DIY Contemporary Art from House Paint

In the process of upgrading the basement to a more cozy and inviting guest room/family room/play room, I decided that the walls need a big splash of colorful art to match the new rug.  I followed the same technique that Jordan followed in this popular post and ended up with a final result that I am happy with.  I am happy to show you how I created some DIY contemporary art from house paint.  If you follow this technique with your own colors, you, too can create something you will love.  Sorry about the quality of some the photos.  They were taken in the windowless basement storage area.

 

The first thing I did was paint the background color of the canvas a flat black.  You can paint the canvas any color you want.  This is an important step because if your paint misses a spot on the canvas, there will still be color there rather than just a white spot.  I have used yellow as a background color in the past.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.  In fact, you can use an old canvas or painting and paint over that.  I let it dry overnight.

 

 

When it was time to create my masterpiece, I taped a big piece of plastic drop cloth to the storage room floor.

 

 

Then I placed the canvas on top of it and marked the corners with masking tape.  That way I knew just where to stop pouring the paint.  Then I removed the canvas.

 

 

Next, I poured leftover acrylic interior house paint on the drop cloth.  There was really no rhyme or reason to the way I poured it.  I stayed with four colors so the finished product wouldn’t be too busy and would be more cohesive.   I used leftover paint that I have on hand, but I also buy cans of paint at Home Depot and Lowe’s when they are on the “oops” cart.  You can buy sample containers of paint to use as an accent color in your project.  Plus, I learned last week that our Restore has a shelf of free paint that they can’t sell.  And remember, you can ask your friends and neighbors for their leftover paints.  People love to get rid of old paint that has been sitting in their storage areas taking up valuable space.

 

 

Then I gently placed the canvas down on the paint and rubbed the entire back of the canvas with my hands so that paint would stick to it.  Then I gently removed the canvas and placed it flat on the floor.  I let it dry for 48 hours.

 

 

 

Since this project takes so much paint, it is easy to make two or three canvases at a time.  I really think the second one always turns out better than the first.  I used a smaller canvas and repeated the same process as above.  Then I tilted this one back and forth to create movement in the paint.  I really like that some of the lines are blurred.

 

 

 

And this is what it looks like now that it is dry.  I made two canvases.  This is the smaller of the two, and the larger one will hang on the basement guest room wall.  (You’ll see it soon.)  You can see the black peeking out from the background.  This is such an easy way to create art.  I love the look of contemporary art with traditional furnishings, and by making my own, I can use colors that will enhance the rooms.  Right now it is just leaning against the mirror in the dining area of the great room, but I don’t think that is the permanent home for it.  I plan to get it framed, and then we’ll find the right spot for it.

 

 

 

I have this one hanging over the bed in our upstairs guest room.

 

 

This one is in our master bedroom.

 

 

This one is in the upstairs hallway.

Each one has its own personality, and each one adds color to our home.  We hope you try this project.  If you do, let us know how it turns out.

 

Take care.