DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

 
@diyphotography

Telegram Me

Instagram

Submit A Story

A cheap and simple way to paint your own DIY canvas backdrop

Share
Tweet
March 13, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic 11 Comments

You want a backdrop that perfectly matches your vision and that is easy on your budget? Photographer Lui Cardenas shares a simple method for painting your own canvas backdrop. You will need an idea, a couple of Home Depot items and some free time, and you can paint your own canvas backdrop just as you want.

You will need:

  • A canvas
  • Paint tray
  • Acrylic paint
  • Water
  • a textured roller + extension pole
  • A sponge

The canvas Lui bought is already primed, so it’s ready for painting as soon as it’s rolled out. His canvas is 72 inches wide and 216 inches long. Lui cut it in half and got two backdrops, 72” x 108” each. This width is ideal for photographing a single model, but if you need the backdrop for group shots, you should go with the wider canvas.

As for the paint, pay a visit to your local Home Depot and buy acrylic exterior flat paint. Lui chooses two colors, or better to say two shades of olive green. Of course, you can choose the colors and shades to your own liking.

And now the fun part: painting! You can use a regular roller if you want the color to be even on the canvas. But Lui uses a textured roller so he can add some texture as soon as he starts painting. He starts with the lighter shade of color thinned down with water. Later on, he paints with the darker shade and goes from the edges to the center, because he wants the center of the canvas to be lighter. Finally, he uses the sponge. He soaks it in paint and splatters around the canvas, again going from the edges towards the center. Once again, you can feel free to experiment and play with colors and textures as you like.

As for the final result – you can see it in the video, as it’s the backdrop behind Lui. I like the colors he chose and I think it works great.

What do you think of the result? And have you ever painted your own canvas backdrop?

[How to Paint Your Own Canvas Backdrop / DIY 2018 via FStoppers]

Share
Tweet

Related posts:

How To Make a DIY Handpainted Backdrop How to make a studio shoot look like a location shoot How you can make a “canvas style” backdrop for £20!

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: canvas backdrops, DIY backdrop, hand painted backdrop, Lui Cardenas

« This tutorial teaches you how to photograph the moon in only two minutes
Shooting travel videos with a drone: here are some do’s and don’ts »
  • Daniel R. Chang Acat

    Andrea Zavala Gibaja Rebeca Venegas Gonzales

  • Lars Oeschey

    dunno… looks super freckled… if that’s what you’re going for, cool, otherwise I recommend getting some painting practice first

    • Frank Nazario

      did you take great photos of the bat??? He is sharing… learn, make mental notes, grab the idea and modify it at will, plus he did a video (lots of time and effort) to show you what he did.

  • Mitchel Martin

    This could possibly be one of the most asinine ideas of all time. Spend a dollar to save a dime, this idea is neither cheap or simple. Tarp+paint+roller cost about $30-$40, an hour or two of purchase & prep time, and what a nice mess it would make that would require extra time to clean up. A nice pre-made green-screen backdrop can be purchased for less than $20, or if it is important to be a tarp, about $25-$30.

    • Scott Valentine

      Apparently you’re not familiar with professional backdrops:

      http://www.oliphantstudio.com/

      Green screens don’t solve every problem, and some people prefer to work without that kind of post processing manipulation. And some people just like to be more hands-on with their work. Not everything comes down to dollars.

    • Mitchel Martin

      Scott Valentine apparently, you’re rude and uneducated to assume. I would suggest you grow up…

      • TByte

        Your reply began with “This could possibly be one of the most asinine ideas of all time.”, and you are calling Scott Valentine rude and uneducated?
        That’s funny. I would suggest you grow up.

  • Kevin Price

    Couldn’t you also create a backdrop in photoshop?

    • Frank Nazario

      yes… that is what i do many many times specially when i go on location and the backgrounds are NOT pleasing to the eye.
      BUT… there is just something about textured paint and canvas that when done properly just takes your photos to another level… there is also a VERY famous backdrop studio called OLIPHANT in NY … just take a look there… look at the RENTAL prices and then you will understand why you want to learn to do this yourself…. peace.

      • Kevin Price

        You’re right- they are stunning and rich. I might give it a go myself.

  • Juan Martin Gerardi

    Yes…mi pather paint it 21 years ago and ilearn

Popular on DIYP

  • This unexpected Lightroom slider helps making perfect black and white conversions
  • This epic 81-megapixel moon photo was stacked from 50,000 images
  • Tamron to launch wide angle 17-28mm f/2.8 Zoom for Sony FE
  • These are the 10 best cameras for video under $300
  • Apple makes a Bokeh commercial, uses “bokeh” as a verb and pronounces it wrong
  • This guy bought a new Sony A6400 in an A6300 body
  • This viral video is the result of an angry Broadacres woman for shooting on public property
  • 2019 World Press Photo contest nominees will give you chills [NSFW]
  • Bowens really is back – and they’re made by Godox
  • Original raw Star Wars footage highlights the impact of good sound design – Also, Han totally shot first

Recent Comments


Previous Polls

Dunja Djudjic is a writer and photographer from Novi Sad, Serbia. You can see her work on Flickr, Behance and her Facebook page.

John Aldred is based in Scotland and photographs animals in the studio and people in the wild.

You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.

JP Danko is a commercial photographer based in Toronto, Canada. JP
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.

To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.

JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.

Clinton Lofthouse is a Photographer, Retoucher and Digital Artist based in the United Kingdom, who specialises in creative retouching and composites. Proud 80's baby, reader of graphic novels and movie geek!
Find my work on My website or follow me on Facebook or My page

Recent Posts

  • Samsung Galaxy S10 has three rear cameras and a dedicated Instagram photo mode
  • This 4.9mm Hyperfisheye prototype lens is so wide it can see behind itself
  • Adobe confused as to what a Nikon looks like – uses Fuji X-T20 to promote faster Nikon tethering
  • Soon you can use your Profoto modifiers on the Godox AD200 with the new AD-P adapter
  • Tamron’s 17-28mm f/2.8 E for Sony is official, also 35mm f/1.4 and 35-150mm f/2.8-4 lenses for full frame DLSRs

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2019 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy