Hand-Making Our Own Canvas Backgrounds – Perfect for Acting Portraits
As a Manchester Photographer, I’m always looking for ways to create unique and high-quality setups for my clients. Recently, I decided to experiment with hand-painting my own canvas backgrounds—a cost-effective and creative way to add a distinctive touch to acting headshots, portraits, and editorial shoots.
Why Make Your Own Canvas Backgrounds?
Custom backgrounds allow you to create textures, colors, and tones that complement your photography style. They’re perfect for acting portraits, giving a high-end, creative look that stands out from the typical plain backdrops.
What You’ll Need
I’ll include links to all the supplies I used, but in short, you’ll need:
A heavyweight Primed canvas we got ours from Art Discount store.
Paint - Get Matt to paint this way it won’t create shiny spots when you’re photographing. We got ours from B&Q and mixed 3 different shades of colour dark for the base layer, a mid-tone for texture over and a light one to finish off as accents on the background.
Cover dust sheets - to protect the floor!
Brushes, rollers, or sponges - Get creative use a broom, flick the paint and get messy don’t be too serious and just make a start!
A sturdy place to lay out and dry the canvas
The Process – Step by Step
Prepping the Canvas – We stretched the canvas to ensure durability.
Mixing Colors – Choosing the right tones to match the moody, creative feel I love for portraits.
Layering the Paint – Using different application techniques to add depth and texture.
Drying – Making sure the background is ready for multiple uses.
The Final Results
I documented the entire process in a TikTok video, so you can see exactly how we did it. The finished backgrounds have a rich, painterly quality that makes headshots and portraits look more dynamic and professional—perfect for actors looking to stand out in casting calls.
Want a Portrait Session?
If you’re an actor in Manchester looking for a headshot with a custom, high-end background, get in touch! I’d love to create something unique for you.
Let me know what you think of the process, and if you’ve ever tried making your own backdrops!
