This article will help you find abstract art ideas that will improve your practice, or if you are just starting out in abstract painting, it will be of great assistance. Shree, a London-based abstract artist, is known for her unique abstract artist london. She graduated from the University of the Arts in London, United Kingdom. Shree loves creating abstract art for both home and office. She is available to complete custom paintings or commissions for private and commercial clients in the UK, UAE, and abroad.
These seven steps provide practical advice to artists who want to relax and get in the right mindset.
1. Establish an ethos
The most important thing when creating abstract art is to not go “wrong”. Many of my students worry that their entire history of drawing from the figure can weigh on them. This can make it difficult to draw in an abstract way. Many students have a preconceived notion of what constitutes a good drawing, and feel that their work is too rigid. If you feel like this is you, and you want to let go of the rigidity in your work, it’s important that you have the right mindset. This will take the pressure off the need to create a flawless piece for exhibition.
2. Play!
Playfulness is the best way to be radical. To be able to create abstract art, I need to be open to all possibilities and to the directions that it might take me. This allows the process of creating work to dictate the outcome rather than me being too critical and analytical.
3. You can do more work
It feels so bold to work large. You can work on a large scale by using 10-meter rolls of canvas or paper that are pinned to a wall. They can also be ordered online from most art shops. Although it is physically challenging to create a piece larger than you are, the rewards are worth it. You can begin to put down bold forms and compositions with large household brushes. In the first instance, I would keep it simple. Use a limited palette with one dark, one medium tone, and one light color. Trust your instincts and give it all you have.
4. To get started, use the following figure
Begin by drawing warm-up sketches and first sketches using a live model. Ask a friend or family member for help. You want to create a collection of studies that can be used later as reference material. If you can, stand up and draw with at least half a dozen sheets of A1 paper taped to your easel. You can use monotone dry drawing materials like charcoal (willow, compressed), pastels, conte crayons or graphite pencils. You can make quick drawings that take three minutes, and ideally, three per sheet of paper. You can draw them one-on-top or side-by side. This allows for intuitive gestural responses and a reference to the basic elements of the pose.
5. Take on a drawing challenge
A quick series of sequential drawings can be used to show your model moving. The challenge is to ask your model to move forward, hold that pose for about 1-2 minutes, then move backwards and hold the next pose for approximately the same time. You can pause TV shows at different stages if you don’t have access live models.
6. Keep it fluid
These initial studies should provide you with a repository of imagery that you can draw on to help you develop abstract figurative paintings.
Consider working wet-in-wet. You can add a thick layer of Titanium White (or yellow tinted white) to your canvas. This gives you a smooth, painterly surface on which to work. You can mix new colours with the white to create secondary tones.