Create Your Own Art!

The cheapest way to have art in your home is to make it yourself!  Not everyone may be a 'natural'artist, but everyone can make art.  I've photographed all the stages of painting a flower, you can do any subject you choose!  www.morguefile.com is a great place to find photos that don't have copyrights, to use for inspiration.  I paint with acrylics, since they're water-based and clean up easily.  Choose your canvas size and photo, or use your imagination for a colorful abstract piece.  And this doesn't have to be expensive!  A canvas is only $6 or so, and a beginner set of acrylics is about $12.  You don't need fancy, high grade brushes, either.  Don't be intimidated! :) Painting should be fun!

For the first step, I print out a black-and-white photo the same size as my canvas. (I used 16 x 20 here, you can start much smaller.) Consider a gallery wrapped canvas, with sides that you can paint to eliminate the need for framing!  Save even more money!

Second, use carbon paper laid over the canvas, and trace over your design to transfer the picture to the canvas.  I did mine one-fourth at a time, using tape to hold it in place.

Third, with a close-up flower design like this there's no background to do.  If you have a background on yours, do that first, slightly overlapping the edges of the flower.

Don't get overwhelmed by the whole picture, just approach it like a jigsaw puzzle, one piece at a time!  I do one petal at a time, checking the photo for color.  You'll probably need 2 coats to make sure you cover the edges cleanly with no background showing through.

Lastly, I go over the whole painting once more with a slightly watered down coat, to smooth the shading and add highlights.

Note: if you're doing a landscape, start with the horizon line.  Then do the sky, then the middle, then the foreground.  Do the farther objects first, then the ones closest to the 'front'.  Experiment and have fun, then hang it on your wall and enjoy the compliments!

Another note: :-)
I love painting flowers, and currently have some for sale at www.cottagerosestudio.etsy.com