Decorating DIY Home Decor DIY Wall Art This DIY Watercolor Wall Art Is Perfect For Beginners You don't have to be a pro painter to make a piece of large-scale abstract artwork. This freeform swirling pattern is simple to create (and forgiving of flaws). By Sydney Price Sydney Price Sydney Price got her start in journalism while in college, writing food and fashion content for her university's magazine and campus newspaper. She also interned at Modern Luxury, freelanced for Blue Frog Dynamic Marketing, and served as the copy chief at Urban Plains. After graduating, she became the editorial assistant for Better Homes & Gardens, writing about food, holidays, gardening, and home. After two years, she transitioned to copywriting at ITA Group where she wrote digital and print copy for B2B employee engagement programs. Her clients included technology, finance, and fashion industries. Sydney moved on to be the contract copywriter for Arbonne, helping create content for social media, emails, and event announcements. She is now the copywriter at AuditBoard, a risk management platform based in California.Sydney Price holds a bachelor of arts degree in magazine journalism with a minor in biology. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Project Overview Working Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 day Skill Level: Kid-friendly This easy canvas art is just what your blank wall needs. Although it’s made using watercolor paint (so you might get your hands a little dirty in the process), the swirling modern design is a far cry from your art class masterpieces of yesteryear. You can create the easy watercolor artwork in about an hour or less, depending on how long it takes you to reach your desired look. Finish your creation with an inexpensive frame made from painted wood lattice strips. Related: Our Easiest Canvas Art Ideas What You'll Need Equipment / Tools 1 Foam brush 1 Empty condiment bottle Materials 1 White canvas 1 Water 1 Watercolors 1 Paper towels, as needed Instructions Apply Water to Canvas Saturate your blank canvas using a foam brush and water. If you are using a large canvas, it's easiest to work in quadrants down the page so the water at the bottom doesn't dry before you get to it. Apply Watercolor Paint Add a few drops of watercolor paint to your canvas, gradually adding more water until the color begins to spread. You can use either liquid watercolors in a dropper bottle or watercolor tubes for this project—or both mixed together. We used a combination of Reeves tube watercolors (for the peachy tones) and Dr. Ph. Martin's Synchromatic Transparent Water Color (for the blue-gray). Add a second color and blend the edges with your initial color using your foam brush.Editor's Tip: If you've added too much water or paint to one area, you can use a paper towel to lightly blot up the excess. Create Swirls with Watercolor Techniques For this project, we used a few different techniques to move the paint around the canvas. To mimic the same look, you can pick up the canvas and tilt it gently to blend colors or press down on the canvas in desired spots so that the ink pools into the impression. You can also squeeze an empty condiment bottle at an angle to blow the ink around. Add additional colors and water until you are satisfied with the texture and saturation of your design. Use the watercolor painting techniques to work your way across the canvas in quadrants. Editor's Tip: To achieve organic swirls and prevent your colors from turning muddy, don't manipulate the paint too much beyond the techniques shown. 31 Creative DIY Paint Projects to Personalize Your Home Decor Let Dry and Frame (Optional) Marty Baldwin Allow your artwork to dry on a flat surface overnight. Watercolors dry quickly, so your canvas will likely feel dry within a few hours. If desired, you can frame your canvas with painted wood lattice strips. Simply cut them to fit each side of your canvas, then use a brad nailer to attach the pieces for a professional look. Related: 3 Easy Watercolor Art Techniques Anyone Can Do