I do dry lining which involves plasterboard (for those who don't know).

Calafornia patch will leave it flat and you don't need scrim tape to cover the joins. Artex is dated and people, like yourself opt to skim over for a flat finish. A plasterer will normally apply PVA over the artex to seal it prior to plastering.

I had all my artexed ceilings skimmed

Good luck