A landscape can be real or it can be imaginary! It can be made up of natural features like mountains and bodies of water or include man-made elements such as buildings. If you could create your perfect landscape, what would it look like? Would it include natural elements or man-made components? There are many different kinds of landscape art on view at PEM, such as the beautiful Chinese wallpaper in the Asian Export art gallery. Create your own abstract landscape paintings using a special kind of tissue paper called bleeding tissue paper to discover a fun way to make abstract art!
Supplies
- Paper or sketchbook
- Pencil
- Hard drawing surface (like a drawing board, cardboard, hardcover book)
- Bright, sunny day
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare your supplies. Gather your painting surface and bleeding tissue paper.
Step 2: Arrange your tissue paper. Start by color blocking specific areas of your landscape (for example, a brown triangle could represent a mountain). Arrange your abstract landscape in order to plan where you want certain colors to go before you wet the paper. You may choose to cut your tissue paper with scissors or tear the tissue paper for a ruffer, more natural looking edge. Arrange your tissue paper on your painting surface.
Step 3: Prepare your paper or canvas. Once you’re satisfied with your arranged landscape, remove the tissue paper from your painting surface. Using a spray bottle, get your painting surface wet.
Step 4: Paint with tissue paper. Carefully place your dry pieces of tissue paper onto your damp painting surface. The bleeding tissue paper will immediately begin to disperse its color.
Tip: Layering tissue paper will help darken some colors. Once you have your pieces of tissue paper on your surface, spray the top of your landscape.
Step 5: Let your painting dry. Leave all your wet tissue paper on your landscape until it has fully dried. Then remove the tissue paper to reveal your abstract landscape painting!
Tip: Repeat the painting steps for a more layered and darker look.
Explore more of our #PEMfromHome Drop-in Art Activity video tutorials on our YouTube channel.
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