Create Easy Abstract Canvas Art Using A Stencil

by Cutting Edge Stencils

4 Materials

$30

1 Hour

Easy

Go ahead and banish those blank walls and channel your inner artist with this totally doable and trendy DIY wall art project. We're going to show you how to easily it is to paint your own canvas wall art using a stencil pattern. All it takes is a blank canvas, some acrylic craft paint, and your favorite stencil design.

Greg decided to craft abstract wall art using our Flock of Cranes Stencil. Let's walk through the steps for completing this easy stencil project. The first thing Greg did was grab a 24" by 36" canvas that he had in the office. He set up his crafting area with acrylic craft paints and small chip paint brushes.

Greg measured about eight inches up the canvas and masked off the section with blue painter's tape.

For this project, Greg used a range of acrylic craft paints including an off white, turquoise, navy blue, aqua, robin's egg blue, yellow and brown toffee.

He started off by placing drops of robins egg blue, navy, and turquoise randomly across the canvas.

Then using a dry chip brush he combined the paint colors in a horizontal motion. This technique is called colorwashing. It's a faux finishing technique where you blend to paint that are wet.

Using a small chip brush, Greg worked the wet paint colors into each other until they were blended. Then he added touches of yellow and brown toffee to the edges. He used a separate chip brush to combine these paint colors.

Greg removed the painter's tape to reveal his faux horizon. Next it was time to create an abstract sky using the same technique that he had used for the bottom half of the canvas.

Greg used a chip brush to blend his wet paint colors.

Abstract yet interesting was his goal and he totally succeeded! This painted canvas would serve as the base for his stencil.

We love this amazing Flock of Cranes stencil! It captures the graceful movement of a flock of migrating birds.

Greg selected the medium size craft stencil for this project. He placed it on top of the canvas and held it in place with blue painter's tape.

Then he began painting the flock of cranes pattern in a metallic gold using a two inch dense foam roller. If you are recreating this project at home, please make sure you roll off any excess paint onto a piece of paper towel. Too much paint will cause the design to bleed.

Greg made sure he covered the entire design with paint before he removed the stencil from the canvas.

He repositioned the stencil so he could continue the bird pattern across the canvas. Greg used the registration marks to line up the stencil and repeat it.

Then he stepped back to admire his beautiful work. Here is Greg's stenciled canvas artwork.

Enjoyed the project?

You can do it! Saved to your projects

Flock of Cranes Craft Stencil- Medium- Cutting Edge Stencils (http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/flock-of-cranes-diy-craft-project-stencils.html)
Canvas 24" by 36" (Craft Store)
Acrylic Craft Paint (Craft Store)
2" dense foam roller- Cutting Edge Stencils (http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/mini-roller-stenciling-stencils.html)