Wednesday, April 11, 2012

DIY Art Project for Spring!

I have been teaching these classes awhile now.

Everybody says the same thing:

"I can't even draw a stick figure"

Then...a couple of hours later...

VoilĂ !

They have created a frame-able piece of art.


Let's warm up by pretending to be Jackson Pollock
With this Sweet Widget:
Click in the blank space below
Then again on the color to change it...this is your warm up for the real thing!



There are no mistakes possible...only things you don't like, and those can all be changed!

...So...
give yourself permission
and try this project
courtesy of
oh happy day
at home!!



 I strongly believe in supporting your local artists, and the local arts & crafts movement
-But-
Until you can afford the abstract piece of your dreams here are some tips on making your own.



Materials Needed: 2 Large Canvases 40″ x 40″ $20/each (depending where you get them...) a few large brushes 2.5″ wide $5, several tubes of acrylic paint $4/tube  In total this cost $70. That’s $35 each for a huge piece of art. There are no framing costs because with canvas like this you don’t need to frame it.

A few notes: I know abstract art looks “easy” but anyone who has tried it can attest it can be difficult to get just right. I would recommend getting some cheap small 10″x 10″ canvases to practice color and composition and technique before you you try it on a big one. 
This will save you time and money in the long run. 
This project does takes a while.
 Take your time and keep in mind you are working in layers.


Step One: Tone the Canvas.  The first layer you’ll tone the canvas with another color other than plain white. This is so when the under painting shows through it will show texture instead of plain white. For this, just mix lots of yellows with white and grey. Get a clean spray bottle of water, spray your canvas...use lots of water, get sloppy and just try to have variation.
Paint the edges. Then let it dry.




 Step Two: Draw out some compositions you like. You may not stick to this but it's nice to have a guide to start off of.
Once you have a plan, began blocking out some colors. A big part of this project is getting comfortable mixing paint. This is the part most people struggle with-it's okay, you will improve over time.

Basically, you start with a base color and add either white to lighten it (a tint), or black or a darker color to darken it (a shade).
Make sure to add extra water to thin out the paint. I always say in the class..."water is your friend!".
Keep your paint and your canvas pretty wet.
You can add smudges and streaks on that layer without thinking about it too much since its only the second layer. Then let it dry.



Step Three: Now you’ll want to start to get more serious about what it looks like.
Sometimes abstract art looks simple but after working through a few variations you may find your favorite compositions seemed simple but when you actually look closer and break it down, it is made up of complicated shapes.


For example look at the painting on the left. The red and the blue look simple but in the close up you can see there are lots of layers and streaks and lines so that it looks interesting. Keep making small adjustments until you like it.
 So if you are getting frustrated take a break and come back when your mind is clear.
Be experimental and keep trying things (adding white etc) until you are happy with it.



Step Four: Start to play around with the colors you want to compliment the top layer. You can see we also went through and lightened up the edges with some off white paint to make the painting feel brighter. At this point we were starting to like it but it needed to feel pulled together.



Step Five: In the final painting session, you're going to perfect the composition.
Block in some brighter colors and then make them meet in interesting ways with different lines and shapes. Here is how the final turned out. You can see that with the final layer there are 15-20 colors and 12 or so blocked out colors in the center. The main thing is to keep trying different colors  and shapes until you are happy with it. 



If you get frustrated...don't give up!!
Simply set your piece aside, and wait for your 'mojo' to return.
It will, and you will finish your piece...and be so proud of your new found skill!

Hearts until next time,
kerry

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