Hey everyone! Today I wanted to relax and play with some acrylic paints in my art journal. I grabbed my handy dandy styrofoam plate for mixing colors and decided to paint without a plan. What’s new, right?
I started with some “Shades of Gray” neutral purple in the background, adding circles and lines with different colors. Then, I whipped up an orange and used it to create some abstract blob shapes on the page. Here’s a tip: to make your transparent acrylic colors more opaque, especially lighter ones like yellows and oranges, mix in a little bit of titanium white, or add a layer of titanium white to the background before adding your color.
Next, I decided to use white as a base coat for some shapes, then layer colors on top. This is a great way to add vibrancy! I continued playing with organic shapes and rounded edges, enjoying the therapeutic process of watching the paint flow.
Using white paint helped me build up some layers and create more interesting effects. I filled in the big circles – still unsure of where this was going, but embracing the journey!
I brought back the purple to create a border-like shape around some of the orange shapes. While waiting for things to dry, I added some yellow to the white circles for warmth and a brighter peach tone to the inside of the orange shapes. This funky combination was really growing on me!
For a finishing touch, I grabbed a floral stencil. I stenciled white paint first to create a base, then went over them with some of the same colors I’d been using. It was fun to add pops of detail and keep the palette limited.
Even if something doesn’t turn out exactly as planned, experimentation is key! You never know what cool techniques or happy accidents you might discover along the way. Art journals are a great place to play and explore, and they can also be a source of inspiration for future projects.
I finished up with some watered-down paint splatters, and voila! Let’s call this one done. I hope you enjoyed creating with me today, or at least found it relaxing to watch. Until next time, keep creating!