Intro to Abstract Painting by: Andy Morris Cover Art by: Andy Morris Published by: Andy Morris Art http://andymorrisart.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Day Break 2 acrylic on canvas 18x24 in. Copyright 2014 by Andy Morris
Table of Contents Chapter 1:...5 What is Abstract Art?...5 Chapter 2:...6 Getting Harmony in Your Paintings...6 Chapter 3:...7 Easy Abstract Painting...7 Chapter 4:...11 Conclusion...11 Whirlwind 36x24 in. acrylic on canvas
Chapter 1: What is Abstract Art? As you re working it s helpful to ask yourself, what are you feeling now? What emotions do I want to express today? There are many definitions, but for our purposes it s any Art that deviates significantly from normal reality. The more passion you bring to your paintings, the more alive they become, and others will notice that. So don t worry about definitions, just Express Yourself! An umbrella term that encompasses; Expressionism, Action Painting, Lyrical Abstracts, Abstract Landscapes, Non-objective Art, Geometric Abstracts, Figurative Abstracts, and more. I prefer a looser definition, so we can get on with the business of creating art. Think of your abstract paintings as your emotional response to events, surroundings, or memories. Rather than a story your art will deliver a response, a summation expressed in vibrant colors conveying an overall feeling. From the Omni Hotel Collection #20
add white to the color Chapter 2: Getting Harmony in Your Paintings add black to the color add both black and white add the colors complement Harmony is a Principle of Design, and it simply refers to all the elements coming together on your canvas to form a pleasing overall composition. In other words all the shapes and colors relate to one another, everybody is 'playing nice'. One way to establish Harmony in your abstract paintings is to start with a limited number of colors, say just two colors and then mix those two together to make a third color that relates to both the others, it's parents. Then use these three colors in your composition and Harmony is almost guaranteed. Another easy method is to start with Neutralized Colors, and use Pure Colors sparingly. There are many ways to neutralize a color here are four methods; Once you begin to apply these simple strategies to your art work, you'll be miles ahead of the masses. Of course you can spend too much time planning your abstract painting, and never get it done. That's no good, so in the next Chapter I'll show you one of my easiest compositions, and exactly step by step how you can paint one like it. This Design Theme earned me a position as one of a select group of local artists, to participate in the Omni Hotel Art Project in 2011. Now 52 of my abstract paintings hang in the suites and hallways of the new Omni Hotel in Downtown Dallas, Texas. I know your eager to get started, so meet me in the next chapter.
Chapter 3: Easy Abstract Painting Follow a long as I demonstrate How to Create Abstract Paintings like the ones I did for the Omni Hotel Art Project. In addition to the 52 commissioned pieces I also painted about twenty more in this style, and I'm happy to say all but one has sold. You'll need the following items: package of Foam Brushes Canvas Beginners Set of Acrylic Paints Applicator Bottle Paper Towels Jar or bowel of water Plastic Plate or Take Out Container to use as a palette Don't spend a lot of money if this is your first time painting just buy the cheap Student Paints. You can usually find a Beginners Set for under $10 at Hobby and Craft Stores. Make sure Black is included in the set. Same place to find inexpensive canvas. For the Foam Brushes I suggest your local Home Improvement Store, for around $6 you get about 7 brushes.now the Aplicator Bottle can be found at any Beauty Supply Shop for under $2, so altogether you might spend about $30 to get started. First Step, take your canvas, and wash it off with warm water and scrub gently with a sponge or just paper towels, then dry it off. Sometimes there's dust or a film on the canvas that resists paints, washing it off first should help. Now put some Black Paint in the Applicator Bottle and add some water, not too much. Put the top back on cover the hole and shake it up good to mix it. Test it on a piece of cardboard. You want the paint to flow easily, but not spread out too much. You'll be making lines with it. If it's too thin add more paint, if it's too thick add just a little more water. Now
sometimes the applicator tips need to be clipped off before you can squeeze any paint out, be sure not to cut too much of the tip off. Once you have the paint consistency good, go ahead and make lines across your canvas just like I've done here in the picture "Example 1". Then let that paint dry, for at least a few hours, but overnight is best. "Choosing a Palette". I suggest keeping it simple for your first painting, and just working with Two Colors plus Black and White. Also it's a good idea to pick colors that are "analgous" meaning closely related like Blue and Green or Red and Yellow. Now put a bit of the two colors you chose on your plastic plate and mix them together to get a third color. You might want to use 2 or 3 plates to put your paints on and keep them separated. Flip your canvas around and paint the area here that I'm painting, with a mixture of white and yellow, sort of a cream color. Come back when the black lines are dry, and you're ready to fill in the shapes you've made. Start by deciding your overall Color Scheme, this is called
that will help establish an overall harmony to your finished abstract painting. Go ahead and paint that cream color right over some of the black lines, but not real thick. That way the lines will still show through but they'll look like they're off in the distance. Simple Abstract Paintings like these are very popular, and there also Fun and easy for my beginning students to create. Here I've mixed just a little black paint with the red to make a darker red, and begun to apply it towards the bottom of the painting. Here's my completed painting, notice I added a few gray areas, you can do that too. I hope you enjoyed this lesson. Continue to fill in the shapes you created with the black lines earlier. Try mixing your paints with a little white, black or each other to get neutralized colors,
If you'd like to see more of my Abstract Paintings you can visit my website Portfolio Sold Gallery where you'll find several from the Omni Hotel Collection Click on the Link to see more http://www.andymorrisart.com/sold-paintings Robin's Painting 48x66 acrylic on canvas From one of the Demo Lectures in my popular Udemy course Abstract Acrylic Painting Techniques- for Contemporary Art
Chapter 4: Conclusion There are many similar 5 Star Reviews left by other students. So as you have learned Abstract Painting does not need to be complicated, and with just a little planning you can create a wonderful composition, that you can be proud of. If you enjoyed this Quick Start Guide and would like to learn more please take a look at my Udemy Courses online. They all come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, and Lifetime Access. Special Offer! I know you're eager to get started so I'm going to give you 80% OFF my most popular Abstract Painting Course. What do You Get? Over 3 Hrs. of Lectures and Demos Lifetime Access My personal Attention 30 Day Money Back Guarantee I currently have over 3900 Happy Students in the Beginner Course, just read what one student had to say. Robin wrote "Easy to Follow - Andy's approach is non-intimidating and practical. I felt empowered to create after going through this course." For Only $14 follow the link here https://www.udemy.com/howto-paint-abstracts/?couponcode=ebook or use Coupon Code "ebook" Hope to see you in one of my classes, until next time, Happy Painting! Andy Morris - www.andymorrisart.com