lining paper on ceiling

[theoaks]

I had a blockage in the washbasin upstairs in the ensuite,opened the waste pipes to remove the blockage but didn't have enough rags down on the floor so some water went down on the ceiling underneath. I left this to dry but it seems that the builders must have paper lined the ceiling as some of it flaked off.Scraped this back as far as I could,used a small amount of joint filler,repainted it but I can't get a smooth finish on the ceiling.What am I doing wrong

 

[BillK]

We had a ceiling and the walls in one of the bedrooms in our 50+ year old house done in 1000 gauge lining paper and that was then painted over by
the painter - a brilliant job which covered up all of the bumps and cracks (which had previously been filled by the same guy) so that no blemishes can be seen.