Halloween Themed Canvas Painting
Hello again, painting enthusiasts! We are back with another great painting tutorial for you. And we are super excited because it’s our first canvas piece! Misty Leonard of MD Leonard Designs is showing us how to do a Halloween Themed Canvas Painting. It is beautiful and spooky at the same time!
It is hard to believe that Halloween isn’t too far in the future. But, alas, it is the perfect time to dive into a Halloween themed canvas painting! Misty is using some of our favorite Pop of Color Paint colors to create a fabulous hazy moon painting. And anyone can do this! Even if you have never painted a thing in your life you will be able to create your own beautiful canvas.
Misty gives us simple, easy to follow instructions and shows us exactly what to do. And, best of all, we get to channel our own inner Bob Ross as we create “happy little trees”. So, grab your brushes and paints and lets create something fabulous!
Halloween Themed Canvas Painting
Orange Slice
Neon Purple
Lamb’s Wool
Black
If you love Halloween, moons, or just painting in general, this is the painting project for you! And it doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out. There is absolutely no experience needed to make your own version of Misty’s beautiful painting. The reason for that is that nothing about this piece needs to be perfect!
Misty shows us how to get that perfectly round moon (hint: cut vinyl). But if you prefer to free hand or like things to be a little more abstract, you could skip that part. She also gives us the list of colors she uses but you can use any combination you like! Maybe you love the moon aspect but don’t want it to be Halloween. All you have to do is choose a similar number of colors and swap them out!
Misty also teaches us all about blending. Then how to add depth and dimension to our paintings. And then we get to have fun with the trees! In that step you can add as many or as few trees as you like. Just make them varied in size which will give a more natural look. Start by making a line (no perfection needed here either!) for the trunk of each tree that you want. Then fill it in with a fan brush. In the video below Misty shows us exactly how to create the trees. And it’s even easier than it sounds here!
Watch the Video Tutorial Here!
Halloween Themed Canvas
Materials
- Blank canvas
- Black Shock Paint
- Orange Slice Shock Paint
- Neon Purple Shock Paint
- Lamb's Wool Shock Paint
- Paint brush 3/4"flat brush, #6 brush, fan brush, fine brush
- Popsicle sticks
- Vinyl moon decal
- Water and paper towel to clean brushes
- Painter's tape 1 inch
- tweezers
- Mixing cups
Instructions
- Start by taping off all four edges of your canvas with the painter's tape. Then adhere the vinyl moon decal to your canvas. Make sure your moon is pressed down firmly, you don't want paint creeping under it because we will be removing it later.
- Use your flat brush to make small dabs of Black towards the top and bottom of you canvas.
- Then do the same with the Neon Purple but add it in below the Black at the top and above the Black at the bottom.
- Next do the same thing with the Orange Slice but this time you will be putting the dabs on the sides of the moon.
- Now use the brush in a back and forth motion to gently spread your orange paint out to the edges of the canvas, going right over the moon.
- Don't clean your brush completely before doing the same thing with the purple. As you are spreading, also blend your colors together where they meet. Finally, spread out your Black and pull it into the purple just a little bit.
- Once all of your blending is done, use the tweezers to remove the moon. Then pour a tiny bit of Lamb's Wool and Orange Slice into the clear cup and stir to combine.
- Next, use your #6 brush and the combined paint to dab color onto the moon. You want a pretty light coverage and should leave it spread out a bit. Then feather the paint out to the edges of the moon.
- Mix together a tiny bit of Black and Lamb's Wool then dab the combined paint in areas to add accents to your moon.
- Then use the fine brush and Black paint to add in lines for trees. Next use the fan brush to add in your branches making them small at the top and gradually larger towards the bottom. Then repeat the same process to make shadow trees that are the opposite of the other trees.
Painting Instructions
Start by adding dabs of paint
Then blend your dabs
Giving the moon its details
Add lines for tree trunks
Then use a fan brush to add branches
A Few Parting Words…
Once you’ve finished your hazy moon painting you can remove the tape. Our paints dry very quickly so no need to wait before taking the tape off. You can leave the painting as is or you can sign it with as much flare as you like! You could also add a cute or spooky Halloween saying across the moon.
If you enjoyed learning from Misty you can find her all over the inter-webs! Check out her website, MD Leonard Designs. And follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Misty is always creating something beautiful and new!
Pop of Color Shock Paints are sold exclusively at Counter Culture DIY. So now you have even more reasons to stop by!
You can find more awesome video tutorials like this one on our YouTube channel!
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