Sophisticated Photography Backdrops Created With Painted Textures

Charlie Stuart-Grumbar is a set designer and scenic artist working across film, editorial, and theater. Her passion for scenic textures led her to start her online business – PropDrop – which offers an extensive catalog of bespoke painted surfaces and rental photoshoot backdrops that have been used in adverts, commercials, and films. As “a massive fan of Rosco,” Charlie shared how she relies on Rosco Supersat Scenic Paint to create diverse textured backdrops that her customers use to add depth and interest into their projects.

Charlie learned how to use Rosco's Supersat concentrated paints when she started working as a scenic painter following her studies at Central Saint Martins in performance design. Since then, she has remained loyal to the brand, using its rich colors to build textured surfaces that range from subtle to dramatic.

PropDrop painted backdrops convey sophistication with distinctive textures and  are available in different forms and sizes

Environmentally aware, Charlie uses recycled plywood or MDF boards as the base substrate for her textured backgrounds. “I take time to prep my surface,” she said when we asked her - how do you make a textured backdrop? “When using recycled wood this usually means a lot of filling and sanding! I then seal the board with shellac - sand - and then a final coat of the shellac before I put a paint base on.”

Charlie creating textured surfaces in her studio.

“The next step involves applying a white or black emulsion with a little bit of Supersat paint to coat and create a nice base to work off,” she explained. “Depending on the effect I’m going for, I would usually use a mix of matte glaze, water, and Supersat Paint, and then do multiple layers so the surface has a depth to it. Sometimes, I add different textures, such as sand and sawdust, into the layers for a more textured effect.” 

PropDrop offers a variety of different textured photography boards: from marbled grey textured backgrounds, to mottled colored backgrounds, to subtle white texture backgrounds.

“I love the rich pigmentation and quality of the Supersat paint,” Charlie answered when asked why she prefers to work with Rosco Supersat Paints. “I especially love your Raw Umber!” Using the unique colors in the Supersat range enables Charlie to create hand-painted backdrops that offer her customers a higher level of artistry and specular depth over commercially available printed drops.

Charlie’s textured ‘Cheetah’ surface that she created with Supersat Raw Umber.

To view Charlie’s entire catalog of painted backdrop surfaces, visit her website: prop-drop.co.uk, or follow @prop_drop on Instagram. For more information about the scenic paints she uses to create her textured backgrounds, please explore the Supersat product page on the Rosco website.