The color and texture are altered in a distressed painting.
Although it's impossible to pin down artist Robert Rauschenberg - one of the most respected and revolutionary 20th-century artists in the United States - there is a common thread running through his work: distress. His imagery incorporates a violence which he creates through materials such as roughly-cut glass or the heel of a shoe, and his painting technique, such as paint-dripping. You don't have to be Rauschenberg to create a distressed painting. With a few materials you probably have at home, you can paint your own authentic distressed painting.
Instructions
1. Lay your canvas face up on a flat surface.
2. Combine one-part glue and one-part water in a bowl.
3. Brush the entire surface of the canvas with the glue mixture.
4. Cut out large blocks of text or images from the newspaper and glue them to the surface of the canvas.
5. Brush the newspaper with the glue mixture after you're happy with the placement of the text and images. Allow the glue to dry for at least 20 minutes.
6. Apply a base of white paint over the glued newspaper. Ensure you can just barely see some of the text and images.
7. Begin your painting, using whatever colors you desire. Use a broad paintbrush that's at least 2 inches wide; the extra bristles lend a roughness to your paint strokes. Alternatively, experiment with distressed techniques such as paint drippings.
8. Create light cuts in the paint and newspaper while the paint is still wet and use your comb to make drag marks in the paint.
9. Dab the wet paint with your cloth to lighten certain areas of the painting. The light and dark contrast will give the work an uneven look.
10. Allow the paint to dry completely, which could take a few hours depending on the size of the work.
11. Cut out pieces of cardboard and mix another 1-to-1 glue/water mixture. Glue the pieces of cardboard to the painting and then paint over them. These cardboard pieces lend the work a coarse texture that's often present in distressed paintings.
