How to paint an abstract background with gel medium and fluid acrylics inks
Select a few colors of fluid acrylics, 2 to 5 maximum as they will mix on your canvas.
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FW Artists Ink is an acrylic-based, pigmented, water-resistant ink in a range of 38 colors, all of which have either a three-star or four-star rating for permanence. FW Artists Inks work well with airbrushes, dip pens, technical pens and brushes. – Primary Colors Set
Apply the gel medium on the canvas, then add drips of the fluid acrylic ink and spray a bit of water on top.
Here are the abstract backgrounds for a series of three paintings.
Finding shapes in the abstract designs
Start by looking at the abstract shapes on your canvas and see shapes, Here I am looking for a vase, flowers or leaves. Once you start to see them, outline them with graphite or like here with a black Prismacolor Art Stix.
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Prismacolor Art Stix are artist-quality woodless colored pencils for every level of expertise. Especially suited for color coverage of large areas, Art Stix offer a bold, smooth laydown of color.
Painting the negative space with white acrylic.
Once you have outlined the shapes you want to keep, paint everything else with white acrylic, using different sizes of brushes : smaller brushes on the areas with more details and a larger brush on bigger areas.
Adding designs with a white marker
Then start looking at the shapes that are left and add a level of detail with designs. Here a White oil sharpie on top of the dried acrylic paint.
You can add details like here the leaf veins.
I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.
Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers are great for touching up wood and metal, personalizing belongings, or adding pizzazz to school projects. Decorate and add accents to a variety of items, even non-porous materials such as glassware and terracotta.
The center of flowers.
You can introduce more variety in color and contrast by painting over some areas, like here on the vase with Payne’s grey Acrylic paint.
You can also emphasize some contours with markers.
Designs can be quite simple or quite elaborate, this design requires me to draw a grid before. I use white Nupastel color stick to do so as I can wipe it off when the design has been completed.
Here a White oil Sharpie has been used to draw the design.
You can add stripes, dots…
You can also paint over some areas with acrylic or like here, White Copic ink.
Polka dots on a stem.
Glazing some areas with watercolor paint
If you paint on top of an area where you used White Oil Sharpie, the oil paint will act as a resist for the watercolor.
If you used a water- resistant marker, you can also paint on top of it.
If your watercolor wash is beading up on the canvas
Add a bit of soap dish
It will modify the surface tension and make it easier to spread the paint.
Originally from France, I have been living in North Vancouver, Canada for the past 20 years.
My work has been collected and exhibited extensively in Canada and internationally. I am also part of the Art Rentals and sales program of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Many of my paintings have been published in Art books and magazines (Artist Magazine, Watercolor Artist Magazine, Acrylic Magazine, International Artist Magazine). I wrote 2 art instruction books with North Light/F+W Books.
I have been writing for the last 5 years for my blog: paintingdemos.com, that has a mailing list of about 10 000 subscribers and about 20 000 visitors per month.
I am an active member in the community, as a co-founder of the North Shore Art crawl, a co-founder of a weekly life drawing group, a board member of the North Vancouver Arts Council, and have been invited as a juror for public art, art grants and juried exhibitions. You can read more about my collaborations here.
Hello, I’m amazed at the beautiful techniques. I can’t wait to try them. I’d like to know how you are able to varnish the painting after using the oil Sharpie, and also if you apply an isolation coat.
Thanks Christina:)
Yes I am varnishing with a varnish suitable for oil and water based media. I did not in that case apply an isolation coat but that would be a good idea. I usually spray a layer of fixative before varnishing and I would do it as well before brushing on an isolation coat to make sure there is no smudge.
Linda Graunstadt
Hi, I love what you do with your paintings ,so free and something I have not see before. I have a question regarding the sharpie oil markers. A lot of
reviews say the markers dry up when not used or don’t seem to last , do you have a problem and is there a way to store them so they don’t dry up. Thank you linda
Hello Linda,
I like to use markers, as they are very convenient but I also find that they tend to dry up fast or they get plugged. I store them horizontally but maybe storing them vertically/tip down is worth a try. I now am using more and more dipping pens with ink or fluid acrylic as it has many advantages: you can mix your own colors, no more dried or plugged marker and the result is always water resistant. I will soon publish a post detailing more my pen and ink techniques.
And oil paint Sharpie now on my shopping list. :^)
Mary
Hi Sandrine,
Thank you so much for this demo; I’m amazed at all the different media you use so effortlessly. I have a question; for this painting, did you put on a protective coat? Varnish, or spray fixative, or just leave it? Every artist seems to have different opinions about it, I’d like to hear yours. I wish you were closer; I’d love to take a class. :))
Blessings,
Mary
Thanks Mary 🙂
I like to varnish my finished paintings to protect them. As I am using mixed media and watercolor for example might be displaced by a brush, I apply a first layer of either spray varnish or workable fixative and then I am brushing the varnish for a second layer.
Mary
THANK YOU. I really appreciate you so generously sharing your knowledge. I have a couple of mixed media pieces that I actually like, and was afraid to apply anything as a final coat because I didn’t want to ruin them. 🙂
Blessings,
Mary
Comments (15)
how to paint flowers with acrylics step by step : Hens and Chicks
[…] You might also be interested in: Painting mixed media Flowers from your imagination: Greenery […]
Anne
Thank you for this beautiful art!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Anne !
Rhonda Preece
When mixing watercolour with “soap dish” to prevent beading do you mean detergent?
Thanks,
PS Great information given in your blogs, thank you.
Sandrine Pelissier
Yes, either detergent or soap will work.
Christina
Hello, I’m amazed at the beautiful techniques. I can’t wait to try them. I’d like to know how you are able to varnish the painting after using the oil Sharpie, and also if you apply an isolation coat.
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Christina:)
Yes I am varnishing with a varnish suitable for oil and water based media. I did not in that case apply an isolation coat but that would be a good idea. I usually spray a layer of fixative before varnishing and I would do it as well before brushing on an isolation coat to make sure there is no smudge.
Linda Graunstadt
Hi, I love what you do with your paintings ,so free and something I have not see before. I have a question regarding the sharpie oil markers. A lot of
reviews say the markers dry up when not used or don’t seem to last , do you have a problem and is there a way to store them so they don’t dry up. Thank you linda
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello Linda,
I like to use markers, as they are very convenient but I also find that they tend to dry up fast or they get plugged. I store them horizontally but maybe storing them vertically/tip down is worth a try. I now am using more and more dipping pens with ink or fluid acrylic as it has many advantages: you can mix your own colors, no more dried or plugged marker and the result is always water resistant. I will soon publish a post detailing more my pen and ink techniques.
An Artist Recreated - CLLewis Art
And oil paint Sharpie now on my shopping list. :^)
Mary
Hi Sandrine,
Thank you so much for this demo; I’m amazed at all the different media you use so effortlessly. I have a question; for this painting, did you put on a protective coat? Varnish, or spray fixative, or just leave it? Every artist seems to have different opinions about it, I’d like to hear yours. I wish you were closer; I’d love to take a class. :))
Blessings,
Mary
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Mary 🙂
I like to varnish my finished paintings to protect them. As I am using mixed media and watercolor for example might be displaced by a brush, I apply a first layer of either spray varnish or workable fixative and then I am brushing the varnish for a second layer.
Mary
THANK YOU. I really appreciate you so generously sharing your knowledge. I have a couple of mixed media pieces that I actually like, and was afraid to apply anything as a final coat because I didn’t want to ruin them. 🙂
Blessings,
Mary
Hennes Schimmel
Thanks for this Demo!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Hennes 🙂