DIY Abstract Art

It hasn't been an easy process to find simple, inexpensive abstract art that flows with the color scheme of my living room.  So instead of frustrating myself further by continuing my search, I decided to try my hand at painting some art of my own!

I began by painting the canvas with the gloss white paint.  I applied several coats until I was satisfied with the coverage.  As you see in the picture, it gives the canvas a nice, finished look.  I allowed that to dry for a day.

Ensuring that the gloss white paint was fully dry, I then began running strips of tape lengthwise across the canvas.  I made some strips wider than others as well as placed some strips at an angle all the while making sure to leave random spaces as I taped across the canvas.  Once I was sure of my tape placement, I made sure the strips were adhered well by rubbing all along the edges.  This is an important step as it ensures that there are crisp lines and the color doesn't seep.

Using newspaper and painters tape, I covered the portion of the canvas that I did not want to be Ivy Leaf. I did this by taping the newspaper down to an existing strip.  I then applied several coats of the Ivy Leaf to the uncovered portion of the canvas.  I allowed the canvas to dry for a day.

After I removed the newspaper, one side of the canvas was blue (painter's tape) and green and the other blue and white.  

Using fresh newspaper, I covered the Ivy Leaf portion of the canvas. I applied several coats of the Satin Nickel to the "white and blue portion".  Then, I waited a day for that to dry too.

After allowing 24 hours to dry, I removed the remaining newspaper and all of the painters tape.  Hmm, it looked decent but was lacking something.  That's where the webbing spray came into play.  Following the directions on the can, I applied the webbing spray to the canvas.  This spray not only added an additional color to the painting, but also some texture to the canvas surface.

I can't wait to see how it all comes together once I put them on the wall and get my curtains hung.  I think the paintings will provide visual interest to the room without being too loud. I'll be sure to post some follow-up pictures!

Tip:  This project can work with whatever color your choose. If you'd like more dimension to your painting, you could add cut-out leaves or stencils to it or even make the strips narrower as to show more of the color.  

Supplies:

Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint - Gloss White

Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint - Ivy Leaf

Krylon Brushed Metallic - Satin Nickel

Krylon Webbing Spray - Gold Chiffon

2 Canvases with wrapped edges (your size of choice)

Painters tape

Newspaper

Scissors


{ Cenita }


This painting was adapted from here.