piece and its whatever style and technique that you want to express which suits you best 💛

Not if applied properly!

Does it need a special preparation first? @@AllThingsGrace

@@AllThingsGrace how do we prime it?

Be sure to gesso the canvas (I even do the supposed pre-gesso type as well. I never leave the results of my work hinged upon the work of another.) Also, applying a couple of thin layers instead of one thick layer of filler. Thicker filler is way more prone to cracking during drying...there is a good amount of moisture in fillers, so if applied too thick in one pass, it becomes more difficult for the underlying moisture to escape. This results in the top layer of a thickly applied filler drying too quickly, possibly trapping the moisture inside...or at the least, allowing you to believe it is dry & you apply primer too soon. Either way, as the underlying moisture fights it’s way out of the thick filler, it will cause failure of the product. I would also suggest that you never use the drywall compound straight out of the container (for pre-mixed mud). Always add some fresh, filtered water to thin slightly. You want the consistency to be thicker than pancake batter, thinner than peanut butter. If it will not adhere to the trowel without dripping off...it is too thin. The right consistency also offers the advantage of a much easier and faster spread rate. If your texture will be thicker than say 2/8”- 1/4” , I suggest purchasing the newer “lightweight” drywall compound. Typical drywall compound is quite heavy...as anyone who has attempted to lift a 5 gallon bucket can attest. It will cause your canvas to sag over time. The light compound is only one-half as heavy on average. Buy the dry powder form & you can custom mix it for your needs. Always put water in the container before adding powder. Otherwise it will leave some un-mixed along the bottom or edges that will invariably make spreading more difficult with dry pieces flaking off. Thanks for taking the time to get this far...I find that this is info most artists never learn. As an artist who has also worked in construction, I have a few tips & tricks I like to share with my artist community.

@@9brian9871 you’re not just a hair saviour, you’re an art savior!😂. Thanks for the tips! Will be applying them. Do you think tile adhesive would be a good alternative? And what about mixing it (or drywall mud) with acrylic paint?

@@9brian9871 thank you so much for this in depth explanation. I was about to stick on thick filler on top of canvas yikes. XX

@@jessieguitar9090 yeah I'm wondering about that too. can we mix pigment, other things like sand etc for more texture?

@@jessieguitar9090 I have mixed paint with drywall mud in the past & troweled it on a ceiling...a very cool effect as it gives very subtle color changes (depending upon how much or little it is worked & using random trowel swipes). Just remember whatever you add, keep the consistency like it would have been m icing with water also, when you use pigment or paint to color it...forgo the water. as far as working with sand, i add it to gesso to a relatively thick consistency and spread it for texture. i use the sand sold in paint stores...it is a fine sand that has great consistency of granule size. if you were familiar with the "suede" paints from Ralph Lauren, that sand added to flat or eggshell paint will give that same look. one more quick tip...if you purchase a paint intended to be mixed with pigment to create the darker colors, but don't add pigment, it is a beautiful clear coat that won't yellow over time or change the color it is used over. it goes on with a milky appearance, but dries crystal clear. works in all finishes from flat to gloss. the paint store employees (majority of them) do not know this & will think you are crazy...so don't even tell them. Behr uses the term "deep base" for theirs...just read the can...it is on there for any paint line...but may have a different name. the deep base is the clear so it doesn't need as much pigment to appear dark. just like a light base will have white mixed in already, also so it takes less pigment to create the color...and so on with the medium base as well. pick up a quart & check it out. also a good way to enhance a wall color...the clear on top gives your walls a depth of field that is very cool.

I hear it being called filler/spackle/plaster/joint compound - it's all so confusing!