A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Abstract Painting
Textured Abstract Painting - 'Underworld'
Start Creating Your Own Painting
So this article brings together a few of my previous ones into a practical use of those 'how to' guides and shows from start to finish how I create the particular abstract painting shown above which is textured and uses acrylic paint.
The painting is one in a series that I created a while ago and that sold pretty soon after finishing it.
Please note that copyright of this painting remains with myself. The information I give here can be used for the following:
- you can try to create a copy if it is for your own personal use and will not be sold on or given on for monetary or other gain (i.e you are using it as a practice exercise)
- to create a painting that uses a similar technique but where the finished painting does not resemble my own artwork.
If you have any queries about how you can use this then please send me a message.
Step 1 - Texturing the Canvas
The first step was to mix up some texture to apply to the canvas - I make my own texture and you can find the details in my 'make your own texture' article.
I applied this with a cake slice all over the canvas and made various marks and scrapings into the wet texture to provide some interest. In doing this I used the 'rule of thirds' and the golden mean to decide where the focal points of the painting would be to get a good composition.
Once I was happy with the texture that I applied I then left that to dry overnight.
Step 2 - First Coats of Acrylic Paint
Once the texture is dry, I applied a coat of slightly watered down white paint all over the canvas so that all the texture and the cracks in it were covered by the white paint. This is just to give a good base to work with and means that the whole canvas is now covered in paint so you don't have to worry if subsequent coats don't cover everything.
Once the white paint was dry, I decided I wanted some highlights of other colours so I applied purple and yellow to some scraped out areas.
Next I applied a coat of very watered down prussian blue acrylic paint to the whole canvas. Prussian blue is a very dark blue and one of my favourite acrylic colours. I made sure that the paint (although it was more like dark blue water) got into all the cracks that I had created with the texture.
Applying More Acrylic Paint
So I tend to use a lot of paint in my abstract acrylic art and this painting was no different. I applied a number of different coats of paint of different thicknesses - whether that be directly from the tube or watered down or else with a dry brush technique - there is a list of how to apply acrylic paint in one of my other articles.
For this painting I used a number of different colours including permanent green middle and light, process cyan, prussian blue as well as metallic blue and green (beautiful colours!). The paints I use are artists quality and usually either Winsor and Newton Galeria acrylic paints or else Daler Rowney System 3 paints - it just depends on what I can get hold of in which colours.
In some of the coats of acrylic paint I would apply the paint, let it dry for a short while (30 seconds say) and then wipe some of the paint off with a wet household sponge (see picture). This takes the paint back to the previous colour you have used. On other coats I used dry brushing to just apply small amounts of paint to the top of the texture. make sure you have virtually no paint on your brush though!
Last coats
Near the end of the painting I applied some gold powder onto the tops of the texture and I also rubbed it into the cracks of some of the other texture. You can also get a similar effect by dry-brushing gold or silver paint on top of the other layers.
Once all the painting is complete and I am happy with the finished effect I paint the canvas sides with 2 coats of paint using a sponge. in this case I used a mix of blue and green.
Finishing the Painting
To finish the painting I use a coat of a very heavy gloss varnish to really bring out the colours. The varnish I use - although it says clear gloss - actually has a yellow tinge to it so should not be used for anything with white in, but it gives a nice warmth to other paintings.
Another Abstract Painting
- Painting Texture - Creating a Textured Abstract Painting - Painting Texture
Here is another detailed explanation of how to create an abstract painting with texture. This also has a complete video to go with it.
Questions & Answers
When varnishing a textured painting, how do you keep the varnish from welling or pooling around textured places?
I have never had the varnish pool on a painting as I use a brush to put it on. Sometimes if the texture is very rough or difficult to get a brush into then I will use a spray varnish.
Helpful 3What material did you use to create raw texture in your abstract painting?
There is a link in the text after 'Step 1' which takes you to my article about creating texture which is here: https://feltmagnet.com/painting/Create-Your-Own-Pa...
Helpful 2
© 2011 Marian L
Comments
How intriguing!
I saw a painting in a gallery and it looked like there were melted globs of polished turquoise stones all in one magnificent multi glob. Any idea how this is done?
thank. Can you tell me the artist name please? I like it very much and I'm interested to follow him
I liked the white textured canvas from the first step. White when used like you did, here can be so many 'different' works of art depending on the time of day and the space's lighting. LOVE the blue in the finished piece!
I love the look. Beautiful!
I must say I am very impressed with your work and am glad you shared some of your techniques with us.
Wow! This is awesome! I usually paint miniatures (as in figures) and have never really branched out in to bigger pieces, but this makes me want to try.
Oh, by the way, I got some inspiration from this hub that made me make one hub about abstracts: https://hubpages.com/art/Things-You-Need-to-Know-A...
Great artwork from a great artist! Keep it up!
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Fascinating. I love art in its forms.
my one hobby is painting,but i had left it because of some circumstance.Your blog has prompted me to start my this hobby again.thanks very nice hub
Great article, Great art! Personally I have never painted in abstract, but I find it incredible that as artists absrtact painters have the ability to convey a hidden depth to art work that is powerful enough to evoke the strongest of emotions.
g8 job!i wanted to ask you that can anything else be used other then cake slice to change the texture of the canvas??
Very nice Azure, gives me some really good ideas; I have never created an abstract painting as of yet but this prompts me to do so in the near future. Great Hub, voted up.
Does the varnish you use seem to effect the overall color of the painting even if there is no white in the painting?
I love this hub. I like that you show step by step photos too. I want to try now.
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I love this! I have only been painting for a few years and am always looking for new sources of inspiration and training! Following; Thanks!
hi i am neol and i like you hub
Amazing work of art! I'm into drawing but never really worked on doing some painting seriously. Maybe I can try your step by step abstract painting too. Thanks for sharing!
Very Nice Work! thanks for sharing~
QK
Good job! I've done many paintings but never an abstract...well, never set out to do an abstract anyways! I enjoyed your hub.
What a gift!
I'm an abstract thinking person.
Great work
youmeget.
Oh I will...and thanks for your interest!!!
Voted up...and I think I may give this a shot. I read your other hub on 'make your own texture', and now I'm even more intrigued.
Good finish. Has depth.
Beauty on Canvas will never go out of style
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