DIY Network

Fabric Mesh Painting Who says your canvas has to be made of canvas? From "B. Original" episode DBOR-401

Give your art pizzaz with metal fabric mesh as your canvas.

Michele Beschen is all about breaking boundaries – like painting on metal and mounting the artwork outside the frame. In this project, the B. Original host shows how to create a sophisticated piece of wall art using inks and paints on fabric mesh, then mount it across the front of a painted frame.

Scroll down for Michele Beshen’s easy how-to, and get started on your own mesh painting today.

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Fabric Mesh Painting

Materials:

wire fabric mesh
wooden frame
bone folder or burnishing tool
primer or Gesso
acrylic paint and paintbrush
scissors
acrylic inks
upholstery nails
hammer

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

• Wire fabric mesh is available at hobby or art stores and comes in copper, and silver finishes. Try to buy the mesh in a roll; if it’s only available in folded sheets, spread the sheet out and press out the creases as much as possible with your hands before beginning. You can smooth it further with a burnishing tool or bone folder (figure A).

• Either recycle an old wooden frame for this project, or build one from 1x2 pine boards.

• Paint the frame to coordinate with the mesh color – it will show through the gaps in the mesh once the piece is mounted. Michele Beschen primed her frame with black gesso. After the primer coat dried, she brushed over it with gold acrylic paint. Make sure to cover all of the frame surfaces with paint.

• Once the paint has dried, position the mesh across the frame. Use a charcoal pencil to mark on the mesh where it lines up with the frame. Remove the mesh from the frame and cut it to size (figure B).

• Create the design for the mesh before you mount it so that wet paint or ink doesn’t seep through the mesh to the frame. Michele Beschen likes to use super-pigmented acrylic inks, which she finds at art supply stores. You also can use scrapbooking inks, especially if they will sink down into the mesh instead of just resting on top (figure C).

• When the mesh is dry, attach it to the frame using decorative upholstery nails that complement the design. Make sure the nails aren’t longer than the thickness of the frame. To mount the painting, position it on top of the frame and nail it to the front, working from side to side until the picture is secured.

Experiment with different designs and styles...

To create your own mesh gallery.