99 Ways To Make Your Own Acrylic Texture Mediums

Over the past 12 years as a professional artist, I have explored hundreds of ways to make my own acrylic texture mediums. Some of these experiments have been a huge success, and I love to share these in my workshops. Others have sent my entire family running outside for some fresh air because the fumes I created with my "concoctions" were so toxic.

Quite simply, when you limit yourself to shopping only at the art store, you limit yourself. For me, art is free, fearless and limitless, so I like to explore my options and make my own rules.

I believe the best kind of art is autobiographical, so I encourage you to find ways to infuse your life and personality into your canvas. After all, you are the subject matter you know best.

The following is a list of 99 items I have personally used (mixed with acrylic paint), to create texture on my canvases:

Hardware Store: 

1. Caulking
2. Epoxy Resin
3. Grout
4. House Paint
5. Key Shavings
6. Plaster of Paris
7. Quickrete
8. Spackling Paste (highly recommended)
9. Varathane
​10. Wood Glue
11. Wood Stain ​

Backward:

12. Ash
13. Bark
14. Bones
15. Bugs (unintentionally)
16. Charcoal
17. Cigarette Butts
18. Coconut Fronds
19. Dirt (highly recommended)
20. DriftWood
21. Feathers
22. Flowers, Dry
23. Gemstones
24. Grass, Dry
25. Leaves, Dry
26. Metal Pieces
27. Moss
28. Peeling Paint
29. Pebbles
30. Salt (highly recommended)
31. Sand (highly recommended)
32. Sawdust (highly recommended)
33. Sea Shells
34. Small Rocks
35. Soot 

Bathroom:

36. Essential Oils
37. Hair Dye
38. Hair Spray
39. Henna
40. Hydrogen Peroxide
41. Make-Up (Foundation, Lipstick, Eyeliner, Blush, Eye Shadow & Mascara)
42. Nail Polish
43. Rubbing Alcohol (highly recommended)

Cleaning Cabinet:

44. Bleach (not recommended)
45. Bluing Fluid
46. Furniture Polish (not recommended)
47. Laundry Detergent, Powder
48. Paper Towels
49. RIT Fabric Dye
50. Saran Wrap
51. Shoe polish
52. String
53. Wax Candles
54. Windex 

Closet:

55. Clothes
56. Fabric 
57. Jewelry

Home Office:

58. Book Pages
59. Cardboard
60. Chaulk
61. Elmer's Glue
62. Embossing Fluid
63. Flyers
64. Glitter
65. Gold Leaf
66. Highlighters
67. India Ink
68. Journal Entries
69. Magazine Pages
70. Maps
71. Metallic Powders
72. Mod Podge
73. Mouthwash
74. Newspaper
75. Packing Paper
76. Paper Towels
77. Posters
78. Sharpies
79. Sheet Music
80. Tissue Paper
81. Toilet Paper
82. Wrapping Paper 

Kitchen:

83. Alcohol Spirits
84. Beet Juice
​85. Cheesecloth
86. Coffee, Grounds & Liquid
87. Crushed Seeds
88. Egg Shells
89. Glycerin (not recommended)
90. Herbs (Dill, Basil, Rosemary & Thyme)
91. Red Wine
92. Salt
93. Steel Wool
94. Sugar (not recommended)
95. Spices (Cinnamon, Paprika, Turmeric & Black Pepper)
96. Tea, Dried & Liquid
97. Vinegar (not recommended)

Body:
​
98. Blood 
99. Hair

Disclaimer: My aim as an artist is to make the best work that I possibly can for my clients. This means creating work that will stand the test of time. While I have experimented with all of the items I have listed above, I have curbed my consumption over the years to mostly a handful of tried and true items to ensure the longevity of my paintings. Namely: salt, sand, sawdust, plaster, house paint, metallic powders, newspaper and paper towels.

What will you infuse into your own canvas to tell your story?

Retreats