We are going to create dramatic “drippy” flower paintings by combining Iris’s finger painting technique with Autumn’s dreamy, loose style, which she achieves by incorporating watercolors into her work. We will mimic this by watering down our acrylic paint. Just as an accident led Iris to a breakthrough in her art, we will embrace accidental collisions of color and form.
You can always paint over what you don’t like, so take chances and experiment. Building layers will only add to the richness and depth of the finished piece. I encourage you to experiment with colors and see how they blend together. My favorite drippy paintings are the result of choosing colors randomly to create unusual combinations. If you don’t know where to start, you can always go back to your inspirational collections or a fresh bouquet.
acrylic paint, fluid: any colors you want
acrylic paint, heavy body: Titanium White
canvas, 16" × 20" (41cm × 51cm)
fine-tipped brush (optional)
paintbrushes
spray bottle full of water
Use different sizes for your flowers to add variety, which will make the painting interesting and eye-pleasing! Also, try using colors you wouldn’t normally use.
If the blended paint gets too muddy, wait for the painting to fully dry. Then cover areas you don’t like with fresh paint. You can always cover it with white paint or a light color and start again.
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
—Scott Adams—
STEP 1: Our flowing flowers take center stage with a quiet, soft background. Squeeze a few drops of fluid acrylic paint, such as magenta and green, onto the canvas. Smear on some heavy bodied Titanium White as well.
STEP 2: Let the colors mix in a random way to cover the canvas. Play with the texture of the thick paint. Let the paint dry.
STEP 3: Using your fingers, paint some loose circles on the canvas in various sizes and colors.
STEP 4: Spray the wet circles with water for a watery, drippy effect.
STEP 5: Again using your fingers, add a few more flowers of various sizes. Experiment painting wet paint into wet paint. Some of the most interesting and unexpected colors I create are from accidentally mixing colors while painting this way. If you don’t like the color that results from mixing, you can always let it dry and paint over it.
Continue spraying the wet paint with water as you work.
STEP 6: Repeat another layer of circle flowers and paint over any area you don’t like. You can use white paint tinted with a color to completely block an area and start again if you want; that’s the magic of the process!
STEP 7: Add leaves and stems if needed with a thin, fine-tipped brush.
STEP 8: Add a few additional stems with a brush in between the drip stems.
STEP 9: Using your fingers, add some extra details and flourishes. Add centers to the flowers and any other fun final details.
STEP 10: You can also drip fluid acrylic paint directly onto your canvas for a dramatic effect.
C’est la Vie
16" × 20" (41cm × 51cm)
I experimented with color and was happy with how the painting unfolded from randomly applying paint with brushstrokes, finger painting and spraying water on the canvas.