How to Paint a Snake Skin on Canvas

Replicate the skin design of a pet snake.

It is time to give your visual art skills a moderate challenge -- and painting a snake skin effect is your answer. Snake skin often involves shades of multiple colors with diamond-like patterns that give texture to the scales. The trick to painting life-like snake skin requires carrying out the painting process in several basic steps. Painting in steps allows you to layer the design appropriately before your canvas "slithers" to life.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• 18-inch square cotton fabric canvas
• 8-ounce plastic cup
• 5 ounces of tan gesso primer
• Dull metal knife
• Gesso brush
• 19-inch square plastic mesh netting
• Masking tape
• Hunter green spray paint
• Black spray paint

Instructions

1. Place newspaper flat onto a work surface. Position an 18-inch square cotton fabric canvas at the center of the newspaper.

2. Fill an 8-ounce plastic cup with 5 ounces of tan gesso primer. Add 1 ounce of water to complete the priming mixture. Stir the mixture with a dull metal knife for 15 to 30 seconds.

3. Soak a gesso brush into the mix. Coat the canvas with one layer of primer. Allow one hour for the primer to fully dry.

4. Center a 19-inch piece of square plastic mesh netting over top the canvas. Secure the edges of the netting tightly along the edges of the canvas with masking tape. The netting should be tight and flush against the canvas.

5. Coat miscellaneous portions of the canvas with hunter green spray paint. Coat all remaining portions of the canvas with black spray paint. Allow one hour for the paint to dry.

6. Remove the mesh netting from the canvas to reveal a green, black and tan life-like snake skin pattern.

Tips & Warnings

• The mesh netting covers portions of the tan surface. The covering prevents the covered portions from being coated in green or black paint.

References

• Nancy Doyle Fine Art: Painting Lesson 1 -- Stretching and Preparing a Canvas
• Paintball Library: DYI Snake Skin Paint Job