it's really unique and special that you are so open with your process. there is this wonderful humility and generosity to makings a proper "how i do it" rather than simply demonstrating your skill. thanks for your videos!
This is so helpful! I'm currently making my own cookbook( I'm the chef, author, editor, photographer, annndd stylist). I've been trying to make my own backdrops. Lately the dollar+ store foam boards and contact paper has been my go too! I'm going to try the compound
Great to see another one of your awesome videos. Your videos and your Facebook community are amazing. When I joined 3 years ago I was so lost and while going through the learning process I found out I loved web development. I am now a software engineer and serving as a Instructional Associate at a software engineer bootcamp. Web development and Photography are two different beast. You can be a great frontend developer and designer but having awesome images really takes so much. Again I love your content and you have helped me so much
This is soooo awesome. I LOVED your initial video and this is amazing too! It makes me want to get all the paints out and play!! You're so creative in ALL things!! Thanks for sharing!
I am using thin ikea coasters under my boards to protect my table and this also avoids sliding. I covered these thin coasters with dots of hot glue and they keep the boards in place. Just wanted to share this cheap and functional solution
I think I have found my summer project 😃 Thanks for sharing in detail, as always! I have been looking for videos as I begin my food photography journey. Your videos are extremely helpful!
i did the same backdrops last year... but with a 9mm ply... i made 4 4X4 sheets with compound joints... but I deliberately cracked in it by twisting the plywood... the pattern came out beautifully... i live next to a beach, but during summers the climate goes up to 47-48 degree celsius and the humidity is untolerable... this climate bends the ply... but if you lay down your ply flat on a surface and stack it one upon other, the bend can be avoided... just make sure you put some parchment paper or vinyl in between the sheets to avoid color contamination... :) ... great video
OMG, this is my new favorite video from you! I've been looking for ways to add variety to my videos, so thank you. I have two free boards (and a bunch of paint and spackling), so I'm going to give this a try this week. ❤️🥂
I use MDF and joint compound as well. Lately I have been using an undercoat of primer before painting. It seems to help with the warping (I think it seals it somewhat) and I use heaps less paint for my coloured layers.
Thank you so much for this video! I am just starting now so for sure I will save it and rewatch it soon again! I would also appreciate some video about props ideas on the background which are good to use? :)
Love the help, glad to have you back. Missed you. This came at the perfect time. First a question so it doesn't get buried. Are there rules for the types of food to the color of the backdrop? Now, it pained me to watch you with that 2 1/2'' knife covering the board. My go-to for taping (sheet rock) in a 6''. Covers a lot more ground. Once it's covered you can switch to a smaller blade for more texture. Use a 12'' to 16'' cement trowel to sweep across to "knock down" the high points after it has a chance to dry a little. So the soup isn't wonkie ;) Same method of the walls in your home. They spray it on, let it set and use a 18'' blade to knock it down. Hence a "knocked down texture". I'm wondering what the splatters of paint would look like sweeping with the cement trowel. Also you can add the color to the first layer of compound. Saves a step. Adding sand (fine) to the compound causes the blade to "skip" adding texture. Dry brush the accent color over the original to highlight the high points. Thank you again for your help.
Great insights! Thanks so much for sharing! As for colors, there aren't any specific rules. Only thing I am mindful of is to make sure the backdrop isn't distracting from the food :). Otherwise, I think about colors in terms of color theory and personal preferences in creating palettes.
Just as a reminder, it is wise to seal that surface that was just so painstakingly and lovingly created. THIS is another point where the matte finish can be achieved--Polycrilic Matte Finish (water-based) works wonders--giving a nice seal so you're not marring the surface with minor spills. WIN!!
It's interesting that you covered cupping (or as you called it warping) last. As I watched the video I was wondering why you had not mentioned it. Wood absorbs water and swells. If you apply more moister to one side of a board it will swell across the grain, and MDF will swell evenly across the surface. Plywood curls and MDF dishes when unevenly whetted. The best way to avoid this is to seal the wood thoroughly on all sides before applying any water based coating to one side only.
Agree, smooth without being slick. I agree on that one. I call it mud. I use it to mud walls but I haven't tried to make a board yet. Hmmm.... I'm gonna steal that from you. Thank you! Steal Like an Artist! For me, chalk paint, Annie Sloan. Love, love, love that paint. Love it. I don't always seal either but I have one that I didn't seal (I'm painter not spray but I get that folks like the spray). But anyway, big stain on the board that I didn't seal. Thankfully, it's just at the end of the board so not a biggie. I can swap that board out. Great fun, Joanie! Love DIY!!!! Looooove it.
@@TheBiteShot Hey Joanie! She's Queen of Chalk Paint. A wonderful artist who started chalk paint because she wanted a quick way to paint and just get on with it. I love her to bits. She's amazing.
Loved this video. Thanks for translating joint compound to putty for my country 😊Also if anyone from India in the comment section, do let me know what paint to use😁
No soy Argentino, pero me imagino que si preguntas por masa de juntas o pasta de juntas en la ferreteria, alguien sabra lo que quieres. En la construccion, se usa para unir las planchas de pared.
Hello I just purchased lots of photography gear and I’m looking to do my own backdrops. So my question is what other paint substitutes do you recommend besides the ones that you listed? Thanks 😊
If you add a smidge of water to the compound and mix it, you can apply it with a roller to get it on the board quicker. Not sure if you can add paint/ pigments to it and mix it before applying if you are only planning on a single colour version. :)
you probably already know about this one but if not look up watercolor "washes" where the surface is wet and then you add paint. the paint then bleeds through the wet surface. the effect is like the background of the Luca Dončić background on your pinterest board. you can do this with any water-based paint like the acrylics featured in this video. ALSO! if you are really getting into precision with color mixing i would consider Golden brand paints. the craft paints have almost zero pigment compared to a real artist acrylic like Golden and the fillers in those paints make it impossible achieve certain colors. you might also like all the material you can mix into high quality paint like medium, gels, pastes, and what they call aggregates. You can really broaden the possibility of texture and precisely control color.
Very great note! Thanks so much! I do sometimes use some acrylic gouaches by Liquitex that I love, but they're a bit spendy so didn't want folks to think they had to use premium paints to get great results. But for sure, bring on the pigmentation :)
It was a combo of a bunch of different yellows. Definitely took a few rounds to dial it in with different colors. Used quite a bit of a Cadmium Yellow (much closer to orange than green in terms of the spectrum of yellows) www.michaels.com/liquitex-professional-acrylic-gouache-paint-2oz/D240114S.html?r=g&cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-MICH_Shopping_US_N_Zombie_N_Smart_All_N-_-&Kenshoo_ida=&kpid=go_cmp-13700834810_adg-122039532177_ad-530509270523_pla-1355530337025_dev-c_ext-_prd-D240114S&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4PKTBhD8ARIsAHChzRJ_D3UpIh9hVJ0CNMcewOazB2bzkuhXtX3l-MrmTF9-RuC41Csdj0waApJ7EALw_wcB
help! I did the layer of joint compound, waited a few days, then did a few layers of the chalk paint and it totally cracked off. I ended up throwing away two boards away. Any advice? It’s a total mess 😢
Here's an easy trick that I use sometimes: I mix the color with the joint compound and add some water. Apply the paste to the wood surface using a spatula to create different pattern. Let it dry and that's it!
Joanie help! I did the layer of joint compound, waited a few days, then did a few layers of the chalk paint and it keeps cracking. Any advice? It’s a total mess 😢
Honestly I want something that is beautiful and free , because I don't have money to buy any board, and nobody is gonna buy it for me because everyone in my house thinks it's silly to take pictures of food .So,I always get scolded and they also make faces.
So sorry to hear your creative spirit is crushed by those closest to you 😢 maybe it's worth reminding them that often passion projects can lead into to a job or other avenues in life and even if it doesn't it's good to have a creative out let it's what feeds the sole. I only hope you get the time and space away to pursue your visions.
it's really unique and special that you are so open with your process. there is this wonderful humility and generosity to makings a proper "how i do it" rather than simply demonstrating your skill. thanks for your videos!
Couldn’t have said it better
Thank you so much!
To add texture I just add baking powder in a cup with the paint of choice & it will puff up and look kinda like ceramic/stone 😊
OMG! I have to try that!!! Thanks for shraing with us!
@@TheBiteShot your welcome! ☺️ thanks for sharing your tips!
Cool tip! Can you include a link to any images of the final result?
Thanks!
Thank you Deborah!!
I thought I loved food until I discovered food photography, now I know I do.
Love your content. Greetings from Sonora, México...
This is so helpful! I'm currently making my own cookbook( I'm the chef, author, editor, photographer, annndd stylist). I've been trying to make my own backdrops. Lately the dollar+ store foam boards and contact paper has been my go too! I'm going to try the compound
I had this exact idea but didn't know how it would be executed. Thank you for this!
I became a food photographer and your initial video helped me create so many boards.
I am so glad to hear! Lots of love to you my friend
That green backdrop is GORGEOUS!! ☮️💟
Thank you!! Definitely was a fun addition to my surfaces collection!
Great to see another one of your awesome videos. Your videos and your Facebook community are amazing. When I joined 3 years ago I was so lost and while going through the learning process I found out I loved web development. I am now a software engineer and serving as a Instructional Associate at a software engineer bootcamp. Web development and Photography are two different beast. You can be a great frontend developer and designer but having awesome images really takes so much. Again I love your content and you have helped me so much
I'm so glad to hear! Glad to have helped!
This is soooo awesome. I LOVED your initial video and this is amazing too! It makes me want to get all the paints out and play!! You're so creative in ALL things!! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! Have so much fun!!
Thanks for another great video Joanie. I'm looking forward to giving this a go
Making your own thing is so much👍🏻
keep these DIY videos coming. so much fun and allows us to use artistic energy. thanks
I am using thin ikea coasters under my boards to protect my table and this also avoids sliding. I covered these thin coasters with dots of hot glue and they keep the boards in place. Just wanted to share this cheap and functional solution
Just in time! I have been planning to make new backdrops. 😁
Awesome! I have so much fun making them :)
I think I have found my summer project 😃 Thanks for sharing in detail, as always! I have been looking for videos as I begin my food photography journey. Your videos are extremely helpful!
I'm so glad! Happy painting!
i did the same backdrops last year... but with a 9mm ply... i made 4 4X4 sheets with compound joints... but I deliberately cracked in it by twisting the plywood... the pattern came out beautifully... i live next to a beach, but during summers the climate goes up to 47-48 degree celsius and the humidity is untolerable... this climate bends the ply... but if you lay down your ply flat on a surface and stack it one upon other, the bend can be avoided... just make sure you put some parchment paper or vinyl in between the sheets to avoid color contamination... :) ... great video
Wonderful! I learnt a lot from this video! Thanks a lot Joanie! God bless you!
I love your videos. Kisses from Greece!!
Thank you! Lots of love to you Nansy!
OMG, this is my new favorite video from you! I've been looking for ways to add variety to my videos, so thank you. I have two free boards (and a bunch of paint and spackling), so I'm going to give this a try this week. ❤️🥂
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Going to try this process with my high school summer photography program
Great Video! Also love the colors. So many are afraid to go bold and bright!
I'm leaning into it and having so much fun!
Thank you so much for making this video 🤩. Just in time 😍 Oh and In Indonesia we called it Primer.
So glad you enjoyed it Jihan!
I use MDF and joint compound as well. Lately I have been using an undercoat of primer before painting. It seems to help with the warping (I think it seals it somewhat) and I use heaps less paint for my coloured layers.
That's awesome Craig! Great tip!
You may super great teacher 🙏💜
like the idea of creating backdrops
This green is really beautiful! I need to do something similar!
Thank you so much Joanie ! Just a quick note for the humidity factor, MDF board are less prompt to it !
Oooh, that's so good to know!
nice sharing 👍❤
Thank you so much for this video! I am just starting now so for sure I will save it and rewatch it soon again! I would also appreciate some video about props ideas on the background which are good to use? :)
Will put that on our list!
Great Video exactly what i was looking for
Oh oh... I see a happy little tree in your future 😄
Love the help, glad to have you back. Missed you. This came at the perfect time.
First a question so it doesn't get buried. Are there rules for the types of food to the color of the backdrop?
Now, it pained me to watch you with that 2 1/2'' knife covering the board. My go-to for taping (sheet rock) in a 6''. Covers a lot more ground. Once it's covered you can switch to a smaller blade for more texture. Use a 12'' to 16'' cement trowel to sweep across to "knock down" the high points after it has a chance to dry a little. So the soup isn't wonkie ;) Same method of the walls in your home. They spray it on, let it set and use a 18'' blade to knock it down. Hence a "knocked down texture".
I'm wondering what the splatters of paint would look like sweeping with the cement trowel.
Also you can add the color to the first layer of compound. Saves a step.
Adding sand (fine) to the compound causes the blade to "skip" adding texture.
Dry brush the accent color over the original to highlight the high points.
Thank you again for your help.
Great insights! Thanks so much for sharing! As for colors, there aren't any specific rules. Only thing I am mindful of is to make sure the backdrop isn't distracting from the food :). Otherwise, I think about colors in terms of color theory and personal preferences in creating palettes.
Just as a reminder, it is wise to seal that surface that was just so painstakingly and lovingly created. THIS is another point where the matte finish can be achieved--Polycrilic Matte Finish (water-based) works wonders--giving a nice seal so you're not marring the surface with minor spills. WIN!!
Yes she totally talked about that. I seal mine too!
Super helpful! Thanks!
It's interesting that you covered cupping (or as you called it warping) last. As I watched the video I was wondering why you had not mentioned it. Wood absorbs water and swells. If you apply more moister to one side of a board it will swell across the grain, and MDF will swell evenly across the surface. Plywood curls and MDF dishes when unevenly whetted. The best way to avoid this is to seal the wood thoroughly on all sides before applying any water based coating to one side only.
Super helpful!
Hi Joanie, thank you for all the tips! Can you share the brand your using for your green paint?
LOADED with tips, as usual. Beyond excited to work the paint with a wet sponge.
Will the MDF board bow as well?
Agree, smooth without being slick. I agree on that one. I call it mud. I use it to mud walls but I haven't tried to make a board yet. Hmmm.... I'm gonna steal that from you. Thank you! Steal Like an Artist! For me, chalk paint, Annie Sloan. Love, love, love that paint. Love it. I don't always seal either but I have one that I didn't seal (I'm painter not spray but I get that folks like the spray). But anyway, big stain on the board that I didn't seal. Thankfully, it's just at the end of the board so not a biggie. I can swap that board out. Great fun, Joanie! Love DIY!!!! Looooove it.
Ooooh, will have to check out Annie Sloan! Great to know!
@@TheBiteShot Hey Joanie! She's Queen of Chalk Paint. A wonderful artist who started chalk paint because she wanted a quick way to paint and just get on with it. I love her to bits. She's amazing.
Hello, yes in Mexico is called “sellador comercial, “ or “redimix”
Great info, Joanie! How do you store your backdrops?
How much paint of one color do you usually use for one board?
I love your new studio! Did you move? Studio tour? 👀😍
Have you tried Chalk paint? It has an interesting texture and has a matt finish.
Loved this video. Thanks for translating joint compound to putty for my country 😊Also if anyone from India in the comment section, do let me know what paint to use😁
Glad you liked it!
Thanks so much for the video!! Alguien sabe cómo se llama ese material en Argentina?
No soy Argentino, pero me imagino que si preguntas por masa de juntas o pasta de juntas en la ferreteria, alguien sabra lo que quieres. En la construccion, se usa para unir las planchas de pared.
In Brazil, joint compound is called "Massa para juntas" ou "Pasta de Juntas". It is different from spackle.
Nice! So helpful!
Hello I just purchased lots of photography gear and I’m looking to do my own backdrops. So my question is what other paint substitutes do you recommend besides the ones that you listed? Thanks 😊
If you add a smidge of water to the compound and mix it, you can apply it with a roller to get it on the board quicker. Not sure if you can add paint/ pigments to it and mix it before applying if you are only planning on a single colour version. :)
Hey Joanie! What are you using to stand up your backgrounds? I haven’t found anything that works and is stable.
you probably already know about this one but if not look up watercolor "washes" where the surface is wet and then you add paint. the paint then bleeds through the wet surface. the effect is like the background of the Luca Dončić background on your pinterest board. you can do this with any water-based paint like the acrylics featured in this video. ALSO! if you are really getting into precision with color mixing i would consider Golden brand paints. the craft paints have almost zero pigment compared to a real artist acrylic like Golden and the fillers in those paints make it impossible achieve certain colors. you might also like all the material you can mix into high quality paint like medium, gels, pastes, and what they call aggregates. You can really broaden the possibility of texture and precisely control color.
Very great note! Thanks so much! I do sometimes use some acrylic gouaches by Liquitex that I love, but they're a bit spendy so didn't want folks to think they had to use premium paints to get great results. But for sure, bring on the pigmentation :)
aqui no Brasil " Massa Acrilica " 06:23
We say 'Filler' here in the UK :)
Ah! Fabulous!!
What was the yellow color you used. I have been looking for something that color.
It was a combo of a bunch of different yellows. Definitely took a few rounds to dial it in with different colors. Used quite a bit of a Cadmium Yellow (much closer to orange than green in terms of the spectrum of yellows) www.michaels.com/liquitex-professional-acrylic-gouache-paint-2oz/D240114S.html?r=g&cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-MICH_Shopping_US_N_Zombie_N_Smart_All_N-_-&Kenshoo_ida=&kpid=go_cmp-13700834810_adg-122039532177_ad-530509270523_pla-1355530337025_dev-c_ext-_prd-D240114S&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4PKTBhD8ARIsAHChzRJ_D3UpIh9hVJ0CNMcewOazB2bzkuhXtX3l-MrmTF9-RuC41Csdj0waApJ7EALw_wcB
Here in brazil we call the joint compound "rejunte"
help! I did the layer of joint compound, waited a few days, then did a few layers of the chalk paint and it totally cracked off. I ended up throwing away two boards away. Any advice? It’s a total mess 😢
Oh no! I'm so sorry. That has never happened to me. The paint is cracking off? What brand of paint are you using?
@@TheBiteShot it was Behr Premium Chalk paint. I will try again with the brands you linked!
Here's an easy trick that I use sometimes: I mix the color with the joint compound and add some water. Apply the paste to the wood surface using a spatula to create different pattern. Let it dry and that's it!
The timing of this video could not be better. I needed a background just like this for a shoot this weekend! 😂🎉
Joanie help! I did the layer of joint compound, waited a few days, then did a few layers of the chalk paint and it keeps cracking. Any advice? It’s a total mess 😢
Joint compound is called Kesz Glett in Hungarian if someone is wondering :D
Oooh, good note!
@@TheBiteShot hi! I was wondering, do you think a dry was could be a good material for a backdrop?
doesnt it need something at the end to prevent water soaking in? :)
Yep, I share in the links and at the end of the video the sealing spray I use to seal it :)
In South Africa we call it paintable sealer
Fabulous! So fun to learn the different terms people have for it!
Joint compound is also called Mud.
I could paint backdrops all day but don't have anywhere to store them. Such a bummer!
Under your bed or sofa ?
Honestly I want something that is beautiful and free , because I don't have money to buy any board, and nobody is gonna buy it for me because everyone in my house thinks it's silly to take pictures of food .So,I always get scolded and they also make faces.
So sorry to hear your creative spirit is crushed by those closest to you 😢 maybe it's worth reminding them that often passion projects can lead into to a job or other avenues in life and even if it doesn't it's good to have a creative out let it's what feeds the sole. I only hope you get the time and space away to pursue your visions.
You can use plain and neutral coloured cloth or fabric and lay it as a base for photo taking too.
Use chart papers. Why to waste time in painting.