How to: Make Stylish, Painterly Typographic Wall Art

this idea

I love a large marquee letter in home decor.  It’s a great way to personalize your space without monogramming all your guest towels.  Any chance to hang something one your walls that’s not in a neat rectangular frame is a win in my book.  This marquee letter got a trendy makeover by painting the whole thing like a modern, abstract piece of art.  It’s a fun way to add color and pattern to any room.  

           

What you’ll need:

• A large marque letter (I found mine at Hobby Lobby)
• Craft paint in white and at least 4 other colors
• Paint primer (I love Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer)
• Paint brushes
• Sand paper (100 grit)

Instructions:

1. Start with a large marquee letter.  These can be purchased new at craft stores, or if you love the hunt, flea markets and antique malls always have piles of them.

2. Give the letter a light sanding with 100 grit sand paper, to help the paint adhere.  I like to use a spray primer first.  

3. When the primer is completely dry, paint the entire letter white with the craft paint so that you have a nice, clean blank canvas to work with.

4. Next, it’s time to paint the abstract design. The technique I used is definitely a free-form way of painting and, to be honest, was harder then I thought in terms of creating a balanced piece.  I’ll give you an idea of how I painted my piece.  I started by painting large sections of peach and pink, my lightest colors. I mixed these artistic blobs with white to get various shades of the two colors. I left quite a bit of white space in between my colorful parts to keep the painting light and airy.

I put the paint on thick to give the piece some texture.  When my lighter colors were dry, I began to add spots of the darker, stronger colors.  I used cobalt blue and black for my piece.  I added smaller spots of blue and black and then painted small strokes of the black on a couple of the peach and pink areas.

5. Once your letter is dry, find a space to hang your one-of-a-kind abstract art piece.  

This project is a great way to add colors that are specific to your home and style. And, I think painting is just good for the mind and soul.  It gives you a chance to slow down and also express yourself through color and pattern.