Abstract Art Cards

Abstract art cards are gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional greeting cards.

They feature abstract or semi-abstract images - often without sentiments or an inside message.  Great for any occasion!

Creating abstract art gives you freedom to go with your imagination as your creations don't need to represent anything.

It's also a good opportunity to test out new colour combinations and to add textures and patterns. 

So relax! Let go as you intuitively create your cards.

Getting Started....

The good news is you don't need to go to the expense of buying stamps and dies to create your cards.

Find a medium that you feel comfortable working with - there are no right or wrong choices.  Some people feel happy with watercolour or acrylic paints others with coloured pencils or pastels.  The choice is yours!

Don't go out and buy lots of supplies. 

Use what you have even if it's a children's paint set. You don't need fancy brushes as old brushes can provide wonderful texture.

Whatever medium you choose spend some time playing on scrap paper first to experiment with different shapes, textures, patterns and colours.

When you feel confident and relaxed use your best card. For watercolours and acrylic paint you need watercolour or mixed media paper.

Be spontaneous! 

Don't overthink it.  Just let your mind flow and see where your creativity takes you.

Don't stop at one sheet - keep going and have lots of fun!

Colours

First think about your recipient and the message you want to send. This will influence your choice of colours.

Consider the mood you want for your card. 

Bright, bold colours give off a feeling of confidence and energy. Softer colours are more calming and soothing.

Once you have an idea of the feeling you want to create, it's time to start choosing your colours.

If you're unsure where to begin, use a colour wheel or a colour palette.

Add "Colour Palettes" to the search box on Pinterest it will come up with lots of options.

Design Seeds is a website offering a masses of free colour options.   

More recently Sarah Renae Clark has produced 2 colour boxes containing 500 colour palettes.  It's a bit pricey but it does introduce you to colour options you may not have considered yourself.

You can also look to nature for inspiration, or even to your favourite clothing or home décor for colour ideas.

Pick colours that show off your personal style, so your abstract cards look special and stand out.

Shapes

Card makers often use simple shapes and geometric patterns to create backgrounds and embellishments.  With abstract cards the shapes and patterns become the main focal point of the card.

Search "Mondrian" for examples of clean, modern abstract designs.  

Check out your stash for punches, dies, stencils and stamps for shapes or use items from the recycling.  

Circular, rectangular, and triangular shapes are some of the easiest to work with. Either use a single shape or combine multiple shapes to create interesting patterns.

Even unconventional blobby shapes can be used to create custom designs.

 

Texture and Patterns

Adding texture and patterns to your abstract art cards creates dimension and interest.

Here are a few tips.....

• Use layers of different mediums on your cards.  Such as pastel over paint.  
• Use different tools such as palette knife instead of a paint brush.
• Add dots, lines, or other marks to create a variety of different textures and patterns. These could be in a matching or contrasting colour with different mediums such as pen or crayons.
• Experiment with different options such water droplets or drops of Isopropyl Alcohol.   Alcohol inks can also create vibrant and beautiful shapes and texture.
• Add salt onto wet watercolour paint and allow to dry.  The texture is amazing!  Try table salt and rock salt for different textures.

Sentiments for Abstract Art Cards

When I add a sentiment to the outside of an abstract card it's one with a simple design such as a black strip with white embossed lettering.

These can be a simple sentiment from your stash or increasingly I've been using the sentiment packs from Paper Rose, Creative Expressions or Tim Holtz.  These are sold on card ready printed on white and black card.

Just cut out and glue on or add some foam to the back for dimension.

For the inside I use the free Card Messages from Altenew - brilliant for those times when I don't know what to say.  There are messages for every occasion!