When it comes to teaching people about abstract painting, I always like to offer up a few tips before I get into showing them how to paint. Abstract painting is a great way for one to express themselves. You can bring a lot of character and emotion to an abstract painting.
While abstract painting is a freer form of art, by no means is it an easy one. Many people think that anyone can create an abstract painting.
Yes, it is true that anyone can create cool paintings with geometric shapes, lines, etc that look like abstract art. But, believe me when I say that abstract painting is actually quite involved.
You can’t just slap down some paint and call your piece an abstract painting. There are a lot of techniques to learn and many things you need to know.
Before I start teaching any abstract class, I like to discuss a few things with my students. I am going to discuss these things with you here today.
The History Of Abstract Painting
Abstract painting became popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There were many famous artists around during this time who practiced abstract painting, including Picasso.
This style of painting arose when many artists wanted to make a break from formal teachings to create art that was entirely different from what the world was used to seeing. Abstract painting was known as “pure art” because the subjects didn’t come from realism but from the imaginations of the artists.
With abstract painting, one doesn’t need to worry about whether their work looks realistic. In fact, there doesn’t need to be any particular subject matter at all. Abstract painting involves using vivid colors and interesting shapes, and abstract artists turned away from realism and the three-dimensional perspective.
Abstract Painting Is Your Opportunity To Play
Getting into abstract painting means getting away from the traditional methods and techniques that many artists have used throughout the centuries. Abstract painting gives the artist a chance to play, and be open to any and all possibilities.
You can give the analytical part of your brain a rest when you are doing an abstract painting. Instead, you should be tapping into your instincts and intuition.
The last thing you want to do when creating an abstract painting is to overthink. The process will come as you are working, and this process will take you from one decision to the next.
I love to play loud, heavy music while doing abstract paintings. It helps me to get into the mood to create something different and interesting.
Never be too hard on yourself while doing an abstract painting. Just let your imagination run wild and see what you come up with.
Utilize Surfaces Other Than Canvas
You don’t have to limit yourself to painting on a canvas when doing abstract painting. In fact, you are encouraged to try painting on a variety of surfaces.
I like to use medium-density fibreboard panels with acrylic paints for abstract painting. These work quite well together, and the panels are much less expensive than stretched canvas.
No matter what type of surface you are going to paint on, make sure you use the right ground. If you are using a panel, be sure to sand it down and treat it with gesso before you begin painting.
Take Advantage Of Black Lines
Some people say you should never paint using black lines. Then, there are some artists who like to use black as outlines for certain types of paintings.
When it comes to abstract painting, black is definitely your friend! While it isn’t always the best idea to blend black with other colors because you will get muddy colors, you can use black to create vivid lines in abstract paintings.
Don’t just use black for outlines. Incorporate black lines into your paintings to make them more dynamic and spontaneous.
Create Large-Scale Paintings
When using other painting styles, such as landscapes and portraits, most artists like to keep their paintings on the smaller side. With abstract painting, the larger the better! Go big, or go home!
You can really make a statement when you create large-scale abstract paintings. Some artists use rolls of paper to create their paintings and end up with art that is larger than life.
This can be quite challenging, as painting on such a large scale can be physically tiring. But, the end results will be more than worth the effort.
One of the most fun things about doing large-scale paintings like this is that you don’t have to limit yourself to only using smaller artists’ brushes. You can even use large household paintbrushes for large abstract paintings.
If you are going to go big, start with simple paintings until you get used to large-scale painting. Also, keep your color palette limited to three colors: one dark, one mid-tone, and one light.
Create Abstract Figures
When you look at a lot of paintings by Picasso, you will notice that he used a lot of human figures in his work. He just tended to make them very abstract and unrealistic in appearance.
Ask someone to be a model for you, and don’t feel like you have to paint figures perfectly. Try using triangles, circles, and squares to represent the shape of human bodies without adding a lot of details like you would if you were painting a portrait.
I recommend creating several line drawings of a person and then playing around with those drawings to create something totally unique.
Work Wet-On-Wet
It is important that you keep your painting fluid while you are working on an abstract, especially if you are doing a large-scale painting. Use a thick layer of titanium white or another type of white that has a yellowish tint.
This layer of white paint is going to give your painting surface a buttery texture that allows you to add new colors. You can mix these colors with the white to create new tones.
You may also want to spray your paper or canvas with water to keep the surface fluid. If you end up using too much water, use a piece of paper to blot off the excess. This is going to give you a second print, and quite often these second prints look pretty cool in themselves!
Some artists use a piece of card or a squeegee when they are doing abstract paintings. They drag the card of squeegee across the surface to create more fluidity. Gerhard Richter was quite famous for using this technique.
Conclusion: Don’t Limit Yourself To Only Painting Abstracts
If you are new to the world of painting, never limit yourself to only doing abstract paintings. Sure, there are no rules to follow, but if you want to try other styles, you need to learn about those rules.
You might even find that when you have learned other painting techniques and rules you can apply them to your abstract paintings. I always say that when it comes to art, you never stop learning.
The more you learn about various painting techniques, the better your work is going to be, no matter what style you are painting in.
Sari Green is a semi-professional artist and professional writer. She has been hosting paint & sip parties for the past couple of years, and truly enjoys helping other people to create their very own masterpieces. She loves to create, and you never know what she’s going to come up with next!