Gail Sibley, There's One in Every Crowd, Unison Colour pastels on recycled UART 500 paper, 5 x 6 in. Sold

Making Abstract Art – One Way To Do This

I used to think that there were only two ways to go about making abstract art. The first is to abstractify something from reality. The second is to put pastel on paper and follow where it leads. But recently I discovered a third way. And this is what it is: use a visual seen in a meditative or a daydreamy state, a vision of sorts.

I know that sounds a bit weird but that is what I actually mean. I think this method can be successful especially if you’re open to modifying the original concept.

As with all painting, whether representational or abstract, the elements of art come into play. When making abstract art, we need to consider colour, value, shape, space, line, texture. Also a visual artist, you need to think about how you want the viewer’s eye to travel through your piece.

I’m going to take you step-by-step through two abstract pieces I did recently. Each piece came to me in the way I described above but as you will see, the form of each ‘vision’ is different.

For the first piece, I was looking at a door in a dreamy, unfocussed way. What I saw in the white paint were pinks and grey-greens in a kind of design. I then imagined a dark line zig zagging its way across. I wanted to see if I could capture the feel and visual of this in a painting.

As I already had a specific colour scheme in mind (pink and grey-greens), I picked out a couple of pastels to begin. I chose Great American Artwork pastels for it because I do like this brand and hadn’t used it in awhile. (I mention this because other than for my first three values as underpainting, I rarely pre-select pastels to use in a piece.) I’m working on Canson Mi-Teintes (yup!) “Felt Grey”, 10 x 13 in.

Let’s take a look at this first example of making abstract art.

Making abstract art: The plain door that gave me the idea for a painting. Look hard. Can you see the pinks and greens?
The plain door that gave me the idea for a painting. Look closely. Stare at it. Can you see the pinks and greens?


Making abstract art: Used the nib of a calligraphy pen to scratch lines into the pastel.
Used the nib of a calligraphy pen to scratch lines into the pastel.
Making abstract art: I felt a dark pastel would be toooo dark so used graphic to create the dark jagged lines.
I felt a dark pastel would be toooo dark so used graphite to create the dark jagged lines.
Making abstract art: Used more graphite and scratched out more lines before calling it quits.
Used more graphite and scratched out more lines before calling it quits. Did I go too far?
Making abstract art: And the final in black and white.
And the final in black and white.
Making abstract art: Materials used - pink  and greyish green Great American Artworks pastels, Art Graf graphite, and Calligraphy nib.
Materials used – pink and greyish green Great American Artworks pastels, Art Graf graphite, and calligraphy pen.

As I was creating the abstract piece above, I was thinking about the elements I mentioned earlier.

  • Colour – I chose a red/green complementary colour scheme based on what I’d “seen”. One colour had higher intensity (more saturation) than the other.
  • Value – I made sure I was working with three distinct values and you can see from the black and white version that this was the case. (Value is a quality of colour, as is intensity, but I always feel value is important enough to make it a separate element.)
  • Shape – I worked with the main shape of pink that took up a large proportion of the piece. This shape is partially surrounded by the grey-green shape. Both are organic and shifted and changed slightly as the piece progressed. But the initial main shapes, in their asymmetrical layout, stayed the same.
  • Space – The pink shape is what I would consider the positive space whereas the grey-green fills the negative space. Thinking of illusion of space, the pink by virtue of its lightness, warmth, and purity of hue, sits forward from the grey-green. The dark lines play in front of both.
  • Line – The line here can primarily be seen in the marks of the dark as they tentatively dance across the piece. The other lines are the scratches made by the calligraphy pen nib, removing pastel from the paper in a herky-jerky sort of way. Both add movement and dynamism to the otherwise fairly flat surface of the large shapes.
  • Texture – the application of the pastel in almost brush-like strokes plus the linear scribbles in some areas. These vigorous marks aren’t obvious at first glance as they are layered over another colour, smoothly applied, that’s close in value.

I wanted to make the combination of shapes and marks interesting so as to keep the viewer looking longer. The darker line, with its repetition and uneven emphasis, helps to lead the viewer’s eye around the piece.

Let’s look at the second piece. This time the idea came fully formed in my mind’s eye – a turquoise background over which were laid six red squares in the bottom right corner. A white line swoops in and out from top left, corralling the grid.

Using a small piece on UART 500 which I wiped with a paper towel to create a greyed surface for this piece of abstract art, that’s exactly what I started with.

Making abstract art: A piece from 2017's 31-pastels-in-31-days Challenge. Time to scrub it! So gently wiped with paper towel.
A piece from 2017’s 31-pastels-in-31-days Challenge. Time to scrub it! So gently wiped with paper towel.
Making abstract art: I feel like there's too much visual weight in the lower right so I scratch a grid in the upper left to try to balance the piece. But is it enough?
I feel like there’s too much visual weight in the lower right so I scratch a grid in the upper left to try to balance the piece. But is it enough?
Making abstract art:I add one red square in the upper left. I add more squares to the main grouping, breaking the regular layout. I accentuate the grid. I also lighten the sides of all the squares to add depth.
I add one red square in the upper left. I add more squares to the main grouping, breaking the regular layout. I accentuate the grid. I also lighten the sides of all the squares to add depth.
Making abstract art: I draw in more white lines, and add a lighter white to the creamy white I began with. More grids are scratched in with calligraphy pen nib. And spots of red are added elsewhere. All of this to create a balanced yet asymmetrical composition.
I draw in more white lines, and add a lighter white to the creamy white I began with. More grids are scratched in with calligraphy pen nib. And spots of red are added elsewhere. All of this to create a balanced yet asymmetrical composition.
Making abstract art: I turn the piece upside down to see how it works. I add subtle grids to the outside of the white lines and quiet marks of red. I think it works fine now.
I turn the piece upside down to see how it works. I add subtle grids to the outside of the white lines and quiet marks of red. I think it works fine now.
Making abstract art: Gail Sibley, "There's One In Every Crowd," Unison Colour pastels on recycled UART 500 paper, 5 x 6 in.
Gail Sibley, “There’s One In Every Crowd,” Unison Colour pastels on recycled UART 500 paper, 5 x 6 in.
Making abstract art: The five Unison pastels used (from the 36-piece starter set) plus calligraphy pen.
The five Unison Colour pastels used (from the 36-piece starter set) plus calligraphy pen.

So that’s one idea for making abstract art. You can see how, although in both cases I had a pretty set idea from the start, I moved further than the initial vision to create pieces with balance, expression, and interest.

I’d love to know your thoughts about this way of making abstract art. Have you ever tried this method? Do let me know by leaving a comment!!

Making abstract art can be an exhilarating, frustrating, easy, difficult, satisfying, head-shaking experience. I highly recommend it no matter what method you use!

Until next time!

~ Gail

PS. Apologies for the rather coarse iPhone photos.

PPS. Interested in making abstract art? Here’s some inspiration! I highly recommend this book!!

PPPS. Here’s another idea to get you in the ‘making abstract art’ groove – copy the work of a masterpiece done in a different medium. There’s so much to learn! Here’s my version of doing this with a painting by Richard Diebenkorn. Such fun!!

PPPPS. I listened to music while painting the pastels above. I find that music can influence how my work goes! So I thought I’d share what I listened to. The first was Feist’s Pleasure, the second was Owen Pallet’s In Conflict.

Feist album cover -Pleasure
Owen Pallett's "In Conflict"

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Comments

12 thoughts on “Making Abstract Art – One Way To Do This”

  1. love it! the red is just yummmy….love the application of the red….works perfectly with the blue, the subtle grid, and the variable white enclosure…nice…I could live with this one.

    1. Thanks Diane! It was a new method for me and I enjoyed it. Sometimes these vague ‘images’ come to me. Occasionally I make black and white sketches of them but rarely get to the colour version. This time I got on it!!
      I did listen to music and meant to include what I listened to in the blog so will go do that now! It didn’t affect fully what I was doing but I’m sure it all feeds into the outcome.

  2. Loved this blog post, Gail! My process is exactly as you described, when I paint abstracts, and I love painting this way! So free 🙂 – Jane

  3. I think you interpret the colors of the door perfectly. Interesting method & result. The second one appears to be more dramatic with the transitions of light and the intense color of the red squares. I’ll have to try one. Thanks again Gail for another thought provoking blog. 🙂

    1. Ohhhhh I’m so glad you got the door thing Ruth 🙂 And yes, the second piece is so different and I have no idea where that ‘vision’ came from. It just appeared in my mind.
      And thank you Ruth for another wonderful comment!

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Gail Sibley

Artist. Blogger. Teacher.

My love of pastel and the enjoyment I receive from teaching about pastel inspired the creation of this blog. It has tips, reviews, some opinions:), and all manner of information regarding their use through the years – old and new. Please enjoy!

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