Seeing family members work on projects around the house, I decided to work on a project for the studio. My project was a new canvas backdrop as I thought it would be a great alternative to the seamless paper rolls in the studio.
I have never painted on canvas at any time in my life. I looked up a couple of videos on YouTube, but more or less decided to try painting a canvas on my own, jumping in feet first.
I was in need of a color. I wanted something rich and somewhat dark, capable of producing timeless looks in the studio. A Sherwin-Williams store is close to the studio in Northville, so I picked up a couple of samples to try: Cyberspace (gray) and Urbane Bronze (brown). My mind was set on Cyberspace, but it turns out that Urbane Bronze is Sherwin-Williams’ 2021 Color of the Year so I had to check it out. After seeing both colors in person and conducting a poll in my Instagram story, Cyberspace won out for the canvas project. (A canvas painted Urbane Bronze may come later.)
I chose a 6′ x 9′ canvas size for the project. The canvas came in a small package, so I had to use a steamer to remove all of the wrinkles. (Wrinkles in a portrait backdrop would not be ideal.) Then I put down some plastic on the floor, the canvas on top, and started painting.
I learned something during the painting process. I used water to dilute the paint before painting the canvas with a roller. I didn’t pay attention that I didn’t dilute the paint to the same consistency when refilling the paint tray, as was needed. Lesson learned: The canvas required a second coat of paint to even out the color across the 6′ x 9′ size.
In the end, the custom canvas Cyberspace gray backdrop looks amazing! It is truly one of a kind! I can’t wait to share it for portraits!