STEP BY STEP PROCESS

STEP BY STEP PROCESS FOR A WAY TO CREATE AN ABSTRACT/REALISM PAINTING....

1. CREATING THE DIGITAL SOURCE

Make small abstract painting studies on canvas boards with acrylics, markers, charcoals, etc. Have fun with these. Try various palettes and styles. Refer to abstract art that you like, but be sure to make it your own.

Take photographs of these

Download photo editing apps Enlight, Photoshop Express (for mobile phone), and any others you like.

Get a collection of photos that you like, or have taken yourself…if you are using someone else’s photo - get permission to use it, or GREATLY manipulate it to make it your own to avoid plagiarism. Mixing several photos is a good creative way to stay away from doing that.

Open one of your favorite abstract studies in the Enlight app. *Playing around with this app might take some time to get the hang of it. Or you can use any process/apps that suits you to create your reference photo. Photoshop on a computer is amazing as well if you know how to use it or want to learn. Youtube tutorials are good since Photoshop is extremely complex.

Click Tools and choose Mixer

Choose the photo you would like to mix with the photo of your pre-made abstract background

Pinch to zoom the photo to the size you would like

Click tools on the bottom

Select Blending

Flip through the filters on the bottom to see which ones look the best

You can click tools and erase out sections that you don’t want there

There is a bit of a learning curve and this is a basic overview, so keep playing with this app if you’d like

Click the checkmark on the top right if you like it. You can mix several photos.

To save your photo, use the box on the top with the arrow in it to save the photo to your phone or to save the session.

Photoshop Express is a great app to apply additional filters over your reference to manipulate the color palette and light.

Design several reference photos for later use

2. CREATING ABSTRACT TEXTURES ON THE CANVASES YOU WILL USE FOR YOUR FINAL PAINTINGS

I buy my canvases at Michaels. The LEVEL 3 are what I use, because they are heavy duty, and have a great thicker look. Get on their mailing list, and download their app. Usually around the various holidays, they have KILLER deals on their canvas….memorial day, labor day, etc. I usually wait for the doorbuster 70% off canvas sale and stock up. You can always use the 50% off coupon if you are just gonna buy one. Make sure you examine the sides of the canvases, since the employees sometimes slice the sides open with box cutters when they are opening the boxes. Examine the canvas for warping, or damage and make sure it lays flat.

Build layers with Golden Light Molding Paste or various acrylics (having a few canvases going at once can be great, so you will have a variety of surfaces ready in a few days). I usually like to work flat for this step, because it allows me to not fight gravity when I’m applying the paste.

Use various tools to sculpt your surface (ridged palette knives, lids, stuff around your studio to press into the paste, etc.). Clean your tools as you go. Using a T-square and a ridged knife is fun to pull straight line textures into the paste. I make sure my bottom corners are a little smoother so I have somewhere to sign my work when I’m done. I work in flat “terraces” if I’m doing realism on top…doing details over crazy texture is difficult. If I’m working strictly abstract, I find I can do crazier textural stuff.

Clean the edges of your canvas if you want them smooth. This shows off the textured painting. I paint the sides of my canvases with black gesso when I’m done, to make the painting pop off the wall. I usually don’t frame my work.

Let that layer dry to the touch. Heat lamps are great.

Use stencils to add an ornamental look. Place re-usable stencil on the painting (get these off of Amazon or craft supply stores). Apply molding paste or acrylic gel medium over top of the stencil with a palette knife (thin layers work the best if you are doing any type of realism on the piece)…I like to blend my stencils into the painting afterward so it doesn’t look so “stampish”. If you want to commit to which way the top of the canvas is, you can be bold and add some drips of gesso with the canvas standing vertical.

Again, clean the sides of the canvas. Let this dry to the touch. Heat lamps are great!

Apply a generous layer of Liquitex Fluid Matte Medium with a brush to this surface if you are going to be oil painting on top of it. Make sure the canvas is laying flat, since its easier. The Light Molding Paste is too spongy for an oil painting ground, so the fluid matte medium will firm it up, and provide a good oil painting ground. You can also use Golden Molding Paste (regular) for the above steps without sealing it prior to oil painting. It just takes longer to dry thoroughly and can make your canvases heavier if you are working large.

Again, clean the sides of the canvas to keep it smooth

Let this dry THOROUGHLY. Depending on how thick the layers are, 1-3 days should be sufficient before oil painting on top of it. Thats why I do several canvases at once, so I have stuff to paint on later. Again, make sure the sides of your canvases are clean if you want.

3. ILLUSTRATING YOUR PHOTO REFERENCE TO CREATE YOUR UNDERPAINTING/DRAWING WITH A DIGITAL PROJECTOR

I use a digital projector (Artograph Impressions 1400…which may or may not have been discontinued since I can’t find it as easily online). I plug it into my computer with an HDMI cord to get my design traced onto the textured canvas. I’m sure other less expensive projectors will work. Using a projector doesn’t automatically make you a good artist. Take life drawing or painting classes to hone your draftsmanship skills.

Place canvas on your easel and make sure it is securely fastened. Turn on your projector and flip through your images you designed to find the one that fits that canvas.

I typically use black Faber-Castell Pitt India ink brush pens to trace and fill in my darks. They make a variety of tips to create interesting lines. You can also use, pencils or charcoals. I avoid these for the most part, because its too tempting to get super detailed too soon, and it takes longer to outline. A brush pen is great for keeping the projection “looser and more gestural”. I like to project in black and white initially so I don’t get distracted by color.

When you are done projecting your image into your textured background, let that dry.

Use a spray fixative on your ink drawing to seal it down. SpectraFix Degas Fixative is a great non-toxic spray that can be used indoors. I lay my painting flat and spray a heavy layer, using a blow dryer at the same time on the canvas to dry it quickly. Let that dry.

4. DOING THIN WATERCOLOR-LIKE WASHES TO LAY IN YOUR MID-TONES

At this stage, I use transparent golden fluid acrylics, high flow acrylics, or india inks to lay in my washes to get rid of the white canvas…as well as bring out the crazy fun textures.

Buy yourself an iPad stand to hold your iPad so you can look at your reference photo while you work…go into settings and set it to never turn off. I like my iPad because I can zoom in.

Lay your canvas on a flat surface. First lightly spray your painting with water using a water bottle, and then use a brush with watered down transparent paint to start laying in your mid-tones.

Start with the lighter colors and work your way darker. If I’m doing color, I start with the colors that get the dirtiest the quickest…like my yellows.

Let the paint run around some. Surrender. You can blow on the paint with a straw or blow dryer on low to move it into the valleys of the textures.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes at this point. Just try not to lose your outlines too much. This is why I use transparent colors so I can still see my drawing. We will use paint markers later to further develop the painting before oil painting on it.

You can blow dry this if you want it to dry faster. Keep the painting laying flat at this stage is a good rule of thumb. You will lose more of the “dimension” of the textures if you do it this way…its not necessarily a bad thing. Just blow dry it on low to move the paint slower. If you want to be patient and let it dry on its own, you can…and you will get a different look.

5. ACRYLIC PAINT PENS TO START LAYING IN BLOCKS OF OPAQUE COLORS AND HIGHLIGHTS

Put the canvas on an easel vertically and get comfortable

Buy some acrylic paint pens…I use the Elmers Painters acrylic markers for my whites and blacks. They have a great flow and I like the Fine point they make for my finer white or black lines. They dry matte which makes good tooth for the final oil paint layer. For color, I like to use Pintar brand paint pens off of Amazon. They have a good range of colors for a good price. These dry matte as well and are for painting on rocks. Montana brand makes a good range of colors as well as large markers for big areas. You can buy these at an art supply store or off of Amazon. Feel free to try other brands as well.

Shake the markers vigorously to mix the paint inside…pump the tip on a surface to get the paint to come out. Getting the initial paint to come out the first time is a bit of work, so be patient. I find that hitting the tip quickly on a flat surface lightly with a shaking motion is a good way as well. Find what works for you.

Look at your photo you created on your iPad, lay in your whites and blocks of color. Go to town with this. Have fun. Scribble. The paint markers are awesome, because I can “paint” in a more relaxed way. They dry fast and matte. One color at a time. It's clean and effective. More relaxing than using a brush with acrylics. Layering is great. Just make sure each color is dry before going over it with a different color. This keeps your tips from getting dirty.

You can “finish” your painting strictly with paint pens if you would like. I typically finish my paintings in the final step with oil and cold wax. I take it one step further since I love the “rich softness” I can achieve with oils.

6. FINAL LAYER OF OIL PAINTING AND COLD WAX

The oils I use are Lukas Studio Oils (these can be bought off of Jerry’s Artorama’s website or in their store)…I have loved these because they dry “quicker” than most oils. The color saturation is fantastic, and they don’t use ANY toxic pigments. Even though they are student grade and cheaper, I think they are amazing! I also use professional grade Winsor Newton and Gamblin colors. Find what you like and use it.

Buy some Dorland’s Cold Wax Medium off of Amazon as well as Gamblin Galkyd Resin. I mix these together if I’m working on canvas to prevent cracking. I roughly do a 75% Wax/25% Galkyd resin to keep the painting more matte yet flexible. Dorland’s is the most flexible cold wax they create as well. I use cold wax because of the luster it creates. It is very matte which tames the acrylic canvas texture…and when it mixes with the oil paint it makes an “old master” impressionist look…it falls into the crevasses of my textures and gives them dimension as well.

Premix your oil painting color palette you are going to use. I use glass palettes that can be put in the freezer to keep the paint fresh.

I put a clear layer of cold wax/galkyd on my painting first with a big brush to give a harmonious sheen. Lay the painting flat when doing this. It’s easier.

I pre-mix several of the prominent transparent tones first on one palette…mix these with a good chunk of your cold wax mixture. Mixing with a palette knife is the easiest. These will be applied first with a palette knife on your painting. Scrape your subtle transparent tones into your textures from every angle. This is kind of like “glazing” and will make your textures look amazing!!! Feel free to wipe off spots with a paper towel or your knife if you don’t like those areas.

Then I premix my final lighter opaque tones I want to use on a separate palette…I am always tempted to use too many colors and this helps me to not do that. 4-6 colors within a painting is a good rule of thumb. Practice mixing colors and learning color theory. I use Color-Aid papers that can be bought online to choose my palettes and execute perfect color mixing. Consider taking an oil painting class to learn more in detail.

I finally work from darker tones, layering my lighter tones on top…finishing with white paint symbolizes hope coming out of the darkness. I love the look of white paint sitting on top in thicker layers. Use a very light touch with a brush at an angle to sit the opaques on top of the acrylic textures to show them off. This will take practice. I find I like a firmer bristle brush for my detail. It gives me better control, but find what works for you. I love oils, because they are slow and relaxed. They are smoky and rich. I can really branch out into a plethora of subtle opaque tones to hone the realism. Remember to squint at your reference and your work to simplify and see the bigger picture. Take your time and finish all the details with oils.

Sign your painting on the front. On the back write the Title, Medium, Size, Your Name, and Date…you can make notes on the back of the canvas as well. Your thoughts, your process, and to create a journal you can read later. Collectors can get personal insight into the piece.

Paint the sides of your canvas with black gesso and put a wire on the back of your canvas. I use Ook Ready-Screw D-Ring Hangers as well as Super SoftStrand Hanging Wire to hang my work. I use #6 for smaller work, and #8 for my larger works. These can be bought off of Amazon. This is hard to explain, so Google how to do this. Now your painting is complete!

JON WASSOM ARTIST
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