DEMONSTRATION: How I Texture a Canvas

I've posted this on demo on Facebook and I figured it needed to be here. Why? One of the common questions I am repeatedly asked is how do I make the underlying texture on a piece.

Here's how I do it, and - you can also see the finished city scene below (named CITY STROLL) that I painted over it. I can tell you that it is NOT easy painting over heavy texture. It will test your last nerve. If it frustrates you, walk away but don't give up. 

I will mention this though - THIS is the smallest textured canvas I've ever created. Despite being familiar with this technique, this was one of the most difficult paintings I've done. A lot of it had to do with the smaller size canvas. I can safely say that I will never do another small painting over heavy texture, despite managing to pull this one off. 

UPDATE!
After extensive testing, I am now using a compound for texture that you can buy at a hardware store or big box home improvement center: DAP Alex Flex spackling compound (you can see it here. If you happen to find it without the word PLUS on the label, they both work the same. It could be that they have simply changed the name since I found no difference.) This product is incredible, it's tough and it's an affordable texture compound to use on art projects. And, if you have a crack on your wall or ceiling you've then got the power to fix it yourself. If you buy this product online, shop around - some places have overpriced it.