You can skip this step if you purchased a black canvas. I used Apple Barrel Matte Black Acrylic Paint to paint my canvas a dark color. I applied one layer with a 3/4 flat brush, let it dry, and then applied a second coat. A good matte finish with absolutely no gloss is ideal. Please take note that the image below already has the cactus traced on the canvas. I did not capture myself really painting the canvas black in a photograph.
