This easy tutorial will show you how to paint a delicious pizza. You’ll use gaffrey heavy texture and acrylic colors. Perfect for our current "Don't Eat Paint" art competition. Though we can't promise you won't be tempted to take a bite!

What You'll Create

This 12-inch personal pizza looks super realistic with its golden crust, rich tomato sauce, and melted cheese. The heavy texture gives the crust a lifelike feel. Acrylic colors make it look like it just came out of a brick oven, which really adds to the texture. You'll wonder if it's real or not.

Paint Time: 1-2 hours

Dry Time: 48–72 Hours

Materials You'll Need

Our Pizza Bundle includes all acrylic paints above for $74 (20% off normal price) 

Heavy Texture

• Titanium Buff - 32 oz

Acrylic Colors

• Alizarin Crimson - 2 oz
• Cadmium Red Light - 2 oz
• Yellow Iron Oxide - 2 oz
• Bismuth Yellow - 2 oz
• Mars Black - 2 oz

Tools

• 12 x 12 x 1.5" Wood Panel
• 5 mil+ Plastic Sheeting (Optional for peeling paint)
• Large palette knife #2 (round)
• White Base Coat
• Painting Trowel
• 2" Panel Paint Brush
• Medium-sized artist brush (flat or filbert)
• Spray bottle

Step 1: Create Your Pizza Base

Start with a 12"x12" primed wood panel or a smooth plastic surface (5 mil+). Use the plastic if you want to peel the pizza for a sculpture. Then, draw a 12-inch circle as your guide.

Pipe about 16 oz of titanium buff texture in the center. Use your round palette knife to spread the mixture evenly to the edge of the circle. Make the borders slightly thicker for an authentic crust look. Allow the crust to dry to the touch for 1-2 hours. Use a plug-in fan to speed up dry time.

Pro Tip: Spray water on the "crust" while the heavy texture is still wet for a pitting effect. This will make the crust look more realistic.

Step 2: Paint the Crust Texture

Apply a light wash of yellow iron oxide mixed with water over the entire surface. This creates depth and prevents the stark white look.

Use a stiff brush to dab over the crust, moving from light to dark. Apply yellow iron oxide directly from the tube for a golden crust. Use Mars black sparingly on raised areas for crispy bits. Paint the inside crease of the crust with alizarin crimson.

Pro Tip: Apply thin layers to each part of the crust, alternating colors with a glazing technique. For example, use a thin layer of yellow iron oxide over the alizarin crimson and mars black. This will make the crust look more dynamic. Let the paint dry before adding a new layer.

Step 3: Add the Sauce

To create a warm, rich red sauce, mix a nice amount of cadmium red light and bismuth yellow. Take your brush and load it with a good amount of paint. Start by dabbing the paint in the center, and then gently work your way toward the crust.

For deeper accents, try mixing a small amount of alizarin crimson into your sauce base. This will help you achieve a nice sauce line near the crust. Use the panel brush to blend the edges smoothly into the warm sauce mix for a seamless finish. Sauce should look like it has settled into the texture, not sitting on top.

Put a fan on it for 20-30 minutes until dry to the touch before proceeding to the next layer.

Pro Tip: Lightly mist the sauce when you’re done. The wet raised areas will blend into the sauce, creating a more organic look.

Step 4: Create Melted Cheese

Use a palette knife to mix titanium buff with small amounts of yellow iron oxide and bismuth yellow. Fold the acrylic colors in, leaving streaks showing through. Do not mix thoroughly.

Spread the cheese mixture over the sauce with a paintbrush. Leave some "sauce pockets" visible. While it’s still wet, dab small amounts of pure titanium buff for highlights and bubbled areas. Put a fan on it for 20-30 minutes until dry to the touch before proceeding to the next layer.

Step 5: Highlights 

For a more authentic look, use a 2-inch brush. Use a dry-brush technique with yellow iron oxide, Mars black, and buff. Apply this for each layer of crusty texture marks. Lightly press and feather the bristles over the crust.

Place small dots of yellow iron oxide from the tube on the raised areas where the cheese bubbles and browns on a pizza. Add small daubs of yellow iron oxide, bismuth yellow, and cadmium red light in the cheese's craters. Dilute this mix with water for realistic oil spots.

Allow 24 hours of dry time if painted on wood panel, 48-72 hours if peeling pizza. Your pizza can peel cleanly off the surface using a paint trowel. Work slowly around edges if you feel resistance, let it dry longer. 

Toppings 

How To Make Pepperoni Cups Step by Step.PDF

Join the Fun

Love your pizza creation? Share it with #donteatpaint and tag @gaffreyartmaterial. You could win $500 in art supplies! The contest ends on September 10th. More Details

Ready to get started? Grab our complete Pizza Bundle and start creating food art that's almost too real to believe. Just remember, don't actually eat the paint!