Choosing to create an abstract painting is a great way to express yourself through art and an important way to learn the techniques of oil painting. One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of dealing with oils is that the paint remains wet for a considerable amount of time after you put it on the canvas. Exactly how long varies with the type of paint and the type of canvas preparation as well as the thickness of the paint applied. Learning skillfully mix the wet paints on the canvas can be challenging and one of the best ways to begin is with an abstract piece meant for experimenting.
Instructions
1. Select a theme for the painting. Generally, this can be done by identifying an emotion or idea that you want to express through the painting. One of the best ways to maintain a specific feeling in an abstract painting is to choose the colors that will be involved in the painting before putting any paint on the canvas. Selecting complimentary colors like blue and orange can make a painting more vibrant, while sticking to a color family, like shades of blue, can evoke a less active emotion.
2. Choose some music. Many artists fine that playing music that matches the mood they are trying to evoke can help translate the feeling through the brush and on to the canvas. Angry paintings might best be composed to loud rock music, and reassuring, calming paintings might flow from classical music. The main focus is to choose what feels right to the painter.
3. Collect your materials. Nothing is more frustrating when painting than needing something, from a specific brush to a palette for mixing colors, and not having it. This is also a good opportunity to assemble a palette with small amounts of the paint colors you intend to use and a spot for mixing them. Don’t forget to bring something to clean the brushes on.
4. Prepare the canvas. In an older age, canvases were prepared with a linseed oil mixture that helped keep the paint consistency even while the painter created. Now there are many canvas preparations available in a spray can. Some canvases can also be purchased ready for painting.
5. Determine what kind of background you want for the painting. Oils have texture to them unlike some other types of paint and should be applied in layers. Though it is possible to go in and add a background after painting the foreground, it is easier and more efficient to paint the background first. Many painted begin with a wash of color, a background that fades from dark to light in a single shade.
6. Decide where the light source will be in the painting. Even when painting an abstract, the painter should know where the light in the picture emanates from. The difference between a good painting and a bad one can be as simple as knowing where the light and shadows should be.
7. Create. Let the muse flow and translate your vision and feelings to art.
