Ceiling paint works a charm. It has a fine tooth, drys ultra matte and is cheap.

Thanks emma am a newbie and didnt want to pay a fortune on expensive pastel paper in order to mess it up 😂 so this is really helpfull thanks .

Liquitex clear gesso
works a charm!

Clear liquitex gesso is also good as it is naturally gritty.

You can use sponge roller, smooth surface after the first application, no brush marks.

So for anyone watching, not any fine grade pumice will work. You're going to want to look for 4F/FFFF grade pumice. That will be fine enough to use. Ask me how I know....

Thanks soo much i have learned a lot and improved on my art work. From Kenya

To help with surface bending you can paint the backside (with any acryilic paint)  first ...it doesnt have to be pretty but fairly even. Let backside dry ( it will be bent ) then paint front with acrylic/pumice mix or other acrylic based media. This will even out the bend to make a flat surface .

Another option for cheap mountboard is to contact a local picture framer for offcuts. I got a big box full of them really cheaply.

Always a joy watching you create even just an alternative surface! Thanks for the great video content!

You crumble the textures into an even finer powder with a metal spoon. Use a wood spoon or something less aggressive than metal. And less water in the second mixture. Just a few drops and work the surface with the brush.

Stretch paper if you want to use paper and not have it warp. Wet paper, stick it to a hard surface with gummed tape, (I use the back of a cutting mat), leave to dry, then paint on the ground, leave to dry before taking off the surface, or leave on the board until you've finished your picture, then take off. Golden ground suggests 20-40% water, so I weigh out the ground to 60-80% of the overall amount I want. Colour can be added to it also.

I have used your tutorial - perfect for drawing thank you for sharing the info

I prepared some surfaces using white glue, water and calcium carbonate (sold as a "dry bath" for rodents). I like using a touch of pigment, and a mortar and pestle to grind the carbonate if it sounds pleasant. Ok, I have these things because i like making pastel sticks, any media like paint , acrylic media, glue, whatever with gritty mineral may be tested. That's why this video is so interesting

Hi Emma - thanks for sharing this and for all you do for the pastel community!.  I too have been experimenting with different surfaces. I found that if I want a smooth surface, I use a foam brush.  For a moderate surface I use a regular brush and for a really textured surface I use a stiff, ragged brush.  I've been using mostly Liquitex Clear Gesso but have experimented with Golden's Fine Pumice Powder too.  Hope this helps!

Thank you!  Needing pastel paper for pencil drawings. You have inspired me!

I might add that one pastel artist recommended trying clear gesso on your surface- several layers drying in between- it too adds a grainy texture for pastels :)

This was such a life saver for my school project, thank you so much!!

If you want the gritty mixtures to go on smoother , i prefer gesso undiluted. If you lightly wet the surface before your gritty mix blends smoother than on dry paper. No brush marks..... works great with pumice......

Very cool Emma, thank you! Definitely going to give this a try