A distinctive characteristic of an original Bean painting is its rough and very specific surface texture. To attain the desired effect, he takes a sheet of masonite or aircraft plywood cut to the desired size and covers it with a thick acrylic modeling paste.
The image on the right shows a textured surface prepared for a painting. The item marked '1' is a core-tube bit used to make circular impressions in the acrylic modeling paste. The items labeled '2' are small pieces of the US flag that had been sewn on Alan Bean's lunar suit. Label '3' indicates a fragment of foil insulation from the Command Module docking hatch; and label '4' indicates charred material from the Command Module heatshield. Note, also, the bootprint that covers much of the upper righthand quarter of the image.

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