DIY abstract art - materials you’ll need
every type of creative project I do is super therapeutic to me and is a way to express my creativity…whether that be art or decorating! It’s really cool that I get to share projects, tutorials and sources with you guys as my job.
over the last few years, I’ve made quite a few abstract art pieces and now that I’ve solidified my technique i’m really excited to share the details with you!
this post is all about the materials i use to create abstract art pieces. i wanted to create a page that has all of the materials so that you have a resource to go to after viewing my video tutorials. these are the materials I personally use and enjoy working with, i hope this resource is helpful for you!
art mediums
i use two different types of art mediums to create my artwork. The main medium i use is molding paste. this is the super textural consistency you see in all of my pieces, even my workroom! i love that it gives the look of plaster without actually being plaster. It’s much easier to work with in my opinion, has a lighter weight and has a slower dry time so you can work with it a lot longer than plaster. I tried plaster one time years ago and i personally didn’t enjoy working with it. molding paste is a bit more than plaster in terms of price. I personally buy these larger containers of molding paste which saves a bit of cost since i create a lot of art pieces!
another art medium i use that is not really noticed, but important to me when i create art is this pouring medium. I use this to create long drips which is the base of pretty much every abstract art piece i make. the only art pieces i don’t do this on is my object art since I need an even surface. I’ve never shared this before but while i was creating my art mural in my workroom last year, i started with the pouring medium and created drips throughout the entire room. it reminds me of Jesus’ blood on the cross, how he poured himself out for us to be free. it reminds me how much he loves us, so much that he would die for us! it’s one of those things that is so special to me in my heart that no one really knows…or even asks about. it’s literally the foundation of most art pieces! you can watch the workroom art mural come to life here.
paint
i use acrylic paint for all of my pieces. I mix the paint with the different art mediums to build the consistency i like as well as the color i like! i mainly use these two colors, parchment and titanium white. I use the liquitex basics as well as their soft body and heavy body, just depends on the day haha! I also use black and grey periodically, but not nearly as much as parchment and titanium white.
fun fact: i love the parchment color. so much that i even mixed it with my floor paint to create the floor color in my workroom. :)
objects
this is only for the projects where I adhere objects on the canvas. I use washers from the hardware store and i’ve also used pennys! I also have used fabric as well.
art spatulas
art spatulas are what i use to apply the mediums to the canvas i’m working on. i have a lot of art spatulas to choose from, but it’s primarily because i had to try a lot out to see what i liked. so a lot of the spatulas i have, i don’t use as much. however, if you’re starting off, i do recommend getting a set to see what type of spatula you like to use. my absolute favorite art spatula is this one from liquitex. it’s the perfect size for my abstract art strokes. I love it so much! i primarily use this spatula but i do like using the smaller ones for mixing and small details.
paint brushes
i use these to apply the drips and also to do any finishing touches on art pieces. this is really free game, i use basic acrylic brushes and sometimes use regular purdy brushes! I do have this small liquitex brush that i love using tho!
regardless of whether you use all of these materials or not, i hope this post helps the process of creating your next art piece! below is a little round up of all of the products i mentioned in this post!
