Can you use any old thing around the house to create unique texture in your art?

While I wouldn’t say you can use just anything, you can incorporate a few “unrelated” things into your art to give it Texture. However, there are a few caveats and things to know.

*Note: This post contains affiliate links to some products I use and recommend for your acrylic art painting projects. I may receive a small commission on purchases made with these links. Thank you!

One of my YOUTUBE subscribers asked me:

–Can I use table salt to create a sand-like texture?

(A real question asked by one of my Youtube watchers and my answer)

My answer was short due to the nature of the space, however, here is a little more detail.

My answer: Yes, but be aware that salt may dissolve! Since it is water-soluble and acrylics are too (and use water in the application), using something like salt is risky.

However, you can certainly use it to learn, play with, experiment. Just realize it may not last long!

I told this watcher to use actual sand instead. If you want to create a sand-like texture, go ahead and use sand!

No, it’s not an “archival” product, but you can certainly get the idea of how it might look (and if you even like the look) before spending money on a texture medium, like this inexpensive acrylic sand-texture medium.

A pro-level sand texture I would recommend for archival results:

I’ve actually used various things in my past “texture experiments” including:

–Actual red direct from Sedona, AZ – yes, it worked, but I wouldn’t do it again. It was kind of thick and muddy in the end.

–Cotton – yes, it gave me texture, but was a mess and difficult to completely cover with paint. Think painting over cobwebs!

–All types of cardboard, wet cardboard, shredded, etc. Not for me as it was a sort-of “moldy” end result.

–Paper – all types and most I didn’t like except tissue paper! I have used this in a few art paintings and covered well and sealed well with archival products, it can look really cool!

And others…many I cannot even remember.

But the important thing is I learned what did and did not work and I realized that using actual acrylic texture mediums is my favorite (and the most lasting and professional).

So long story short…yes, you can use and experiment with various types of texture. I’ve had so many people ask can they use this or that (joint compound, crack sealer…all kinds of hardware store items) and my answer is always the same: Yes, but…