How can I thicken/ texturize paint with household products?

Question

I have a painting idea that would require my acrylics (it's all I have, and I have TONS) - to be thick enough to paint on with a knife. I know there's products out there, gels etc. to use for this purpose, but I don't have the 10-15$ to obtain these products. Are there cheaper alternatives? ie. house hold products? I was thinking something like toothpaste maybe, but haven't tried it yet.

Answer 1

I've used drywall compound (about $10 for 5 gallons) mixed with a bit of matte medium or modeling paste for my acrylic paintings that need extra whoomp. I've also used vinyl concrete patch which mixes up really gritty. And, I've tried styrofoam "popcorn" that is used in household paint for textured ceilings.

Answer 2

To "texturize, you might add sand.

To thicken you can let natural evaporation thicken the piant, as long as you monitor it. Acryilics in a tube are already thick enough to use a palette knife/etc. with.

Do not add a substance like toothpaste.

You might also try corn starch, but any food based product is NOT a good idea as an addition.

Since you don't state the nature of the project,,,IE: On a canvas, or a wall, I suggest the evaporation method first.

Steven Wolf

Answer 3

toothpaste would be a lot more expensive to use than an acrylic gel extender. You can get a big jug of that from Utrecht art supplies for about $6.

Also-- what about creating your texture or underpainting using gesso? gesso is a primer, you can get it for about $15 a gallon, and you can shape it with a pallette knife when wet. You could create all your layers with gesso and then add a single layer of paint to it and you are done--you don't have to build up all those layers with paint!

Answer 4

To make a sick *** bong that rips fat but is nice and small and easy to make youre going to need the following: 1 7/32 long socket 1 pen that will fit the socket 1 crayola washable marker (the thick ones) 1 gatorade bottle, just regular size i guess. clear packing tape strong glue scissors paper lighter first find a pen that you can take apart and see if you can hold the socket in the top half of one of them. Now grab the scissors and cut the marker at an angle at the bottom and straight across at the top. remove everything that is inside and wash it out. then make sure the pen cap fits inside the marker. if its a little small then tear off a little piece of tape, tear off some paper, and put the paper across the piece of tape. make sure it is small enough that you leave enough room for the tape to actually grab onto something. tape that around the top of your pen cap around the outside and continue doing that until you have enough so that the pen fits in the empty marker. next take a lighter and burn a hole on the side of the gatorade bottle simply by holding the flame right next to where you want the hole. dont move the lighter around a lot cuz itll **** up your hole. but once it gets to a certain point you have to move it in circles to get the size big enough for the marker. put the marker in with the angle cut side down and leave the top which should be a straight cut barely sticking out. glue the marker there and hold until dried. put the pencap with socket in the marker and there you have a new bong with removable bowl and no carb. :) carbs are messy.

Answer 5

Hello,,, if you need it that thick...how about... and I am being serious here....Kitty litter? It's grainy enough to add texture and absorbant enough to make a paste of the paint... I don't know if it will work... try it and let me know at [e-mail] I'm curious about it too. Great question.. hope it works..bye!

Answer 6

Sawdust will do the trick and is cheap.

Sand and glass are also possible.

Plaster of will too, but the paint will dry very quickly.

Answer 7

Good old fasiond experment with flower etc find out what works

Answer 8

plaster of paris, corn starch

Answer 9

calcium carbonate

or

lime

Answer 10

flour