Tips for Simple Abstract Art Painting for Beginners

Create Simple Abstract Art Using Recycled Cardboard as Your Canvas

Abstract art is one of the easiest forms of art to create. It’s fun, flexible, and expressive, making it perfect for people of all ages to enjoy. But first, what exactly is abstract art? According to the definition from TATE, abstract art is “art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead uses shapes, colors, forms, and gestural marks to achieve its effect.” The idea of creatively expressing yourself through a combination of colorful shapes and patterns sounds exciting, doesn’t it?

Abstract Art for Beginners
How do you start with abstract art? It’s simple. Here’s what you’ll need:
– Acrylic paint
– Paintbrushes
– Cardboard (as a substitute for canvas)

Optional supplies can include watercolors, oil pastels, or even Posca markers (if you have them). Recycled items like jar lids, toothpicks, or old credit cards can also be used for making marks.

Why use cardboard? I recommend using cardboard instead of canvas because, personally, I’ve been exploring abstract art on recycled cardboard. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I scavenged around my house to find things to paint on, and recycled cardboard was one of the items I found that could be reused as a canvas. This way, as a beginner, you can freely explore and experiment with abstract painting without worrying about wasting a good canvas.

You can also cut the cardboard into smaller A5 pieces for quick daily explorations. Painting on smaller pieces is always more fun, don’t you think?

Getting Started
Start with the color combinations for your abstract art piece. Decide which colors you want to use. If you have no idea, one of the easiest methods is to look at appealing color combinations or simply start with your favorite colors. Choose 2 to 3 colors and paint the background. As for me, I start by painting random white shapes and shadows on the cardboard, leaving some areas unpainted.

After drying it quickly with a blow dryer, I overlay various other shapes with my chosen colors on top of the white areas. The idea is to fill the unpainted spaces or create colorful shapes while ensuring you don’t paint entirely over the white. Remember, while abstract art is free and easy-going, you still need to maintain a sense of balance in your artwork to create a harmonious layout. This is where the real fun begins! As you start adding lines, shapes, and patterns, you need to keep two things in mind:

1. Trust Your Intuition
Pay attention to the small details and areas that allow you to create attractive patterns. This is how you interact with the canvas (or cardboard in this case) and let it guide you on where to paint. Generally, people think abstract art is just splashing colors and creating messy, unplanned streaks of paint. Yes and no, but personally, I believe in paying attention to the small details on the canvas and letting it show you where to fill in spaces, refining the painting as you go.

2. Start Small
Begin with simple shapes like wavy lines, circles, zigzags, etc. If you need to look at references, go ahead, and if you need to test it out on a separate piece of paper, why not? Allow yourself to experiment!

When I add lines, shapes, and patterns, I often use black because it highlights the background colors, especially when the background is light or bright. It all comes together nicely. You can also use white or other colors on different background shades for the same effect.

You don’t have to start with bright or dark colors; it’s not specific and depends on your preference and mood. My advice is to mix and match to find what you like and don’t like. This is where cardboard is handy, allowing you to try out various abstract art designs as much as you want.

And there you have it! Simple abstract art ideas for beginners and abstract art ideas for kids. Enjoy your creative journey!