Abstract art enjoys every degree of independence from visual references of the world. It's a visual language used by the painter to demonstrate his perception about different things and his state of mind. The birth of abstract painting happened during the Renaissance period i.e. 13th century. Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Leon Battista Alberti, etc. were prominent painters during that period. But abstract art ideas emerged in flying colors only during the 19th century. The three famous art movements Romanticism, Impressionism and Expressionism played a major role in development of abstract art. Some of the most famous abstract painters of the 19th century were Pablo Picasso, Marten Jansen, Vincent Van Gogh, Georges Braques, Camille Corot, J M W Turner, Piet Mondrian, Kadinsky and Modigilani. Before we move on to explaining abstract art, we present you a collage of abstract paintings. * Click on the images for a better view. Abstract Art Forms Picasso and Braques created cubism while Henri Matisse's Fauvism is a transition between post impressionism and expressionism. Abstract art has been characterized by geometric abstraction, abstract portraiture and painterly automatism. In the 19th century, abstract art ideas like suprematism, abstract expressionism and informal art became more radical. Later in the 19th century contemporary geometric abstraction gathered momentum. 20th century abstract art was much influenced by post impressionism. Art was revolutionized with modern abstract ideas like, use of multi-colors, expressions, landscape and figurative pictures. This form of art was known as Fauvism. Expressive use of colors and wild imaginative drawings were pure forms of abstraction. These abstract ideas were used to create dramatic effects in abstract paintings. Picasso states that "nature can be reduced to three solids - cube, sphere and cone" and from this imagination cubism theory was put forth to abstract art. Ideas for Abstract Art Once again I repeat the same lines, that painting is purely a creation of your own mind. You cannot be taught to paint abstract. It should be a spontaneous reflection of your senses and demonstration of your imagination on canvas. If you have good knowledge about abstract painting, then you can definitely understand the themes behind abstract ideas or else total abstract bears nothing in it which can be recognized by our senses, except the painter himself. Picasso comments on abstract "the world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?" Since abstract bears every degree of independence, you can form your own ideas molded with colors. Let us analyze few things that will make your concepts clear about abstract art painting. When you paint landscapes then what colors do you choose for the earth, mountains, ocean, trees and the sky? Don't you commonly use hues of yellow, brown, gray, blue, green, and orange for these elements? If the same landscape is painted in a different fashion with colors merging with each other and the elements blurred, it becomes abstract. It will reflect that your perception about landscape deviates from the normal. You can paint the sky pure white and the dry trees drooping down to the ocean, depicting that the vegetation is thirsty for water. At the same time you can blend the shades of gray and black to portray that nature has gone wild and this heaviness in the painting is an invitation to a wild storm or a natural calamity. Abstractionism can only be created if you can imagine and feel your painting. These concepts can only nurture your ideas about abstract painting, but cannot transcend your mind to the world of abstract and teach you to paint abstract. Abstract arouses strange mysteries in the observer's mind. Due to these mysterious effects, the famous abstract painter Francis Bacon says "flesh and meat are life! If I paint red meat as I paint bodies, it is just because I find it beautiful!" Abstract paintings are not intended to be pictographic representations. Figurative and abstract are mutually exclusive although human figures are discerned in abstract. You can preserve the image while giving expression to your inner self. Although the portrait is recognizable, emphasis is laid more on the painter's imagination, thinking and feeling, rather on representational accuracy and what he sees. This idea can be supported by Robert Brault's famous quote, "abstract art is a fundamental distrust of the theory of reality concocted by the eyes." Abstract Art Techniques You can try these easy ideas and follow the simple techniques to bring out the element of abstractionism in your painting. Let me tell you the secret at the outset, your painting must have a theme and it should be expressive. In simple words the picture should speak what your mind thinks. • You can choose emotional and dramatic expressions to represent your imagination. Start with nature, it's the easiest element to create a mystifying effect. Look at realistic paintings to get an idea and then simplify the picture with the main shapes. Indicate the principal volumes of the picture and draw a rough shape of the elements. Blend and blur the colors wherever necessary. • The most important aspect is the color. Use basic colors like red, blue, green and yellow initially. Practice and improvise your skills and experiment with bold and random colors of crimson red, cadmium red, dark brown, black, bottle green, orange, ultramarine blue and highlights with fluorescent. You can also embed basic shapes to create a composition. Geometric shapes like squares, circles, triangles and ovals can form abstracts having a scientific theme. You can use these shapes skillfully while portraying abstract figures. • Use opposition and contrast colors when you are trying to depict natural calamities, human emotions, devastation, destruction and turmoil. Whatever effect you are trying to create will be a manifestation of your inner self. • When you understand art, you must have a purpose and inspiration behind it. Just like the rules governing musical composition, painting also has basic rules for its composition. Since abstract art has all degrees of independence, you can create new rules or break the existing rules depending on the type of effect you want to create. While painting a bunch of flowers inside a room you can color the flowers bright red and the vase black. If the room has bright hues it symbolizes happiness in its surroundings and the red flowers signify passion, love and warmth. Similarly blurred images inside the house, broken pots, withered flowers create the opposite effect. • Strong strokes, bold colors and rough composition reflect intense physical energy and vigor. As the quality of music varies with its harmony and opus, so does the degree of abstractionism with difference in colors and composition of the image. Abstract painting can also be done using digital painting software. Catch a glimpse on Picasso's awe-inspiring quote on abstract art "there is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality." Abstract Art Ideas for Kids Abstract art ideas cannot be implanted in kids' mind. The childish brain is extremely innovative and you might have often observed that they love to puddle with watercolors. Can't you call that abstract? The tot is just trying to give a form to his imaginations. However you can teach him some new techniques that will capture his attention. Making cards and posters with random mix match of colors is a good idea. Teach him how to handle the brush and give him a bag full of crayons and oil pastel sticks. Show him how to draw shades, highlights and other effects using colors. Let him explore his creative instincts at the beginning and then help him to improve his abstract painting skills. Start with basics of abstract, appropriate blending of colors and then placement of imaginary objects and shapes in the picture to create abstractionism. If you are passionate about abstract paintings, then you must analyze the abstract creation of the famous painters. Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night, Picasso's famous creations The Woman with a Flower, The Garçon a la pipe, Henri Matisse's The Yellow Curtain and James McNeil Whistler's The Falling Rocket are some of the masterpieces of abstract art. You can study works on impressionism and expressionism of famous painters to understand abstractionism in-depth. Observe the paintings minutely and analyze the subtle use of colors. You can paint with acrylics, crayons, oil paints and watercolors. Here are some beautiful words penned down by Vincent van Gogh, "if you hear a voice within you saying, 'You are not a painter', then by all means what does it mean to paint? and that voice will be silenced." Try to connect the aforementioned ideas with your creative instincts. Explore your imaginative power and create an illusion of visible reality in your artistic work. Your painting must be a stand alone piece of your imagination.