Do you want to try something new? Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, we think you’re really going to get a kick out of giving these abstract painting ideas a go. So have a browse and get your creative juices flowing.
1. Fluid painting with cup pour
We love this abstract painting technique because it comes out different every single time. Simply fill up a cup with pouring paint (one colour at a time in layers), put your surface on top of the cup and flip it over before lifting the cup off to let the paints flow! You’ll then need to gently tilt your canvas or board to spread the paint across the surface. Check out our flip cup video tutorial here.
2. Fluid painting with cells
Fluid art comes in many forms, so we thought we’d throw another idea in the mix for you. Adding some silicone oil to your pouring paints will create stunning patterns and “cells” (like the image above). To really bring them out you can use the heat from a blow torch.
3. Leonid Afremov inspired art
Leonid Afremov often finds inspiration in the simple things – such as a park or urban street. His modern impressionist style is a lot of fun to try and makes a stunning décor piece. Check out our recent Afremov-inspired video tutorial if you need some pointers.
4. Shapes
If you want to try something simple, just play around with shapes and colour. A colour wheel can help you create stunning contrasts and is also a great way to pick up a little colour theory along the way!
5. Geometric
A hot trend in décor at the moment is geometric art. One of our top tips for creating this type of abstract painting is to use masking tape or a stencil to create crisp edges and even shapes. Need some help? Follow along with our geometric art video tutorial to make your own.
6. Lines
Painting or drawing lines over an abstract background can have stunning effects and is also quite relaxing. Lay down a simple background, let it dry and use a highly pigmented paint (such as foil paint) or paint pen to draw contour lines over it.
7. Thick brush strokes
Express yourself! For this abstract painting idea you can choose a theme (such as beach, forest or sunset colours) or mix up your favourite colours and see where it takes you.
8. Splashing and pouring
Tap into your inner Pollock and splash some paint around. Use your paint brushes to create splashes and drips, pour it from the bottle or explore your own techniques.
9. String pull painting
Put down your paint brush and get creative with some string or a chain. This abstract painting idea works by covering your canvas in white paint, dipping string or chain into coloured paint and dragging it through the white paint. To see how it’s done, watch our video tutorial.
10. Insects and animals
You don’t have to be a realistic painter to create animal artworks. Abstract painting is a great way to capture movement and explore form. If you’re not sure where to start, you can watch our abstract butterfly painting tutorial here.