Powertex planets canvas art

Designer – Kore Sage

Powertex planets are a fun and easy canvas project to try. It doesn’t take much in the way of supplies and if you’ve used stencils or masks before you’re half way there! With Powertex you really can use basic techniques for amazing results.

Powertex planets canvas art by Kore Sage

Materials list

• Canvas – I used an inexpensive rectangular canvas
• Blue and Ivory Powertex Fabric Hardener
• Ready Made Bister sprays in Black, Red, Yellow and Green
• Stiff cardboard to cut own circular masks
• Hairdryer

Prepare your canvas and card circles

Prep your canvas with Blue Powertex Fabric Hardener and while it’s drying cut your circle masks. Draw around plates or lids and carefully cut out. Keep both parts.

Step 1 Preparing your canvas and circles

Spray the background

Arrange your circular masks. Darken the background with Black Bister Spray. Vary the amount around the canvas. Leave this to dry naturally.

Spray the background with Black Bister

Paint the planets

Swap the mask for the stencil on each planet and paint the circle with a layer of Ivory Powertex, not too thin. Do one at a time!

Swap to the stencil and apply a layer of Ivory Powertex

Spray the Bister

While the Powertex is still wet, leave the stencil in place and spray generously with Bister in your chosen colour. Notice I’ve protected the canvas.

Spray Bister onto wet Powertex

Create the Bister crackles

Heat the Bister with a hairdryer until cracks start to form in the surface. A heatgun or tool can be too hot for this. Repeat these steps for all your planets.

Heat the Bister until crackles form

Starry night

Put half a teaspoon of Ivory Powertex on a plate and use a very wet paintbrush to splatter it across the surface for stars. I had a practice on paper first!

Adding stars with Ivory Powertex

Finishing touches

One of my planets had smeared a lot so I tidied it up with a bit of Blue Powertex and Black Bister when it was dry. I didn’t worry too much about the others and I thought they looked pretty good. I love the blue Powertex coming through the Black Bister too!

Powertex planets canvas by Kore Sage

Top Tips for Powertex planets

Each planet will take a while to dry so be careful when masking the rest of your canvas. I used a piece of printer paper held near my planets while I sprayed them. Using more than one colour of Bister on a planet to give it a darker side helps them look dimensional. Try Easy Structure paste or 3d balls to add texture before you add Bister.

Thanks for reading my blog today. I hope you will have a go at painting your own Powertex planets! If you do, please share your art in the Powertex Facebook group as we love to see what you make.

If you like to see more of my Powertex art, you might like my under the sea mixed media project here on the magazine or you can follow me on Facebook or on my website where I love to share my Powertex tips and art.

Until next time, make time to let your art out!