DIY textured paint?

[shandy]

Hi,

has anyone made their own textured paint? I'm looking to make something akin to the texture of Vallejo Brown Earth - any hints on how to achieve that effect? Do I just mix acrylic paint with fine sand, or do I need any secret ingredients?
I'd be grateful for any hints!

Cheers,
Shandy

[nic-e]

Sand PVA and paint... That's basically it.
Some people use house paint , others just emoty in their favourite bottle of vallejo, it's up to you.

If you're making ALOT of it for extended use over a long time and are worried about it drying out then you could add in some acrylic drying retarder.

But essentially yes, It's just paint and sand, anything else is just for local flavour.

[Fitz]

Depending on how much trouble you want to go to, you could look at some other texture materials than sand.

Crushed vermiculite, for example, has a much lower density than silica sand, so it stays in suspension longer — i.e. you don't have to stir the paint every five minutes. Graded sawdust is another option, though because it is absorbent it will retard the curing time of the paint to an extent.

[OSHIROmodels]

Sandtex masonry paint. Although the textured version is getting hard to come by.

[Captain Blood]

Thanks 

'Gloop' is just a rough mix of PVA, sand, and paint (acrylic or emulsion) made into a paste.
If you want a 'stiffer' mix, add more sand; if you want a runnier consistency to work with, add more paint and or PVA (the paint:PVA proportion is roughly 50:50 - the amount of aggregate is the main variable to consistency).
You can store it forever in an airtight jar or tub. It costs pennies / cents to make up.
You can use any old water based paint you need to get rid of or aren't otherwise aren’t going to use.
Add railway grit or similar, or use 'sharp sand' if you want added textures - with small rocky bits in your basing or terrain. You can embed larger pieces of rock while the mix is wet. They will stick fast in the ground mix once dry.
Paint it on with an old brush. In small quantities (on a miniature's base) it sets hard within a couple of hours. The PVA plasticises the end product, so it's very very durable.
Easy to overpaint whatever colour you like, although if you're careful with your choice of paint you can actually make it up in the right base colour...
And yes, while it's wet you can sprinkle sand on the surface if you prefer a sandier finish...

[shandy]

Great, thanks guys!

I think I have to go easy on the PVA, as I want to paint the gloop unto canvas so as to have a flexible gaming mat and too much PVA will probably stiffen it. I might try adding a small amount of caulking acrylic - but not too much, as I want a very subtle surface texture (it's intended for 2mm gaming...).

[Captain Blood]

Yes, I think you’re right. The PVA definitely stiffens the end product - plasticises it into a hard skin, so I wouldn’t use too much on a mat to be rolled up. It would probably show cracks fairly quickly. I’ve not used caulk, but I know a lot of people do for making mats. My other thought it to substitute liquid latex for the PVA. I’ve used it on stage scenery and whilst PVA plasticises when it sets, latex obviously ‘rubberises’. I think it would do the job rather well. Unlike PVA though, liquid latex is quite expensive and is generally only available from specialist craft suppliers. Easy enough to get online though.

[Hammers]

Depending on how much trouble you want to go to, you could look at some other texture materials than sand.

Crushed vermiculite, for example, has a much lower density than silica sand, so it stays in suspension longer — i.e. you don't have to stir the paint every five minutes. Graded sawdust is another option, though because it is absorbent it will retard the curing time of the paint to an extent.

I tried cat sand but I learned that it is basically pebbles of clay, it really behaved differently than I thought it would.

[SteveBurt]

I've had success mixing textured ceiling paint (which is white) with acrylic colours.
The celing paint is basically paint + PVA

[Hammers]

The celing paint is basically paint + PVA

Interesting...