Art night colorful abstracts

1. PeaceableLiason
2007

2. • Please feelfree touse thefollowingas
inspirationor doyour own, creativething!
• Included are directions for acolorful abstract
paintingto get you going as wellas references
ifyou decide to continueworking withacrylics
• Thenightis about havingfun so don’tjudge
yourself!

3. Thaneeya
McArdle
MetagalaticFactory
2007

4. SurfaceReality
2004

5. AuPrintemps
2003

6. Infini
2006

7. Mellifluency
2008

8. AtomicJittersinYellow
2013

9. CuriousChords
2006

10. MadameKoto
2006

11. Envisage
2006

12. Be as simple
or as intricateas you wish

13. Imagecourtesyofcolorfulartgirl.blogspot.com
Add some
black outlines
around areas
you wish to
highlight

14. ImagecourtesyofEtsy.com
Add a
silhouette
overtop your
painting

15. ImagecourtesyTrulia.com
Mask areas
of your
canvas with
tape prior to
painting

16. SwirlTree,TwoBirdsandHouses
KarlaGerard
Be more
representative
with your
patterningto
create objects
and/orfiguresor
usetext. Print out
letters to use as
templates from the
computer.
Dafont.com is a great
free font resource

17. Restless
ClaireDesJardins
Don’t be afraid
to use the
blank canvas
as part of your
art

18. Use black paint
on a wet
paintbrush or
Sharpie marker
to ‘draw’
overtop your
painting
Imagescourtesy of madebynicole.com

19. Imagescourtesy of dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.ca/
Be more expressive
with your brush
stroke. Use more
water in your paints
to thin and blend
them together on
the canvas.

20. OnTheRocks
NancyStadlee
Use scrapbook
paper, newsprint,
magazine cutouts
or small objects to
collage onto your
painting

21. • Brushes – thereare a few differentsizes and types.
Experiment around with different ones tofind what
you like
• Canvas – Your choiceof 10”x 10”or 11”x 14”
• Water jars for cleaningyour brush between colors
• Palette for your paints
• Plasticknifefor mixing
• Paper towel for wiping your brushes
• References – color mixingchartsand step bystep
instructions

22. • Tape -for sectioningoff areas ofyour painting
you wantto remain as plaincanvas
• Rubberblocks and printmaking gouges – for
making small stamps to make prints
• MistingBottles– to make your paint dry abit
more slowly
• Pencilsand Paper forsketching

23. • Reference pictures, ideasor notes
• Rubberstamps or small objectsto print onyour
canvas (spools, combs, toy cars, buttons, etc)
• Templates ortracers (print thencut out and then
trace on to your canvas to fillin)
• Collage items –scrapbook papers, newsprint,
magazine cutouts,small objectsto affixto the
canvas (I haveadhesives you may use)
• Permanent black markers

24. • Acrylic paintdries to a plastic. You can layer it whenit is wet or dry. Each achieves a different
effect.
• Protect brushes from drying with paintinthem by placing them inwater (ifyou’re taking a
break) or cleaning them by washing them inwater (or soap and water whenyou’re done)
• Wash your brush when moving from one color to another unless you wish to be very free and
expressive –then go nutsand mixwithreckless abandon!
• Mixing colors
– Use the plastic knife to dole out small bits of your paint to a blank section of your palette.Mix
completely to make a new color
– Start with your lighter color first then add small amounts of the darker color to it. You can alwaysmake
something darker.Example: Add red to white or add black to green
– Quick Color Theory
• Shade– addingblacktoa color
• Tint– addingwhitetoa color
• PrimaryColors-can’tbemadewithanyothercolors
– Red,Yellow, Blue
• SecondaryColors– madebymixingtwoprimarycolors
– Orange,Green,Violet
• TertiaryColors– Madebymixingaprimarywitha secondary
– Red-Orange,Yellow-Orange,Yellow-Green, Green-Blue,Blue-Violet,Red-Violet
• If you find the painton your palette stiffening, lightlymist it to keep the paintflexible
• If you find your paintis too thick,you can thin it withwater. Also use water to get a more even
stroke from the brush

25. • Creatingan
organically
inspired
painting
• Requires no
pre-planning.
Completely
intuitive
• Can be as
intricateor as
simpleas you
desire

26. Create a border around theedge of your canvas. If
you wish to paintthe edges, go ahead and do so

27. Paint in your larger shapes first,working one color at a time. Remember,
acrylics dryfast so if you don’t like what you do just let it dryand paint over
it!
Thinkabouthowyourviewer’seyewillbouncefrom oneshapeto the next.Spread yourshapesandcolorsallover the
canvasto createbalance

28. Add in smaller shapes overtop your larger ones.
Keep your composition (how the art is laid out) in mind. Step back
every so often to get a freshtake on it

29. Add in patterns likedots, lines or shapes atop
your bottom2 layers. Workone color ata time
over the canvas.

30. Continueaddingpatternsand shapes untilyou
feelthe work(or you) isfinished.
Turn the canvas upside down or on its’ side to get a fresh take on it

31. • Brushes: You ‘ll wanta couple of sizes (small andlarger) of eachof the following:
– Pointed round brush (#4, #8)
– Flat(quarterinch and halfinch)
– Liner (#0000, #1)
• PaletteKnife: A plasticknife works well too!
• Paints:The traditionalcolors for acrylic paintingarelisted below. Theseareuniversal namesacrossbrands
– White: TitaniumWhite
– Black: Mars Black
– Red: PrimaryMagenta,Quinacridone Red or Alizarin Crimson, CadmiumRed Light
– Yellow: PrimaryYellow, Diarylide Yellow, Yellow Ochre
– Blue: PrimaryCyan,UltramarineBlue, PhthalocyanineBlue
– Orange:Pyrrole Orangeor Cadmium Orange(youcan makethiswith yellow andred)
– Green: PermanentGreen (you canmake this withyellow andblue)
– Violet: Dioxazine Purple (you canmake this withred andblue)
• Palette– a piece of plexi-glass, aplasticplate or waxed paperworks well
• Surfaceto paint– canvas,paper,wood, cardboard, brick, stone,….thelist goes on and on…..
• Watercontainerand water– designateanold masonjaror large tincanfor your watercontainer.Make sure it is big enough toavoid toppling
over
• Papertowels or anold towelfor wipingyour brushes after cleanup
• A totebagor toolbox to carryall your supplies – anold tacklingbox or plasticcontaineris a greatalternativetothe expensive equipmentthe art
storesells

32. • Collect – gather notecards, calendars, newspapers andmagazines, business cards,
advertisements, leaves andflowers, fabrics, etc. Keep them in a folder for easy
reference
• Read – Checkout websites or books on artist’s whosework you admire. Even local
artist’s often have great websites of their work to help inspire
• Draw –use a small sketchbookto draw something that comes to mind.Even a simple
doodle can become a gorgeous painting withsome cool colors and patterns
• Search the internet – Google image search or search etsy.com withan object you’d
liketo paint andbe inspired by tons of different images
• Pinterest – A Pinterest search of anything you can thinkof willturn upsome fantastic
inspiration
• Thinkof others – stuckon what to do? Thinkof creating for someone else and see what
is sparked.Oftentimes we are heldbackby our own‘style.’

33. I’d liketo take afew photographs of works in progress and
finishedpiecesand maypost a few of the night to my blog
(http://inklingsartowork.blogspot.com) . If you are not
comfortable with it pleasedon’t hesitateto let me know!
CampStyle
2006

34. Please let me know ifyou have questionstonightor
afterwards. I welcome commentstoimproveupon and
ideas for any other ‘art nights’ you want to seehappen!
Email: caitlindevendorf@gmail.com
Picadilly
2006

35. Would you like anothernightof art? Let me know if
you’re interested inlearning how tozentangle–
creatingrepetitive patterns using artistpens and
paper
ExcerptfromSketchbook
2013