Create Awesome Abstract Art With This Balloon Smash Painting

Marcy Ferro
by Marcy Ferro
2 Materials
$10
5 Minutes
Easy


Take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to create this awesome balloon smash painting. In only five minutes you can have a stunning piece of abstract art to display in your home. This project is cheap, quick, and easy, and you probably already have most of what you need in your crafting stash. It’s also easily customizable to fit your space and aesthetic. Use calming blues for a beachy feel, or spice it up with bright colors to make it pop. I’ve included two different techniques, so follow my tutorials and find which one is best for you!


Tools and Materials

Tools and Materials:

  • Balloons
  • Canvas
  • Arteza pouring acrylic paints (these paints are ready to pour and you don’t need to mix them with another medium)
  • Offset spatula
  • Plate
Coat the Canvases

Technique 1: Puddle and Smash


Step 1: Coat the Canvases

I started by coating the canvases with white paint. I just poured the paint all over the canvas and then spread it with an offset spatula. 

Spread with a Spatula

You can coat in whatever method you like, the goal is to provide a surface for the other paints to spread on. I chose to use a white background, but this step can be done with any color. Just make sure that whatever color you choose will allow other colors to stand out.

Add Color Puddles

Step 2: Add Color Puddles

While the paint was still wet, I started creating puddles of color. Working with one color at a time, I added a few dots spread out over my canvas. 

Add More Color

Then I added a dot of new color within the dots I had already made. I like to keep things asymmetrical so I didn’t make every puddle the same.

Smash

Step 3: Smash

Using a blown up balloon, I pressed it into the color puddles. If you like, you can wipe off the balloon between puddles. For this project I chose to not wipe the colors off as they blended nicely. The harder you press with the balloon, the larger the circles and shapes will be as a result.

Continue Smashing


Add More Color Puddles

Step 4: Add More Color Puddles

Once I had smashed all of the puddles I wiped off the balloon and added some more color. I added some brighter colors and a tiny bit of black. I grabbed my balloon and started pressing down on the color puddles again. 

Stamp

When I had quite a bit of paint on the balloon I also started pressing in spots without paint puddles to add some more color.

DIY Ballon Smash Painting

Tip:

Your background paint makes a difference. The less paint you have on the background, the more pronounced your flower shapes will be. 

Make a Paint Puddle

Technique 2: Dip and Dot

In this technique you create one large paint puddle on a plate, dip the balloon in it, and stamp the canvas from there.


Step 1: Make a Paint Puddle

I made a paint puddle in the same fashion I showed above. You really don’t need too much paint, but this puddle should be bigger than the ones you made for the previous project. Remember, you can always add more colors to the puddle later.

Dip the Balloon

Step 2: Dip the Balloon

Then I dipped the balloon in the paint puddle. Look at how nicely the colors transferred. 

Stamp the Canvas

Step 3: “Stamp” the Canvas

Using the balloon that I had just dipped into the paint puddle, I pressed down in a few different places on the canvas. Go back and dip in the puddle for more paint as needed.

Stamp Some More

Because I layered my colors, every time I went back to dip in the paint puddle I got a different design.

Use a Smaller Balloon

You can also use a smaller balloon to create some different shapes. 

Add More Color

Step 4: Add More Color

I wanted to add some more pink to my painting, so I added some to the paint puddle, pressed my balloon in it, and then pressed it onto the canvas. 

Add Depth

This added some more depth to my painting.

Balloon Smash Painting

Told you it would take under five minutes! These balloon smash paintings can be customized to look like flowers, or leave it as is for stunning abstract art. What color would you use for yours? Let me know in the comments below!

Resources for this project:
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  2 questions
  • Julie Julie on Apr 21, 2022

    Could this be done on fabric?

  • Julie Julie on Apr 21, 2022

    Could this be done on fabric?

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