Abstract Acrylic Techniques
Abstract painting is the art of painting without a realistic form. It is an art style that focuses on the meaning of colors and the strokes on the canvas. Painting abstract art with acrylic paint can create brightly colored paintings with a thick paint texture and many different contrasting colors. There are basic abstract techniques that apply to all types of paints, but you can utilize a few unique techniques with acrylic paints.
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Basic Abstract Techniques
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Explore the full potentials of your colors by picking only two or three to focus on during the beginning of your painting. Add more colors as your painting progresses to give it a more color-dense surface. Use this same process with your brush strokes. Experiment with short quick strokes and find the various ways you can express yourself using these strokes. Move on to longer, more deliberate strokes. Abstracts often have interlocking shapes and colors. Create an overarching structure for your painting using the whole canvas and then fill in the details. This lets you fill in the details while understanding the major structure of the painting.
Color Layering
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Acrylic paint dries very quickly; use this to your advantage by layering your colors. Layering helps to create a vivid mixture of colors in a small area on your canvas. It also creates a textured look to your painting that can give it a different feel. Pick several different shades of the same color and paint the lightest shade on your canvas. Clean your brushes and then begin adding the darker shades, one at a time. Use short brush strokes to further add to the textured feel of the color mixing. Keep adding new shades until you have created the desired texture. Create a contrast between the textured and nontextured areas by alternating where you use this technique.
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Paint Density
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Acrylic paint is unique as the density of the paint can be manipulated in many different ways. Higher density acrylic paint comes off the canvas and creates a three-dimensional look. Low density acrylic paints create two-dimensional paintings. Acrylic paint density can be diluted by adding water to the paint. Add water to your paints just before you apply your paints. If you create a mix that is too thin, simply add more of the same color paint to thicken it. Another water technique you can use with acrylic paints is the water bottle. Spray your applied paint with the mist from a water bottle. This will create small dots in your paint and can even create streaks down your painting.
Stroke Length
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Vary your stroke length and style to create different textures of paint. Lightly brush your paint onto the canvas to create a matte look for your painting. Heavier strokes of paint create a glossier look for your paints. Quick, short strokes are not only easier to control but create a textured look by combining the "blobs" of paints left after finishing each brush stroke. Longer brush strokes create a flowing, open look in the paint. You can also try different brush movements. For example, you can create a circular look in your paint by spinning the end of your brush on the canvas at the end of each stroke. You can also alternate stroking horizontally and vertically.
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