Are your paintings too tight? Want to loosen up? Moving from realistic painting to abstract expressionism can be a thrilling and liberating process. Here are 10 tips to help you make the transition, if you’re interested in trying your hand at abstraction.

  1. Loosen Up Your Approach
  • Start with expressive mark-making exercises. Use large brushes, palette knives, or even your hands to break away from controlled strokes.
  1. Experiment with Color
  • Move beyond realistic color schemes. Try unexpected color combinations, high contrast, or monochromatic palettes to evoke emotion.
  1. Focus on Emotion Rather than Representation
  • Instead of painting what you see, paint what you feel. Consider journaling about an emotion before starting a piece.
  1. Use Different Tools and Mediums
  • Go beyond traditional brushes. Try sponges, rags, dripping techniques, or mixed media like collage and charcoal.
  1. Distort and Simplify Forms
  • Take an existing realistic painting and gradually abstract it. Blur edges, exaggerate shapes, or deconstruct subjects into geometric or organic forms.
  1. Embrace Spontaneity and Intuition
  • Allow yourself to paint without a clear plan. Let each mark inform the next rather than sticking to a predetermined outcome.
  1. Explore Texture and Layers
  • Build up layers using thick paint, glazing, or mixed media. Scrape into wet layers, sand dried layers, or add unconventional materials for depth.
  1. Play with Composition
  • Move away from traditional compositions. Try asymmetry, unexpected focal points, or breaking the rules of balance.
  1. Study Abstract Masters
  • Look at artists like Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Mark Rothko, or Cy Twombly. Analyze their techniques and experiment with their methods.
  1. Trust the Process and Let Go of Perfection
  • Abstract expressionism is about freedom. Accept happy accidents, let go of over-analysis, and enjoy the energy of the painting process.

 

 

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