Ah, sometimes simple and minimalist is best. I wanted something striking, using just metallic paints against a black background, and with the Summer starting to turn towards Autumn (or Fall depending where you live), my thoughts turned to the golden leaves and the rich autumn colors.
I started out by painting my entire canvas black as the background and negative space for my pour. Even that made a nice change from the bright and the busy paintings I usually create so it was strangely calming just to look at a plain black canvas.
Used to create this painting:
Art Alternatives Gold
Liquitex Basics in Copper and Bronze
Blick Student Acrylics Black for the background
Floetrol
Recipe:
2 parts paint
1 part Floetrol
water as needed to reach the right consistency
This was perhaps the quickest painting I have ever created, and yet it was satisfying. I laid down the three metallics on top of the black background, gently tilted and then blew the paint so it was round and thin at the edges, and thicker in the middle.
It looks just like an oak leaf! I did put down a bit too much metallic paint and didn’t quite get as much black in the center of the painting as I had imagined, but overall I was really happy with how this came out. It’s certainly fitted my plan of simple, minimalist and metallic. I don’t do enough with negative space, but I’m feeling inspired to try new things after the success of what was such a simple idea. What was a bit disappointing were the 4 blobs that I had in the gold when it dried. There must have been some lumps in the gold and I mixed them in, and it wasn’t noticeable when it was wet. As the paint dried and thinned, the lumps now are quite noticeable 🙁 Disappointed because I really like it otherwise.
Just in case you have never seen the Fast Show and Johnny Nice Painter, check this out. British sense of humour most likely needed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l-HHuZNnFc
As usual, you can see pictures both wet and dry, and close ups of the details in the slideshow below.
After being told in high school that she was so bad at art that she should switch to another subject, Deby didn’t paint again for 35 years. Then a stroke released a new wave of creativity and she began exploring with dot painting, abstract and eventually acrylic pouring, and at last the joy of working with color returned. You don’t need ‘talent’ to be an acrylic pouring artist – just enthusiasm, some basic instruction, and a willingness to try, fail and try again. Paint along with her and learn from her many mistakes, and you’ll soon make great art together.
The Fast Show……..Excellent programme!
I appreciated this video and will try it today! Thank you, Debbie!