Finding Inspiration for Abstract Painting

 

When it comes to painting, inspiration can be hard to come by. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this post, visual artist Ari Glass will explore a few different ways to get inspired for your next abstract painting. We’ll start with one easy way to get started and work our way up from there.

 

Choose your painting medium

Before getting started, it’s important to choose the right painting medium. There are a variety of different mediums that can be used for abstract paintings, and you don’t want to waste your time or money on something that won’t result in great results.

One option is to use acrylic paint. Acrylic paint is easy to work with and has a smooth finish. It's also a great choice if you're new to painting. Another option is watercolor. Watercolor is a popular painting medium because it's affordable and easy to use. You can use watercolor to create many different shades of color, which will give your abstract paintings a unique look, explains Seattle-based artist Ari Glass.

 

Find a good starting point

When it comes to getting started with abstract painting, there are a few things you can do. The first is to find a good starting point. This means finding inspiration for your paintings in familiar or well-known art styles. You can also look at famous artists and study their work to get ideas for your own paintings.

 

Get started with simple shapes

One of the best ways to get started with painting is to start with simple shapes. This means that you don’t have to go too crazy with your colors or details, and you can focus on the overall composition of the painting. According to Ari Glass, this will help you to gain a better understanding of how painting should be done.

 

Work in different directions to get creative

When it comes to painting, it’s important to be creative. You can use any method you like to get creative, but it’s important to start with something that will help you achieve your goals. When you work in different directions, you’ll be able to achieve a much more successful outcome.

Exploration of Mixed Media Painting Techniques

 

The world of art is changing. The new and old are meeting, crossing, and creating a new idea that’s beautiful, fascinating, and captivating.

Mixed media painting has this incredibly unique quality that speaks to both the old and new. It captures the beauty of a traditional painting with the power of digital technology. What could be more novel than combining these two mediums into one? The possibilities for creativity are endless!

Here, Seattle-based artist Ari Glass shares some mixed media painting techniques that can spark your creativity.

What Are The Main Differences Between Oil Painting And Watercolor?

Artist Ari Glass shares the differences between oil and watercolor painting.

1. Drying time

Oil paints are known to take a long time to dry, many months in fact. Ari Glass shares that it is for this reason that oils are better for artists who prefer to spend more time on their work - with oils, artists have much more opportunity to experiment with different techniques, such as mixing and blending colors. On the other hand, watercolors dry much faster, so they are better for someone who likes to work fast.

It also helps that the watercolors can cover a large part of the painting with a little paint. If your workspace is hot and dry, your watercolor paints are going to dry really fast. You can reduce drying time by working in a more humid location.

2. Mix

Ari Glass shares that oil colors can be much easier to mix than watercolors simply because of their really slow drying time. However, mixing watercolors can be quite a bit more difficult due to the fact that they dry more quickly and the fact that water doesn't always behave the way you want it to.

Mastering watercolors may seem easy enough, but in practice it can be difficult. When mixing watercolors, take extra care because it only takes one drop to ruin something you've been working on for a while.

3. Colors

Oil painting offers a wide variety of colors for you to use. According to Ari Glass, this is due to the really slow drying time of oils and the fact that oils contain a lot of pigments. Watercolor paints give a more translucent effect and dry a lighter color than the one that originally appeared on the support.

4. Cost

Watercolors are usually cheaper than oil paints. The great thing about watercolors is that you can use a little paint to cover a large part of your work. A tube of watercolor paint can, in fact, last many paints, while oils cannot.

With watercolors, you only need a little water to mix them, but with oils, you also have to invest in other materials.

In Ari Glass’ opinion, oils can be worth a lot more than watercolors. This doesn't necessarily mean that an oil painting is automatically worth more than a watercolor, but oil paintings tend to have higher prices.

5. Bug fixes

If you make a mistake when painting with oil, you will find that it is not that difficult to correct the mistake. All you have to do is use turpentine or mineral spirits. One of the great things about oil paintings that take so long to dry is that this gives you the opportunity to correct mistakes or even repaint areas of your painting.

Ari Glass shares that with watercolors, it can be very difficult to correct mistakes due to their quick drying and watery nature; watercolors are self-propagating and cannot be controlled as effectively as oils. Mastering watercolor can take a lot of practice and correcting mistakes can take a lot of skill and dexterity.

6. Security

Watercolor paints are much safer than oil paints. They are odorless and non-toxic, so they can be used in even the smallest rooms without affecting you in any way.

According to Ari Glass, oil colors contain some substances that can cause problems if ingested; working in smaller spaces with oils for a long time can cause dizziness and other mild effects in some people.

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