10 Abstract Painting Techniques for Beginners

By Milan Art Institute on May 29, 2024

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Abstract painting, with its vibrant interplay of shapes, forms, lines, and colors, offers a powerful medium for expressing your deepest thoughts and emotions. Emerging from the Impressionist movement of the 19th century, abstract art challenges traditional boundaries, enabling artists to create dynamic, evocative works that speak directly to the soul. At Milan Art Institute, we invite you to dive into the world of abstract art and discover how it can elevate your creative journey.

The freedom and flexibility of abstract painting allow artists to break away from realistic representations and explore the depths of their imagination. By focusing on the essential elements of art—such as color, shape, and texture—artists can convey complex emotions and ideas that resonate on a deeply personal level. This form of art provides a unique opportunity to experiment with a wide range of techniques and materials, each offering its own set of possibilities and challenges.

At Milan Art Institute, we believe that every artist has a unique voice waiting to be discovered. Through abstract painting, you can unlock your creative potential and develop a distinctive style that reflects your innermost feelings and thoughts. Whether you're an experienced artist looking to expand your repertoire or a beginner eager to explore the world of abstract art, our comprehensive guide will provide you with valuable insights and practical tips to get started.

In this article, we'll explore ten essential techniques for beginning abstract art. These techniques will help you build a strong foundation and give you the confidence to experiment and push your boundaries. From palette knife painting, acrylic washes, to Caran d'Ache crayons, each method offers a unique way to manipulate paint and materials. By incorporating these techniques into your work, you'll be able to transform your approach to art and create works that are rich in texture, depth, and emotion.

Read on to unlock the full potential of abstract painting and bring your artistic vision to life. Whether you're aiming to express a particular emotion, explore a concept, or simply enjoy the process of creation, these techniques will provide you with the tools you need to embark on your abstract art journey with confidence and inspiration.

Technique 1 - Acrylic Wash & Ink

Dilute acrylic paint with water to create a translucent effect or use high-flow acrylics. Apply to the canvas with a large brush. For acrylic ink, apply a dapper full of paint to desired areas. These techniques allow artists to build up layers of color gradually, creating depth and movement within the painting. The underlying layers remain visible, adding complexity and a sense of fluidity to your work. Experiment with transparent paints to build layers and depth. Spray with water to add more effects.

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Technique 2 - Oil Painting Glaze

Apply thin, transparent layers of oil paint over dry layers to enhance color richness and create a luminous effect. Mix your oil paint with a glazing medium like Galkin. Glazing allows light to penetrate and reflect back through the layers, adding depth and vibrancy. This method requires patience, but the results are a polished, glowing finish. Use cool oil paints for the areas you want to recede and warm oil paints where areas need to pop out of the painting.

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Technique 3 - Mark-Making

Use various lines and marks to add texture and visual interest. Experiment with thick, thin, heavy, light, straight, or squiggly lines to create dynamic compositions. Mark-making allows for expressive freedom, conveying emotion, rhythm, and energy in your abstract paintings. We recommend trying Caran d'Ache crayons or oil sticks to give a unique texture to your work.

Mastery Program Graduate Alina Hermann , Website

Technique 4 - Fake Writing

Create the appearance of text without forming actual words. This technique adds mystery and intrigue to your paintings, mimicking the visual qualities of handwriting, calligraphy, or graffiti. Layering pseudo-text over other elements enhances depth and texture. Try using water-soluble graphite for your lettering: brush with water and seal with sealant for a unique look.

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Technique 5 - Patterns

Incorporate repetitive shapes, lines, or colors to create cohesive designs. Repeated patterns add structure to an otherwise chaotic composition, providing balance and harmony. They can be geometric, organic, or a blend of both, enriching the visual narrative and guiding the viewer's eye. Try layering multiple colors of indoor spray paint over a stencil to acheive uniform repetition.

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Technique 6 - Drip Paint

Allow paint to drip or pour onto the canvas to create spontaneous and unpredictable patterns. This technique, associated with Jackson Pollock, emphasizes the physical act of painting and the interaction between the artist and the medium. The randomness of drips adds unique texture and depth to your work. Apply water with a brush before or after applying paint to experiment with the effect. Then spray with a spray bottle to splash, bend, or dissipate the color.

Painting_Commission_2 Mastery Program Graduate Alina Hermann , Website

Technique 7 - Spray-Paint and Splash-Paint

Apply paint dynamically with indoor spray cans or by splashing acrylic paint onto the canvas. These techniques introduce elements of chance and spontaneity, creating fine, misty textures or bold graphic marks. Experimentation with spray and splash painting can result in surprising and innovative outcomes.

spray_paint_stencil Mastery Program Graduate Alina Hermann , Website

Technique 8 - Palette Knife Work

Use a palette knife to apply paint thickly, creating ridges and grooves. This technique adds physicality and depth to abstract paintings, producing distinct, sharp-edged shapes. The tactile quality of palette knife work invites viewers to explore the surface of your painting.

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Technique 9 - Gesture Marks

Make expressive strokes with quick, spontaneous movements. This technique captures your physical action and emotional state, conveying immediacy and energy. Gesture marks vary in size, shape, and direction, adding dynamic movement to your composition. You can do this with all of your materials.

composition_drawing_2 Mastery Program Graduate Alina Hermann , Website

Technique 10 - Collage

Incorporate materials like fabric, printed poems, sheet music, torn magazines and other meaningful scraps into your painting. Collage elements add texture and depth, enhancing visual interest and complexity. Varying the edges (torn, straight, or shaped) of the collage pieces creates intriguing contrasts and enriches the narrative. Use molding paste or acrylic medium to apply and seal your work.

collage_collection Mastery Program Graduate Alina Hermann , Website

Bonus: Additional Techniques for Building Texture

Layering: Build up multiple layers of paint and materials to create complex textures, adding depth and richness to your painting.
Scraping: Use tools to scrape away layers of paint, revealing different colors and textures beneath. This subtractive method creates intricate patterns and contrasts.
Impasto: Apply paint thickly to stand out from the surface, creating a three-dimensional effect and adding a tactile quality to your artwork.
Stencil and Masking: Use stencils or masking tape to create defined shapes and patterns within the layers, adding structure to your composition.
Sgraffito: Scratch through a surface layer to reveal different colors or materials underneath, creating fine lines and textures that add detail and complexity.

Milan Art Institute Can Help You on Your Journey

At Milan Art Institute, we believe abstract painting is a powerful means of expression, especially for those who find it challenging to convey their thoughts through words and representational art. To begin your journey into abstract art, consider investing in a mixed media kit in our Milan Art store. These kits provide all the essential tools and materials to get you started on the right foot. By combining these techniques with a variety of materials, you can create rich, textured, and visually captivating paintings that convey depth, movement, and emotion.

Embrace the freedom of abstract painting and let your unique artistic voice emerge on the canvas. You can explore the boundaries of landscape art in our “How to Create an Abstract Landscape Painting” Masterclass!

Get outside your routine to find inspiration. Go to creative places like galleries, creative businesses, and museums. Explore nature and take pictures of the things that make you wonder and feel a sense of awe. Try painting outdoors. This process is called plein air painting.

Some abstract artists listen to music and find their inspiration from what the music evokes.

You need to feed your soul so that it overflows onto the canvas. Have a happy place that you frequent and envision it before you put material to canvas.

Still finding it hard to move forward? Try the Millan Art Institute 100 painting challenge. Spend a week creating 100 small study pieces on paper. This can be a breakthrough experience that helps you move into your next step of creativity.