How to Create Abstract Canvas Art with Spray Paints

* A Stretched Canvas (We've used A2)

* x6 Spray Paint Colours (We've used Montana Blue Velvet, Sky-Blue, Shock Green, Shock Yellow, Shock Orange and Fire Red)

* Carboard/Protective Sheet

* Disposable gloves or Old Rubber Gloves

* A Face Mask

* A Pencil

* A Tape measure/Ruler

Starting with the blank canvas, measure 10cm down the longest side of the canvas and leave a small mark with your pencil. Continue down the canvas marking every 10cm until you have 5 marks.

Repeat this on the other side. 

Start by spraying the top of the canvas with your blue velvet spray paint. Ensure you spray roughly 10 cm away in a side-to-side motion, making sure to cover above the top 2 marks that you made.

Ensure that the top and sides of this section are also sprayed. It does not matter if you spray over your marks as the next colour will be sprayed directly on top of the blue velvet section.

Using the sky-blue spray paint, spray within the second guideline making sure to connect with the previous colour. If the spray paint drips a lot at this stage, do not worry as this will add texture and will be mostly covered by the end of the project.

Make sure to spray the 2 sides section also.

Now that there are 2 colours on the canvas, grab the blue velvet and begin to spray as close to the canvas as possible with long continuous bursts. This will add lots of paint to the canvas and will begin to form drips.

Follow this process along the line in which the 2 colours meet. If drips are not forming move the can closer and hold the nozzle down for longer.

Top Tip: Practice this technique on a scrap piece of paper first if you are not feeling confident.

Spraying when wet helps to blend the colours more but a similar effect can be achieved if the previous colour is dry, so there is no need to rush.

Using the shock green light spray, repeat step 3 ensuring to spray within the 3rd section and sides. Covering the previous drips is okay as this will help achieve a 3D effect.

Spray the sky blue along the line the colours meet, ensuring you do this at a close distance to begin to create the drips.

Now using the shock yellow light, cover the 4th section and sides.

Spray the shock green light along the line the colours meet at a close distance to begin to create the drips.

Next, using the shock orange cover the 5th section and sides.

Spray the shock yellow light along the line the colours meet, ensuring you spray at a close distance to begin to create further drips.

Finally using the fire red, cover the last section and sides.

Spray the shock range along the line the colours meet, and ensure your spray at a close distance to begin to create the drips.

We will now return to the top of the canvas. If you like you can add more drips if necessary to create longer more interesting patterns. Spraying the colour in one place can enable you to control where the drips will form.

Repeat this where 2 colours meet as many times as desired using all the colours if necessary.

Once happy with the design, wait 30 minutes for the canvas to dry before beginning the next step.

Touch a corner of the canvas to check if it is dry. If dry, rotate your canvas 180 degrees and spray the top with the fire red spray paint.

Now for the messy part! Spray onto the middle finger of your non dominant hand holding the nozzle very close (but not touching). A “pool” of paint will form on your finger ready to create flicks.

Immediately after spraying onto your finger, flick the blue velvet paint onto the same section where it meets the sky-blue to create further blending of colours.

Repeat this process for all the colours. You can spray onto the same finger as the previous colour when still wet to spread the colours throughout the canvas.