I have been bemoaning my bare walls for a while now and am in the long process of fixing this problem with a project that has become way more tedious than I had intended. Last week, I was talking with an old friend about her own place. She and her husband bought their first home and it’s quite large and they’re having a hell of a time filling it, especially with this economy and a new baby zapping their finances. I told her about some inexpensive crafty projects she could get herself into (like I’ve been doing but less tedious) and she wanted me to send more info her way.

These are the tips I sent her for creating inexpensive abstract art for your walls.

First, you need a plan.

• Where is this painting going to go? What size would look good in that space? Get your tape measure out and figure how much of the area you would like to occupy. Most of the canvases you can get on the cheap are rectangular. Do you want it to hang vertically or horizontally?
• The bigger the canvas, the more expensive but you can also consider doing a pair of paintings. They can be placed side by side as you paint, treated as one, and then placed a few inches apart on the wall. You could do a series with as many canvases that you want.
• What is the color scheme? Which emotions do you want to evoke with color? What is going to complement your decor? (Abstract art can be at home in any setting.) Do you want to stick with a cool or warm color palette – or everything in between? Or do you want a greyscale painting?

<<<COOL vs. WARM>>>

• How do you want this painting to look? Seriously! What painting have you seen that has left you thinking about it when you walked away? Why was it so compelling? What were those brush strokes like? Were there any other techniques employed like drips or bleeding of colors together? Do you think you could try your hand at a similar style? Can you see yourself sitting down on your living room floor for a few hours, or a few weekends, making it happen?
• Draw out a plan. Use markers or colored pencils if you can. Write notes. Think in terms of layers – like what colors should you use first. Write down the steps you want to take and the colors you want to use. If you are into being organized and feeling like you have control over a situation, this is especially good for you. If this type of painting is something you have never done before, you will feel less helpless when you sit down with everything in front of you. OR you could pick a color scheme and just go crazy and see what happens. Either way, I think even Pollock made plans.
• Craft stores have huge sales all the time. You can get fairly large pre-stretched, pre-primed canvases for pretty cheap if you keep up on the sales. Here you can find all sizes and 2′ x 3′ ones for $12!
• Artist quality acrylic paints are pretty expensive but crafting acrylics are dirt cheap. Look for 2oz bottles like this. They come in an insane amount of colors and usually run about $1 a bottle. If you plan on painting a background color, you may want 2 bottles of that base color, especially for large or multiple canvases. Check the finish of the paint. Some are matte, glossy, iridescent, metallic, pearl, etc. Don’t forget you can blend your own colors as well with the 3 primary colors and black and white, or mix any other shades of colors together.
• Styrofoam plates are great for mixing colors on. If you mix a large quantity of a certain color and don’t plan on using it all in one sitting, put it in an air tight container. It’s so difficult to mix the exact color over again.
• I like using 3″ foam brushes for applying base coats and sealants. They don’t leave brush strokes and are super cheap.
• Larger canvases usually have a reinforcing board down the middle. Think about this when applying a base coat and painting in general. Try to paint with it and not across it as you can sometimes get some paint build up on the canvas where the edges of the board are underneath. Under the right light or at the right angle, you will see it when you’re done and it may drive you insane.
• Do you want to use brushes to paint? Think about the size of the canvas, the size of the strokes you want to make, and if you want to do any fine line work. Check out the acrylic paint brushes available at the store. There are so many different types I can’t even begin to go into it.
• You can also paint with cheap plastic squirt bottles, various shaped/textured objects, your fingers… use your imagination. Puffy fabric paint of all things is awesome for texture. It’s what I’m using right now in my tedious secret project. There’s also spray paint – to be used outdoors.
• Do you want to add any other elements to your art like hand drawn effects or imbedded objects?
• Plastic drop cloths are about $2, and there’s always newspaper. Don’t forget to protect your floors, and have damp paper towels ready for quick clean-ups. I always manage to spill something.
• Acrylic paint is thick. You can change the opacity by simply mixing it with water. Practice on paper first to see what you’re working with before you put anything on the canvas.
• If you are painting in layers, make sure to let each layer dry for about 30 minutes, unless you want a bleeding effect.
• Keep your brushes in water when not in use. Acrylic paint washes away from brushes and skin and most surfaces pretty easily with soap and water but once dry, it can ruin fabric and harden up your brushes.
• Think about sealants. Let your painting completely dry and add one or two coats of acrylic gloss, Mod Podge, or even spray sealant (in a well ventilated area).
• Hanging an unframed canvas is totally acceptable . Framing is super expensive, unless you get creative with that as well. This is up to you.
• Just remember that “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. You can plan all day long and have wonderful intentions but I’m telling you now, unless you are a miracle worker, something is going to mess up. If just one thing goes wrong, you’re lucky. Just relax and embrace it. You’re not recreating The Kiss. Happy accidents can usually work in your favor. The project I’m currently working on is taking a bit longer than I expected. That’s okay, because it’s going to be awesome. For god’s sake, have fun! Express yourself!

Here are some inspiration pieces I sent my friend, to get her creative juices flowing. Maybe they will inspire you! All via Design Milk.

Elizabeth Schuppe

Molly Courcelle

Kristine Harper

Matt Sohl

Nicole Poko – she freezes paint and works with the cubes in various ways!

By implying that anyone could create abstract art such as this, I’m not trying to insinuate that these artists don’t have talent. You must have an eye for it and an ability to manipulate your medium through familiarity, and a bit of bravery.

This is pretty much what I’m trying to say:

So… do it!