Add Splatter to the Sides of the Canvas
Using an old toothbrush loaded with paint or a stiff paint brush. Hold it a few inches above one side of the canvas and forcefully run your thumb over the bristles to release the paint so it splatters on the surface.
DIY Modern Art 18 Ways
I’m not one of those people who is going to give you a definition of art. I’m one of those people who thinks that art is in the eye of the beholder and that every person should be allowed to define that for themselves. That is not to say that I don’t notice the differences…
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I’m not one of those people who is going to give you a definition of art. I’m one of those people who thinks that art is in the eye of the beholder and that every person should be allowed to define that for themselves. That is not to say that I don’t notice the differences between a Rembrandt and a velvet painting (which can totally have their place!) I also understand that most of us would like to have original artworks by amazing artists hanging on our walls, but more times than not, cost for original art is prohibitive.
Since I’m in the market for some DIY art, I’ve pulled together some modern art inspiration from all over the crafty parts of the internet and I’m sharing my favorites with you. Hopefully I’ll be busting out canvases soon to make my own DIY modern artworks!
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These amazing black and white pieces from Kristen F. Davis Designs are very simple but high impact. All you need are two canvases and black and white paint and you’re ready to knock these modern beauties out. There is no tutorial, but lots of pics to help you imitate the look.
I love these brightly colored dots, especially when one color blends into the next! And what makes this piece so high impact is the amazing floating frame that surrounds it. The tutorial at Art Bar is easy to follow and while they have only the single piece alone, I think a good 3-4 would be so amazing! Circle Paintings + Floating Frame.
I bet at first glance you’d never think how this fun DIY modern art is created. It’s easy, easy! Check out the full tutorial and make your own at nwa Motherlode.
I have a secret… I love West Elm. I have ANOTHER secret… I don’t often peruse the website just because everything is so expensive. But why not DIY when it’s too expensive to buy? This West Elm inspired abstract piece shows you how to make a gigantic canvas for next to nothing and the painting is a collaborative effort of one crafty mama at Bliss at Home and her two boys. So sweet!
I have absolutely no problems ripping of artwork of the masters. I don’t care for prints and I’m never going to have the kind of money you’d need to purchase an original (case in point, this one sold for $87 million in 2012) so DIY version is right up my alley! See how to make your own DIY Rothko Ripoff at Dans le Townhouse.
While most of the tutorials and projects in this post are paint related, why not toss in some modern paper craft? This woven paper artwork from Craft Tuts + is really awesome and totally brings me back to childhood!
I so often see things in store displays and love them but then I don’t think about it any more. But why the heck not? A similar piece was spied in J. Crew and the team over at Spark Living decided to recreate it. If you can work an x-acto knife and a hot glue gun, you can totally rock this out.
This is another DIY modern art piece from Tanya at Dans le Townhouse and I love it. The process is so simple that anybody of any skill level could accomplish this easily. Simple but Striking Painting.
Nope, you’re not seeing double… This is a very similar tutorial from 110 + 2 and is actually inspired by the piece above. I decided to share them both because they’re both great and different in very subtle ways. DIY Diptych
Wanting to make something but not quite sure of your skills? How would you like print off a modern art template that you paint on? This is genius from House of Earnest and includes a video tutorial.
Do you have lots of paint left over from your home decor? It seems that I always buy one full gallon too much or too little so I totally understand! This is a simple, messy and super fun way to use up that paint and have some pretty marbled art that totally throws off an abstract vibe at the same time! Get the tutorial over at The 2 Seasons.
These particular pieces from Oh Happy Day are amazing and I want them desperately. But luckily the full process is shared so that we can make our own. THIS – How to Make Abstract Art – is totally happening.
The great news about geometric things being totally in is that they are totally easy to imitate and bring onto your walls with DIY. Check out this easy and affordable art from See That There. Oh, and I had the hardest time choosing which of the two images to share from this post – there is another one that is absolutely wonderful, too!
I’ve been desperate to try and think of a place that these Mid Century Modern Wall Sculptures would work well in my home and I’m thinking right above the fireplace! I love the subtle color changes from black and white to gold and these things are so easy that it’s just ridiculous. Get the full tutorial at Design Sponge.
This is definitely the easiest DIY art on this entire list and isn’t it totally amazing? Check out the how to over at Nalle’s House to make this simple modern art.
This is another one of those amazing pieces, mostly because the color selection is dead freaking on and another artistic post from House of Earnest. While there is no DIY to actually recreate the painting, there is good info for repurposing a wall hanging that you find on sale or at the thrift store! Dining Room Art.
This is one of the projects I first took notice of that made me think, gosh, it would be awesome to be a blogger! It just happened to pop up in my search results and every time I see this image, I’m automatically back to that time and place when I just knew that this was the most genius piece of DIY artwork ever. This large scale text uses shoe polish. How artistic is that? Get the full project from the very talented Alisa Burke.
Try This: Abstract Modern Art DIY
Sometimes I can spend days (or even weeks) on a piece of decorative wall art trying to get a detailed light up marquee or giant gallery wall together. As much as I love to create rather complex ideas, it’s also nice to have some quick tricks I can use to create some art in a matter of a few hours rather than days. I love seeing all the abstract modern art paintings that adorn so many of the mid-century houses, so I thought it would be fun to create a quick version for my own house!
Once I found the right size canvas for the spot, I used some painter’s tape to block off a few strategic areas to color in with paint.
A little trick when you are trying to create clean lines with painter’s tape is to first paint over the lines with the color that will be next to the color you are painting in that area. The first coat of paint is usually the one that will seep under the tape a bit and seal the edge, so if that first coat is already the color of the canvas or wall base, you won’t even notice if you have any paint seep through! Since I was going to have the white of the canvas be next to all the color blocked areas, I used plain white acrylic paint and went over all the edges first.
Once that paint was dry, I filled in each area with the color paint I had chosen in as many coats as needed.
Once the paint had set, I pulled off the painter’s tape to reveal the clean lines underneath!
Not too bad for a quick art project, huh? Of course you can use whatever colors and line divisions you want for your painting. I just got the small sample sizes of paint at the store (Valspar Peach Whisper and Almond Glaze and Sherwin-Williams Black Fox), and they were more than enough for this type of project. I would suggest sketching out your design first on a piece of paper (or Photoshop or Illustrator if you know those programs) before marking off your tape lines to make sure you like the pattern first. Hope this helps you add a bit of art to your space! xo. Laura
Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
DIY Modern Wall Art Painting on Canvas
DIY modern wall art step-by-step tutorial. Learn how to paint an abstract design using a paint can instead of a paint brush. Easy beginner level decorating project to make modern abstract art for your home decor.
I have been making a few decorative changes in my entryway/foyer. The first change was the driftwood sculpture I made that looks like a fish.
My house is not big, but the foyer is 2-story and spacious. It creates a nice flow through the house as well as making the house feel larger overall.
I like the furnishings and decor to be in scale in the two-story space. I also like the white-washed brick floor and the staircase to be the focus so the room stays uncluttered, but still inviting.
This was a fun project that I did as an experiment with a pack of 3 primed and stretched white canvases from Michaels that cost $10.
I used leftover paint so I didn’t have much to lose if my modern abstract art idea didn’t turn out.
What is the Difference Between Modern and Abstract Art?
Abstract art is technically a style of art wherein a realistic subject is reduced (abstracted) to its basics of structure. It could also be anything that isn’t realistic – any arrangement of shapes and colors and lines is considered abstraction.
Modern art is more about how artist’s use new and exciting techniques that challenge traditional ideas about what art is and could be.
It doesn’t represent real things at all or even symbols. Artist’s who create it are more focused with the images themselves and the materials from which they make the images. Many of the techniques modern artist’s use might seem primitive or even random.
DIY Modern Art Canvas Idea
So I am going to call the art I created with the bottom rim of a paint can, “ModernAbstraction” since it is a little bit of both styles. 🙂
Not a Fan of Modern or Abstract Art?
If you are not a fan of the abstract or modern art style, I bet your kids or grandkids would like to create some original art for their bedrooms that isn’t on construction paper.
If they are bored and you want to do something creative with them, this is something they could easily do that will make them feel like a real artist creating on a canvas.
How to Paint a DIY Modern Wall Art Painting on Canvas
This easy to paint abstract wall art project is inexpensive and easy. So grab a canvas or two or three and your favorite paint color or colors to create a true original.
supplies needed:
- Primed artist canvas– I bought a pack of3 at Michaels for $9.99
- Leftover paint – I used the color by Valspar: Mountain Botanical 6010-9
- 1 gallon paint can that has a plastic bottom rim (see photo above)
- Damp rag
- Sheet of corrugated cardboard
- Foil
- Small tipped artist paint brush
- 2″-3″ wide bristle paint brush or small paint roller
- Old toothbrush – for splattering paint
Painting TIPS:
- Before painting on the actual canvas. Test the paint technique on scrap paper or newspaper to get a feel for it.
- It doesn’t matter if the paint can is empty or full. If it is full, it will be heavier to pick up. The can is used was about half-full.
- If you only have a metal bottom paint can, the technique will still work, but the circles will be thinner.
Time needed: 45 minutes
How to Easily Paint Abstract Art on a Canvas
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Set up a Workspace to Paint
I covered a section of the floor in my studioffice with a cardboard drop cloth and made a palette for my paint using a piece of cardboard covered with foil.
I poured paint onto the foil covered cardboard and spread it evenly over the surface using an old 3u0022 wide paint brush. You could also use a small paint roller to do this.
Place Paint Can on Palette
To create the connected ring pattern, place a one gallon paint can on your palette of spread out paint and twist it a few times.
Lift straight up and look on the bottom of the can to make sure no paint is in the center. If it is, simply wipe it away with a damp rag.
Starting in the center of one canvas, place the can on the canvas and twist it a few times in place, then lift it straight up.
Repeat
Repeat the process until the canvas is covered with connected circles/rings.
Add Paint Splatters – Optional
To create splatters of paint on the canvas. Load a paint brush with paint and hold it over the canvas as you forcefully run your fingers over the brush to release the paint in splatters.
Paint Sides of Canvas
To continue the connected circles on the sides of the canvas, use a small tipped paint brush to connect the rings on the face of the canvas to the sides.
Add Splatter to the Sides of the Canvas
Using an old toothbrush loaded with paint or a stiff paint brush. Hold it a few inches above one side of the canvas and forcefully run your thumb over the bristles to release the paint so it splatters on the surface.
Let Dry
Allow the paint to dry for at least 8 hour as some of the larger splatters of paint may take awhile to dry.
The canvases are lightweight. To hang them I used a small nail for each and simply hung the canvas over each nail.
Creating the connected circle canvases was fun, but only one way of many that you can try to create abstract or modern art for your home.
If this idea intrigues you, you may like what this blogger did to create art for the wall in her living room.
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