Lately I’ve been getting sucked into watching painting videos on Instagram. The abstract paintings are the best. I love the ones where the artist is seemingly just messing around, throwing paint here and there, when suddenly BAM! – some well-placed paint or drip technique brings it all together. While I’m not as clever an abstract painter as these Instagram stars are, you don’t have to be an expert to make some fun abstract wall art. I made this piece the other day using a hair dryer – keep reading and I’ll show you how.
I’m going to tell you how to make this affordable wall art, but it’s really more fun to see how it’s made. Watch the video, and keep reading for all the details.
Materials
- A large canvas
- Acrylic paints
- Paint brushes
- Stir sticks
- Mixing cups
- A hair dryer
Step
Start by giving the canvas a colorful base. Pick a lighter color, and when you’re painting, dip your paintbrush in water as you. This will keep the paint fluid and light. If you want your background to be more dynamic, you can add color variation, like an ombré effect. Use darker paint on one end, and light paint on the other. Then, use your wet paintbrush to blend them together.
Leave your canvas to dry.
Step
Now to prep your paints! Fill the bottom of a cup with a little water, then add a hefty amount of acrylic paint. Stir completely. Mix a few colors that go well together.
Step
Once your prepped canvas has dried, it’s on to the fun part. Use a paintbrush to distribute small amounts of the watered down paint to the canvas. Grab the hairdryer, and set it to a high, hot temperature. Using the hairdryer, move the paint around the canvas. The power of the hairdryer will move the paint in fun patterns, and the heat of the hairdryer will dry the paint as you go.
The key to this abstract wall art is layering. Make sure layers are dry before painting over them again, otherwise your colors will be muddy. Use the hairdryer to make the drying process faster.
This is abstract wall art, so have fun with it! You can move your paints all in one direction with the hairbrush, or be more random with it. You can drip paint, pour it, spatter it – go crazy!
It was so relaxing to paint this piece. Sometimes you just need to make a big mess, you know?
If you like making messes while making art, you need to check out our tutorial on fluid painting!
