Best Practices for creating canvas textures? (Experiences and techniques)

[Mythmaker]

@TheFlow

I really like this, am just focused on the most simple workflow possible → create a canvas, select a brush and paint. No setup.

Yeah - I’m just experimenting to see what’s possible with all the variables available.

I do that sometimes - I might not use the technique, but it’s fun trying to do stuff you wouldn’t think possible. The two brushes I demoed in this thread are a good example.

I have learnt a lot doing that stuff though - it’s a good way to teach yourself what functions do that you might not have used before. I drew on the understanding gained from making the impasto templates to visualise how to figure out this canvas effect.

Simple is best though; Just as I’m already using the impasto brushes, yet never use the impasto templates I made!

@TheFlow

What you did looks kind of like a half fluid, half impasto kind of underpainting, which I think could be combined with a layer on top with more painting that won’t let the texture show through all the way.

That’s the ideal, but I haven’t found a way to effectively implement both properties. This is the best compromise I’ve managed so far; with the thick impasto obscuring the texture to a degree, but showing more clearly when it’s flattened out.

@TheFlow

Shouldn’t something like what you did set up here be possible as a template for new canvas?

Yeah - that’s basically what it is! It’s a bit complicated though, because you need to apply the pattern you want to use as a background, and use it as an overlaid effect on two other layers (but they are cloned so should only need one fill), then you need to use the same pattern for the brush preset (with the same scale as the background so it aligns).

I need to reconnect with the dropbox I made for the impasto templates; Then I can share my templates and brushes. I haven’t used it for a while, so I hope it’s still active.