DIY: Quick & Easy Artwork – 30 Minute Acrylic Painting

Last Updated on December 17, 2012 by Kristi Linauer

You may have noticed that I’m often drawn to DIY projects that are quite time-consuming and tedious (like this and this and this).  I really do have to force myself to think of quick and simple projects.  So when I decided to replace the paint chip artwork that was above the pet station (I liked that artwork, but it just didn’t seem to have enough oomph for that wall), I decided that I would try my hand at something truly fast and simple.  So I purchased a canvas and some small bottles of acrylic paint, and with a vision in my head, I created a piece of artwork in about 30 minutes.

It’s nothing fancy…obvious.  It took 30 minutes!  But I really like the color variation and the movement.  It’s definitely more exciting and colorful than the paint chip artwork.

I didn’t really mean for it to be anything.  But of course, because of the colors I use, my “artwork” often turns out looking like a sunset over water.  But I really wasn’t intending to create a sunset over water.  I just wanted something colorful, with lots of movement, highs and lows, lights and dark, and a fluid look.

It was super simple to make, and you don’t have to have a ton of creativity or talent to make a painting like this.  I started by putting drops of acrylic paint on the canvas in zones of color, with green at the bottom, then dark blue, light blue, orange, and yellow.  I did the first three colors, and then flipped the canvas around and worked on the last two colors.

After putting the drops of paint on the canvas, I loaded up a slightly wet 2″ Purdy paint brush with white latex paint left over from my ceiling, and just started painting across the canvas with very even strokes.  I would add more white paint when I felt it was needed, but I tried not to blend too much.  I really wanted the color variations to show.

I did clean my brush between colors, but I also tried to blend between each color just a bit.

It’s no masterpiece, and I’m sure any true artist or art critic would laugh their heads off at my attempt at artwork, but that’s okay!  I happen to like it.  🙂  And since it only took 30 minutes of my time, I think it’s a pretty good return on my time investment.