Learn how to create beautiful DIY abstract art on canvas with just a few affordable supplies—under $25.
The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.
Robert Wyland
I fell in love with turquoise while standing at the ocean. The shifting blues and greens, the way light moves across the water—those colors instantly became my favorite. That feeling inspired a simple, budget-friendly abstract canvas that now sits above my new console table.
A little background: for years I had another table in this spot—an inherited piece that meant a lot but didn’t quite fit my style. About two years ago I started admiring a narrow console called the Everett Foyer Table I’d seen on blogs and at World Market. Its slim profile and perfect length made it an ideal replacement for the heavier table we had.
I finally saved birthday money and sold the old table to make it happen. When the new table arrived, I knew the empty wall above it needed something large and simple—art that would echo the ocean tones I love, but not break the bank. I remembered a DIY abstract tutorial that used layered blues and whites to mimic water and decided to try it myself.
I didn’t want to spend much—so this project was designed to be inexpensive. With a 24″ x 36″ canvas and a few bottles of craft paint bought on sale, the entire piece cost about $22. I used coupons for the canvas and bought paint during a discount week, but you can easily adapt the idea to whatever sizes and colors you already have.
I’d been planning to redo our gallery wall anyway. The original display was a mismatched assortment of frames I put up when we first moved in. Starting fresh felt right—so this new canvas would be the anchor piece above the console table while I reworked the rest of the wall.
I briefly considered a mirror above the table, but there’s already a large mirror nearby. Big artwork felt more fitting, and since I didn’t have a ready-made piece that matched, making one was the best route.
What You’ll Need to Make DIY Abstract Art
- Paint – choose a range of blues, greens and a neutral white or raw umber for depth. I used a mix of turquoise, baby blue, sea breeze and a touch of warm brown/umber to mimic ocean colors.
- Paper plate – for mixing small amounts of paint.
- Brush – a 3/4″ fine painting brush works well, but any medium brush will do.
- Canvas – mine is 24″ x 36″. A larger canvas gives the piece presence above furniture.
That’s all you need. Keep the supplies simple and focus on color blending.
How to Make DIY Abstract Art
Begin by deciding whether you’ll work from the top down or bottom up, then commit to that direction. A common early mistake is to dab a little of every color across the canvas before blending—don’t do that. Instead, paint one color band at a time, keeping the paint wet so you can blend where the colors meet.
You can mix colors on a paper plate or layer them directly on the canvas. The key is to keep working while the paint is wet so transitions remain soft and natural. If paint starts to dry, refresh it with a bit of water or new paint to preserve blendability.
My first attempt leaned too bright and whitewashed. I wiped it back and started again, working from the bottom up and using less white so the blues and greens could dominate. That second round felt much truer to the ocean tones I wanted.
A big advantage of abstract painting is flexibility: you can keep altering until it’s right. Don’t be afraid to paint over areas you don’t like, but take care when layering over fully dry paint because texture and tone can change noticeably—sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Those small imperfections often add character, so embrace them if you can.
I painted the entire canvas, including the edges, so it looks complete even without a frame. I may frame it later for a more polished finish, but for now the raw painted sides are fine. The finished piece evokes gentle ocean waves and adds a calming splash of color to the entry area.
Have you tried making DIY art? I’d love to hear how it went and what colors you chose.
Next step: I also framed this piece on a budget—check my follow-up post about framing cheaply for details.
More posts you may enjoy:
- Photo Gallery Wall in the Living Room — see how the abstract art looks in place
- 5 Simple Gallery Wall Ideas
- How High to Hang Pictures: Top tips for ideal placement