Create your own painting

Hi everybody,

so far I only published some pictures of my paintings, but now we will start the phase in which you are supposed to create as well! I painted my very first painting with my aunt and my cousin when I was 14 and then went on with self study books and by experimenting a lot. I love acrylic paint, because it dries faster than oil and can be diluted with water which is not so smell-intense as terpentine.

First you can practise on cardboard or thick paper, which is less expensive than canvas. Maybe you buy white acrylic paint (which you can use to mix with other colours) and two or three colours you favour. Set up a jar with water and two or three brushes of thick and medium size and experiment a bit.

If you use a lot of water, the pigments of the paint are highly diluted and will have the texture of water colour. The paint is thus more transparent and less intensive. However if you let one layer dry and cover it with more layers, the colours build up to bright and saturated results. If you use the paint without water it is very thick and covers the surface intensively. If it is too thick you will have trouble to move the brush. In this case add some water to dilute.

Try mixing your colours with a bigger and/or a smaller amount of white paint. See how different the results are and how new colours emerge. Experiment a bit by mixing the colours on a tray or directly on your cardboard or canvas. I personally like to mix the colours directly on the surface. I spread a lot of white paint on it and then add spots of other colours which I mix intensely for smooth effects and only a little bit for more expressive results. Try out what you like best.

Depending on how you hold and move the brush itself will also have different effects. Try moving it slowly without interruption, then try fast moves in various directions to see how different the outcome on your cardboard or canvas is. If you feel you are ready to create your first real painting, then give it a go!

You can have a look here for inspiration:

Abstract painting Fluesterzeit or Gedankenschleifen

Rob Ross videos, for example Painting a Mountain.

If you want to go for a really large painting, see this video on The creation of abstract flowers

Good luck and let me know what you created!