• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • My Story
    • Portfolio
    • Subscribe!
    • Privacy policy
  • Recipes
    • By Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
      • Gluten-free
    • By Series
      • 5 Ingredients or less
      • Table for two
      • BAKED not Fried
      • On-screen Food
    • By Meal
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch/Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Sauces and curry
      • Drinks & Beverages
      • Snacks
      • Dips and Sides
  • Resources
    • For Bloggers
    • Travelogue
    • Kitchen Wisdom
  • Perspective
  • Green Life
  • Shop
  • Contact

Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

July 21, 2017 By Tina Dawson 36 Comments

DIY Food Photography Background – Vol. 2

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background – with texture, color and character for under $20!

NOTE:  This is an image heavy post!

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

One of my favorite things about being a food blogger, besides the hours spent styling each photo, arranging and re-arranging everything on the board a million times, is the fact that I can paint my own boards. There’s something about playing with paint that’s just so satisfying, to see the splashes and drizzles, strokes and dabs amount to something much more than just a mess.

You can buy food photography props online and they’re all immensely gorgeous, but they’re also priced quite high. So I prefer to make my own. With a few supplies sourced from the nearest hardware store, it’s only a matter of a rather inspired Sunday afternoon.

I painted this blue one a couple of weeks ago and I am obsessed with it. Although, I have a feeling that I’ve been over-using it lately. I tend to do that – favor the newest toy!

Of course, I have no art background, so most of the time I have no clue what I’m doing, But this time, I asked my husband to take pictures of what I was doing, so that me and others could replicate it.  Hope it helps! And here’s Vol.1 of the DIY Food Photography Background series.

This VEGAN Mango Icecream is made more protein-rich and special with Aquafaba - the chickpea brine liquid. Non-dairy + Gluten-free dessert.

I love the jagged look of the surface, like I’d taken a knife to it and went-a-slashing!

There are so many guacamole recipes out there, but this Spicy Guacamole is my favorite, featuring fried red chilli flakes! Vegan+Gluten Free!

Vermicelli in Coconut milk - sounds simple, more like a dessert, but it is one of my favorite breakfasts. 5 ingredients. Vegan.

And this is how it looks from the side – it’s the bottom board, not the vertical one standing at the back.

Vermicelli in Coconut milk - sounds simple, more like a dessert, but it is one of my favorite breakfasts. 5 ingredients. Vegan.

Here’s how you can make it yourself!

You will need:

  1. 1 Plywood sheet – I buy the larger sheets measuring 48″x 24″, it gives me more surface to style the food on. If that seems too large, you can cut it in half to form two boards 24″x 24″. If it’s not sanded and smooth when you buy, you will need sandpaper to smooth down the surfaces. Thickness doesn’t matter, but I get the thinnest of the lot (5mm). Easier to store and lighter to carry.
  2. Paints –  Paint type: Sample. Check your local hardware store to see if they sell paint in sample sizes (8 fl.oz / 237 ml). Home Depot sells samples for about $3.48 and they will last you several projects. Sheen: Matte. Always get matte paints for photography boards, otherwise you’ll see light bounce from the board itself, and it messes with shadows and colors. Colors used: Valspar Dutch licorice, BEHR Imperial Gray, BEHR Ultra Pure White.
  3. Paint brush – I use a 1″ chip brush, and it’s lasted me for about 9 projects, still going strong! Just remember to wash your brushes well and oil them a little to keep the brushes light and supple. Sound like too much work? Throw it out and replace after a couple of projects.
  4. Disposable plate – To use as a makeshift paint palette. I recycled a small Styrofoam plate I bought some herbs in.
  5. Drop Cloths – This can just be rags, newspapers or these plastic sheets  that will ideally protect your work surface. (8 fl.oz / 237 ml)Working with paint, you can get carried away, and unless you don’t mind a little paint dripping or splashing here and there, cover up a large area with drop cloths. I worked on my carpeted apartment floor, and my security deposit was at stake!
  6. Sponge – You can either buy sea sponges or I just cut up the sponge part from a kitchen scrub. Niftier, but single use only. Don’t use generic plastic sponges, get ones with varying sized holes.
  7. Matte Varnish – To protect the paint, so you can spill food on the board without damaging or staining it.
  8. A few books or magazines – No matter how careful you are, some paint can drip over the sides, and if the board it sitting directly on the drop cloth, the paint runs under and stains the other side. To prevent this, place a few magazines or books, at the bottom of the boards to slightly elevate it from the drop cloth. This way, the underside is protected from accidental smearing.
  9. Gloves – Although the paint washes off with a little warm soapy water, I still prefer wearing gloves to make clean-up that much easier! Besides, rinsing paint from under my nails isn’t really the best part of my day!

Let’s begin!

Step 1: Paint the base.

Paint the board blue, a single coat is sufficient. Dilute the paint in a little water to make it more smoother to paint with.

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

Step 2: Paint alternating swatches of white and gray.

Since we’re trying to build up texture, keep the sample paint at full strength. Do not dilute.

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

Step 3: Smudge the swatches with blue and gray.

Wear disposable gloves. This part can get super messy! Wet the sponge and squeeze most of the excess. Pour a few spoons of blue and gray paint on your paint palette tray. Dip the sponge (keep separate sections of the sponge for each color) in paint and dab lightly and quickly on the board.

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

Alternate between the gray and blue, making sure you merge the two colors here and there to make it cohesive.

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

Step 4: Dribble blue paint.

Dip your paint brush directly in the blue paint jar, and drizzle on top of the board from a height. Let the paint pool in spots, and criss-cross the lines. This is the fun part. Run with it!

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

Step 5: Smudge the paint.

Wait for about a minute for the dribbled paint to start drying, but while it’s still wet, use the sponge and dab on the dribbles, smudging the blue outside the drizzled lines. You should still see the line hold up in a raised pattern (see below). Test on one line before working on the rest. And work quickly before the drizzles dry up completely.

I usually start drizzling on one end of the board and move my way down to the rest. By the time I’m done drizzling the board, the end I began with would have dried enough to begin smudging. Go from there and work your way down.

Note: While you’re smudging your way down the board, should you want the layers of paint beneath to peak through, dip the sponge in water to clean it a bit. Squeeze it dry, and dab on the wet paint to ‘lift’ the paint off, and this will reveal the bottom layer, creating a gradient of color on the board.

Repeat any of the above techniques, if desired, till the board looks to your satisfaction.

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

Step 6: Protect.

Once the board is completely dry (I leave mine overnight), spray or brush a matte varnish in an even layer to protect your photography board from food spills.

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

When you paint your boards, be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you create!

Take your photography to another level with this DIY Food Photography Background - with texture, color and character for under $20!

You might also like

  • VEGAN Pastry Voodoo DollsVEGAN Pastry Voodoo Dolls
  • DIY Food Photography BackgroundsDIY Food Photography Backgrounds
  • 15 min Vegan Chilli Strawberry Jam15 min Vegan Chilli Strawberry Jam
  • Amaretti – Italian Almond MacaroonAmaretti – Italian Almond Macaroon
  • Chocolate DonutsChocolate Donuts
  • Paneer TikkaPaneer Tikka

Filed Under: Blogger Resources Tagged With: Backgrounds, DIY, Food Photography, Paint, Photo Prop

Previous Post: « Fiery Quinoa Chickpea Stir-fry
Next Post: Soy-Free Burmese Chickpea Tofu »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ahmed Sheikh says

    May 18, 2019 at 3:42 pm

    I’m in love with your work Tina! Those colors you add the combinations are so perfect!
    Hey, I’m Ahmed from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. I’d say I’m not a photographer after tasting your work here, rather say I’m learning and wanted to learn more from your work.

    Do check my Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/ageektraveler and let me via DM what do you think about it.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      May 20, 2019 at 9:19 am

      Ahmed, thank you for your kind words. I just checked your Instagram and your work is beautiful. Do not sell yourself short. You ARE a photographer and you should be very proud of your work.

      Reply
  2. Khadijah says

    December 21, 2018 at 7:47 am

    Hi
    I in love with your board and i wish you could make it in video

    Reply
  3. Joyce says

    July 13, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    Thank you so much for spending your time on explaining all the details for this projects. I’m a food blogger and food photographer myself. My husband made all my food photography background for me because we are diy people (I just sent him this post so we can work on making new background together). We always love to stop at the scrap section at home depot and hunt for some pieces that I can use for background. Sometimes they are in big discount.

    BTW, I love your food photography. Absolutely lovely!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 16, 2018 at 11:14 am

      Joyce! Thank you so much for your comment! I am so glad this tutorial is useful! I hope you and your husband enjoy making your backgrounds and don’t forget to send me a picture of the board once done! <3

      Reply
  4. Manish says

    March 21, 2018 at 12:27 am

    Hi tina,

    I am frim india, could you tell what type of paint you are using. In india we know about acrylic paint (water based), oil paint, distemper for walls (water based) fabric color for painting on cloth.

    The brands you have suggested are not available in india.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      March 21, 2018 at 9:26 am

      Hi Manish, I use ‘sample’ paint, which is a slightly different medium – more close to the exterior distemper (dries to a chalky-finish), but any matte paint with

        no gloss

      will work. If there’s any gloss in the paint, it’ll reflect light back and mess up the shadows in your pictures. Good luck!

      Reply
    • Khizran Mustafa Wazir says

      May 20, 2018 at 3:21 am

      hi mannish.i am from Pakistan and understand your situation. use poster paint instead and then use matt liquor spray or matt liquor.that should solve the problem.

      Reply
  5. Audrey says

    March 16, 2018 at 11:25 am

    Hi, Want Your Advice. Do you think Silk Painting would be Suitable for Photography? Thank Your reply. A

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      March 16, 2018 at 1:49 pm

      I’m not sure I understand the question.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        March 17, 2018 at 3:11 am

        Sorry I mean Glitter Painting ?

        Reply
        • Tina Dawson says

          March 18, 2018 at 11:28 am

          I don’t think shiny things make great backgrounds, as they reflect light and draw focus away from the subject.

          Reply
  6. Eva says

    March 16, 2018 at 9:54 am

    Oh wauw, these look reaaally good! I’ve been trying my hand at some home made photography backgrounds but this one is way prettier than the ones I’ve created, will try your colourcombo soon!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      March 16, 2018 at 1:50 pm

      I’m so happy I could help Eva!

      Reply
  7. Audrey says

    March 13, 2018 at 2:06 pm

    WOW Your Blogpost is very nice! One of the best I’ve visited so far! thanks

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      March 14, 2018 at 9:11 am

      Thanks! Happy to help!

      Reply
  8. Pavani says

    October 19, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    That is an awesome tutorial to make backgrounds Tina. Will try your dribble and scrub technique 🙂 for that texture on the board. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      October 20, 2017 at 1:00 pm

      I’m so glad! Let me know how yours turns out! I’d love to see! <3

      Reply
  9. Mitja says

    July 24, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    We created 3 new backgrounds about a month ago and followed a similar process. They turned out great and quite similar to yours 🙂 We just started using them in our latest shots, so they should be on our blog soon.
    We also used modeling paste to make one that is a bit more textured and it also turned out great. The best thing with these backgrounds is that if you don’t like the result you just continue painting and sooner or later it looks good 🙂

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 24, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      I’ve been wanting to work with more textures too, and was going to go with crackle paint. I’ll have to try the modelling paste now! Thanks Mitja!

      Reply
  10. D. Durand Worthey says

    July 23, 2017 at 9:29 am

    This is a great and very useful pro-tip! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 23, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      You’re most welcome Durand! I hope it helps!

      Reply
  11. Udit Shah says

    July 23, 2017 at 8:21 am

    This is amazing. Thank you! Your photographs inspires me to try something similar with my camera but i usually fail. Will try to make this. Keep posting such tutorials. I am a fan 🙂

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 23, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      No problem Udit! I love doing tutorials that help others – I’ll keep ’em coming!

      Reply
  12. Parinaaz says

    July 22, 2017 at 4:16 am

    Thanks T, more please ??

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 22, 2017 at 10:43 am

      Sure thing Parinaaz, I’ll keep ’em coming!

      Reply
  13. Raksha says

    July 22, 2017 at 12:16 am

    Lovely tutorial

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 22, 2017 at 10:44 am

      No problem, Raksha! Thanks for stopping by…

      Reply
  14. Eileen Kelly says

    July 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm

    This is just the perfect tutorial! Thank you so much! I have some plywood and I can’t wait to get started!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 22, 2017 at 10:44 am

      No problem Eileen! I hope you create beautiful boards!

      Reply
  15. Sandi G says

    July 21, 2017 at 2:26 pm

    LOVE that you took the time to show us your process. I need to do this because you are right, professional boards are expensive!!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 21, 2017 at 2:44 pm

      True Sandi! I hope this helps!

      Reply
  16. Kim | The Baking ChocolaTess says

    July 21, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    Wow! That is pretty awesome!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 21, 2017 at 2:44 pm

      Thanks Kim!

      Reply
  17. Molly Kumar says

    July 21, 2017 at 11:33 am

    This is so gorgeous Tina and love the color. It’s so much fun to make these backgrounds at home….almost therapeutic 🙂 I’m loving the texture on the board too and your steps are so easy too.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      July 21, 2017 at 1:00 pm

      Thanks Molly! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Tina Dawson Profile Picture

Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

Read More…

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to Email Newsletter

5 Ingredients or Less Ebook Cover

The Blank Canvas Store - Food Photography Backgrounds and Props Store

BUY CUSTOM FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUNDS + PROPS

Don’t Miss These!

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

Caramelised Onions in a plate

Caramelized Onions

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte on wooden plate with coffee beans strewn on table

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte

Raspberry Iced Tea

Raspberry Iced Tea

Dairy-free Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

[V] Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

Puff Pastry Voodoo dolls on a table with Halloween things

Puff pastry Voodoo Dolls

Copyright © 2023 · LOVEISINMYTUMMY · PRIVACY POLICY · CONTACT · StudioPress Themes

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Learn More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT