Here is a tutorial for a photography background that is easy to make and beautiful to use. I have spent a lot of time hunting down backgrounds and know all too well the feeling of staring at textured concrete walls in public spaces— wishing I could bring the wall home with me.

This tutorial is inspired by Bea Lubas (whose photography workshop I had the pleasure of attending in London). Some of my favourite surface makers are Erickson Surfaces, I also use Capture by Lucy for food photography backgrounds.

I never realized how simple it was to make your own background, it is also very rewarding. So now, pull out your paintbrushes from the closet, head to your nearest hardware store and let’s create something beautiful.

You will need

A plywood board (found in the wood section of home depot, my board was 4×8, 1/2 inch thick). Find a board that is not too bendy or warped.
Several tester pots of matte paint (I used 3–5 colours on each board). I get mine from Home Depot.
A cleaning sponge, old paintbrushes

Directions

Select your colours from tester pots. Gradient colours work very well.

Using a sponge, gently swirl the colours. Do not over mix as you want to the individual colours to stand out. Dip your sponge into the mixture and lightly apply brush strokes to cover the board.

Let dry in the open air for up to an hour. I am planning on applying a layer of matte lacquer for wet foods, produce and drinks, of course.

And there you have it. Your very own photography background.

I used both sides of my board for different colours and found it helpful to have reference colours on hand. Will experiment with different brushes for textures as well.

Here is last night’s pasta. Photographed on grey.

PS: Excuse the iPhone photos taken in this post. The best camera was the one I had on hand.