Be Brave

For this one, we are going to ask you to be brave. You will move out of your comfort zone, loosen up and get out of your head. Trust us, you will end up feeling oh so good and proud. You are not going to think art but rather get physical with your art.

Set up your space so it is protected from paint. Use a painter’s floor cloth or plastic tarp. Protect walls as well. If the weather is good, you can try this outside. Place your canvas, paper or panel in the middle of your protected space.

TECHNIQUE ONE: Pitch It

Mix some acrylic paint with gel medium, and using a spoon or some container, throw the paint at the canvas. Practice using your best pitch. You can also mix paint with water or polymer medium. Pour this into a squeezable jar, like a plastic condiment bottle, and squirt or dribble your paint onto the canvas. Didn’t that feel good?

TECHNIQUE TWO: Spritz It

While the paint is wet, you can spritz it with water and watch those colors run. Pitch more paint at it if you want to alter it further.

TECHNIQUE THREE: Bubble It

Put some wet paint onto your surface and while the paint is still wet, blow bubbles onto it. Yes, the kind of bubbles you get at the party or toy store. The bubbles will pop and leave behind some cool shapes.

TECHNIQUE FOUR: Sparkle It

Toss powdered mica, glitter or even powdered pigment at the surface for a special effect. Tilt and twirl your canvas around to get the paint to flow and blend. See, being brave is fun!