Remember that saying, “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it’s a duck”? Well, allow me to reinvent it and say if it looks like a flower, is shaped like a flower, kind of acts like a flower, then, by all means, it’s an abstract flower! You can make this easy flower for your wall, and you don’t have to be an artist.
Back To The Beginning
Let me take you back to kindergarten, where you drew that bird, which was probably a circle with two triangles as wings. You gave it to your mom, and she said, “Oh wow….a…bird?” You would nod. “A bird!” She says. “What a nice drawing!” Now you and I both know that your drawing didn’t look like a real live bird, but what your mom (or any adult) did was recognize the vital essential elements of a bird in your drawing. And you as a five-year-old probably looked at her like, “Yeah, it’s a bird. Do you need glasses?” Have you ever been corrected by a small child when you guess wrong on what they drew? They respond so offended as if you aren’t smart, lol! It’s hilarious, but I do love their pride they take when they draw something.
So as long as it looks like a flower, then it is a flower! Channel your inner five year old, and if someone says otherwise….
Back to the art…
You Will Need:
- canvas (I used a 16×20)
- sponge brush
- white acrylic paint
- Color #1- background color (black, grey or white)
- Color #2- flower color
Paint The Background
Start by painting the background with color #1. Which color should I choose? White is a tint; black is a shade, and gray is a tone. All three of these options can be paired with any color. I imagine what you’re asking me is which background would match with your decor. Hmmm…think about the room you are planning to hang this in. Is there any black in the room? Any gray? Any white? If you answered no to all of those, then keep the background white. White should be your default option if you are unsure.
Should I be able to see some of the canvas color? I didn’t completely cover the canvas. For some reason, I like the way this looks. Do it how you see fit, but if you’re still unsure, try it this way. And remember, if you don’t like how it turns out, you can always paint it white and start all over!
Painting the Abstract Flower Petals
So here is the hardest part. It is making the petals. This step may sound scary, but keep reminding yourself that as long as it looks like a flower, it’s a flower. Flowers have petals. And even if your petal shape is as “pretty” as mine, it’s okay because it tells an awesome story. Don’t worry; this is not life-like drawing 101. If it were, I would be a student and not the teacher!
Add Some White To Your Color #2
So I mixed my color #2 (I chose blue) with my white acrylic paint. I didn’t mix it thoroughly. I left some blue and white swirls to add some definition to my petals. It just gives it a nice effect. If you need help deciding a color, please read my post Learn How to Mix and Match Colors.
Start At the Corner
I started in the bottom right-hand corner. Why? Because sometimes having an off-center flower makes for an interesting angle. Did the flower fall? Are we about to sniff it? Art makes you ask questions about what is going on in your painting.
Abstract Flower: Oval Petals With a Point
My petals are an oval shape with a pointy tip. I don’t know if I can get mine to look like yours, Nikki. You shouldn’t worry if it isn’t exact, it’s okay. I want your picture to be a reflection of you, otherwise it has no real emotion. Watch how to complete this step below:
Some of my petals are weird sizes and shapes. The petals on the bottom are cut off by the canvas, so you only see part of the petal. I like it, and that’s what makes it so abstract! Let that dry and get a snack. I don’t know about you, but painting makes me hungry!
Add a Touch of White
When kids draw, they use one color, and they’re done. The sun is always the same shade of yellow. Have you looked at the sun? Of course you haven’t because it would burn your eyeballs! Lousy example…how about the grass? It’s different shades of green, yellow and sometimes brown. So adding more than one color to an image makes it appear less “flat.” We are adding just a touch of white to our abstract flower art. Barely dip the pointed edge of your sponge brush into the white paint. As thin as if you were putting glue on a fake eyelash or as thin as a bobby pin. Then, you will start at the center of each petal and pull that color to the tip. Here’s another video:
What if I add too much white? First of all, don’t stop. Keep going, let it dry and then go back and touch it up with some blue. Okay, that’s too complicated. Then completely cover it with blue and start all over again. Honestly, if you mess up on one, don’t change anything. Your last petal will be perfect! The less amount of white you use, the easier it will be to hide any mistakes.
Now let this partially dry and we are almost done! Be proud of your abstract flower. You are in the home stretch! The rest is cake! Mmmm…cake.
There’s A Hole In The Middle
Flowers have petals, but they also have a center. Creating the center is easy, as the only thing you need to do is add a black hole. Make it an oval shape. It should also be about as wide as the width of your smallest petal.
Parts Of An Abstract Flower
Next, we add the stamen! I had to look that term up. I was going to call it the pollen holder, lol! Researching the parts of a flower, takes me back to when we had to label the elements of a flower in school. Unless you became a botanist, you never thought you would see these terms again, huh? You probably threw your worksheet in the trash the moment it was graded. What do you care about flower parts? Well, now you have a new use for those terms. You’re welcome!
Drawing The Abstract Flower Stamen
So my stamen is just a long curved line with a circle on end. Psst…that’s where the pollen is. I did mine in the shape of the structure of a hand fan. You know the wood that holds the fabric in place? Then I put circles on the end of the lines using the point of the brush. It’s real easy. I would suggest doing no more than five.
After that, I noticed that my flower’s center looked a bit “flat,” so I overlapped the black center by adding a bit more of my color #2 to the two bottom petals. See below:
You may not have noticed this, but I messed up on the center. If you play it again towards the end, you will see that I was adding another stamen, and then I changed my mind and just painted over it with my color#2 for my petal. I also didn’t let my center dry enough, and the black blended in with the upper petal. Guess what? I just fused those mistakes into the art. And I hope you have blended in your mistakes too! Great Job!
Did you know there is another painting hidden under the Mona Lisa? I don’t think it was placed there like a scratch-off game. It was probably…you guessed it…a mistake! Da Vinci must have changed his mind and redid his painting. Yes, the same painting people travel the world to see. Even the masters don’t get it right the first time.
And here it is your abstract flower art piece. It doesn’t have to be perfect. If you can show it to a child and they can tell it’s a flower then your picture is perfect!
And just to prove that this can look completely different here is the abstract flower on a white background:
Even my stamen looks different. I did both of these paintings, yet they came out completely different. Try this on a really large canvas and make a statement in your living room. Happy creating!
