I don’t usually find that a lot of detail is necessary, but simply let the texture (and vivid colors) do the work. Working fast isn’t a problem because the texture allows me to correct any errors easily in the last step. I like to paint quickly and use really vivid acrylic paint colors for my poppies, such as Cadmium Yellow Deep, Cadmium Orange, and Naphthol Red, with deeper tones of Bordeaux Red and Violet for the shadowed areas. (NOTE: If you want a more abstract texture, here’s a great technique for applying modeling paste with paper.) Painting over the textureĪfter drying for about two hours, my textured flowers were ready to paint. Then, following the lines I’d drawn, I sculpted the petals, flower centers, and leaves with a small palette knife. Creating the textureĪfter drawing out a basic sketch of flowers on my canvas, I mixed together equal amounts of acrylic heavy gel and acrylic modeling paste. There’s only one secret-the texture comes first. The following paragraphs explain my three-step technique for adding unbelievable, thickly painted texture to any acrylic painting. That’s the main reason I like to give my paintings a lot of texture: so everyone can immediately see that they’re originals. Luckily for us, discriminating collectors appreciate the unique surfaces that signify that a painting is an original. By Carol Nelson in Art Tutorials > Painting TutorialsĪrtists who sell original work will (in a sense) always be competing with the seemingly inexhaustible print market.

3d abstract painting on canvas